A quick reworking of my Zombie Eradicator for FebRovery, as that's what it was supposed to be in the first place :)

 

I was really pleased to find when the two hemispheres are put together, there's a gap to SNOT a tile through - the pilot's seat and controls clips to the end of the tile.

Sloan's Ink Eradicator by the Waterman Pen Company - the box and bottles 1 and 2 with some of the original fluid still inside.

Possibly from the 1950s.

A really simple take on a character that's been done before by better than I, but I need him for my Outsiders. Of course, there's nothing wrong with simple, and this guy does the job pretty well if you ask me!

LtoR:

Steel (CustomBricks)

Eradicator (Ra Minifigures, replaced head and added Dremeled visor)

Solar Suit Superman (Cyclops Bricks)

Just to clarify, nothing to do with the Reign of the Supermen storyline. Just needed a good title, and, well, it fit. So, judging as the Superman of the Overlords-verse has been around over a century, I thought it wasn't unreasonable for others to have tried to create Super-beings for their own nefarious purposes *cough* Lex Luthor *cough*. So, I came up with this lot, and improved Project Kr a bit too while I was at it. I'm also gonna put some dates before the stories, just for e, so I can keep track of what's happening when. So, onto their stories (L to R):

 

Cyborg Superman (1993) - The first successful attempt by Lex-corp at a Superman Luthor could control. Hank Henshaw was just one of many test subjects. A former astronaut, his shuttle had been hit by a solar flare, which had caused the untimely deaths of his fellow crewmates. Henshaw, by some miracle, had survived the initial flare, but was now suffering the after-effects. His body was changing, poisoned against him, and he knew he didn't have long. And so, he volunteered himself to be experimented upon, and hopefully be reborn as a cyborg. The process was long and painful, countless surgeries were performed, and with every one, Hank lost a little bit of himself.

 

After nearly two years, he was ready. He awoke standing in front of a small group of scientists. Their mouths were agape, and sheer horror was spread across their faces. Though his hearing wasn't quite working yet, he caught the odd word. "freak" "mistake" "abomination". He stumbled his way through the lab, pushing and shoving his way to the doors. They were locked. He flew into a mad fury, destroying everything he could reach, his newly found heat vision setting the lab ablaze. As the sprinklers settled the fire, Hank looked down, and saw himself reflected in a piece of polished steel. He was a freak. Those scientists and doctors had turned him into a nightmarish, twisted version of himself. Hell, he wasn't even himself, just a distorted image of Superman. Launching himself into the air, he flew through the night sky, straight up, away from it all. He needed...time away, to reflect. to try to come to terms with what had been done to him. as he drifted through space, he focussed his mind, tried to home in on something, anything to stop himself going mad. His hatred for Superman, the man he resembled so much, but was nothing like. That alien was a hero, loved by billions. He was just an astronaut who'd run out of luck, forgotten. All he was now, was a bad imitation of the man of steel.

 

Kr 1.0 (Bizarro) (2004) - Kr 1.0 was the first 'successful' clone of Superman that Lexcorp was able to produce. It had been years in the making, cost billions of dollars, but finally, it was ready. After the initial failure of the cyborg Superman, this was to be a success, a good investment. However, it was not meant to be. The tank was drained, and the clone was let out. It took a few steps, before falling to the floor, It was weak, barely able to move. No wonder, having spent all of its life in a tank. It was taken away to be clothed, and most importantly, assessed. Luthor and his scientists were eager to see what their investment could do. After many weeks, the scientists were able to confirm that though the clone had all the powers of Superman, it was a bit behind in cognitive ability. It often got lost in thought, which meant it struggled to control its powers. Luthor spent a small fortune in funerals for those it had incinerated while it wasn't paying attention.

 

It had been almost two months, when Luthor was awoken to an urgent phone call. The clone had broken free of its bonds, and had escaped. Though free, it seemed the clone didn't know what to do with itself. It just hovered, hundreds of feet from the ground, staring absent mindedly at the rising sun. It was transfixed, nothing could get its attention. Before Luthors men could recapture it, it was gone, flying towards the sunrise. It was here it met what it was supposed to be. Superman. It was still transfixed by the sun, just staring at it. 'The light's pretty, isn't it' It said to him. Superman was taken aback. This man, hovering in mid-air. It looked like him, but....something was wrong. The clones eyes glowed, burning with the heat vision it couldn't control. Before Superman could react, the clones eyes erupted with fire, the flames hitting a passing passenger plane, thousands of miles away. Superman shot off to save the plane, but he was too late. though he was able to catch it, the plane broke apart in mid-air, and crashed into a field. After calling in the League to help search the wreckage, he went back to find the man responsible. He had landed now, his head in his hands, weeping uncontrollably. He looked up when Superman landed in front of him. He looked angry. "Where did you come from?" Superman asked the clone. It looked down to the ground, not answering. It was clear it wasn't in its right mind, that something was missing. Then, it spoke, in barely a whisper "Kill me". Superman was taken aback. On one hand, he knew it had to be done, there was no way this man could be allowed to live, especially if he couldn't control his own powers. Before the war, Superman would have taken him to the fortress of solitude, tried to teach him to control his powers. But with everything going on in the world, the state of the world, and with his newly found cousin taken into account, he knew that for once, just this once, he would have to make the tough decision, and choose the easy way. Despite all this, he still tried to reach out to the man, to try to help him. "You don't understand, this was my fault. I killed those people. They're all dead, because of me. If you don't kill me, it'll happen again, and again, I can't control these powers" With this, Superman knew he had to make the choice. He told the man to turn away from him, to look at the flowers, shooting up from the grass. Once the deed was done, he buried the man, in a grave he dug with his own two hands. Having nothing to wrap him in, he took his own cape from his shoulders, and wrapped the body in it. He then laid him to rest, said a prayer, and buried the grave. He then flew off to help the rest of the league in their attempt to save whoever he could from the wreckage.

 

Project Kr - Won't bother with their story, as I've covered it so many times before. Same as before, can't breathe our air, weakened powers, full powers yadda yadda yadda.

 

The Eradicator (2001/2) - When Superman found his cousin hidden away in the ruins of a CADMUS research facility, he discovered many other Kryptonian artefacts. Amongst them was a sentient computer system. When he touched it, it sprung to life, growing a body. Once complete, it rose from the ground, hovering in the air. "Recognised, El bloodline. Kal-El son of Jor-El and Lara-El recognised". All good so far. "Criminal element detected, Crime: high treason, Verdict: Guilty. Punishment: death. Kal-El, son of Jor-El, prepare to be eradicated". Shocked Superman stumbled back, preparing himself for a fight. Though weak, exposed wires and servo units, the eradicator floated towards him, arm outstretched, burning with Yellow light. Using his heat vision, Superman was able to repel the Eradicator, sending it flying into a wall. Though it got up, the ceiling collapsed, an the Already weak eradicator was destroyed. Pulling it's body from the rubble, Superman returned it to the Fortress of solitude, where he could safely study it, as well as find out what it meant when it talked of his recently discovered father, and what it was he had done back on Krypton.

 

So, those are the other Supermen of the Overlords-verse. Quite enjoyed coming up with these, and I'm glad I was able to find a goodish way to tell Bizarro's story. So, as always, please lemme know what you think, and if you'd like to see even more of the Overlords-verse :D

I finally have the Sinestro Minifigure, great parts, I think Cole's head is perfect for The Eradicator because his face is the color black with yellow shades, but the head is a perfect replacement

 

DC Figs 154:

From L-R: Bane (Updated), Sinestro, The Eradicator (DC Rebirth), Red Hood (Jason Todd: Unmasked: DC Rebirth), Mister Miracle (Scott Free), Vixen (Updated), Tempest (Updated)

For the G.I. Bricks photo group.

For this week's 100x theme of Symmetry.

 

I snapped about 25 images of this little cluster of flowers. The sun was so bright that I could barely see the screen to see if the flowers were in frame let a lone in focus.

 

Surprisingly I got a number of keepers from the set. I was super happy to see those tiny drops of dew nestled in among the petal bases when I previewed the image on the iPad.

 

I saw the fantastic UD grounds keepers the other day with their tanks of weed eradicator on their backs and spray hoses in hand.

 

I am sure these little flowers were one of their targets.

 

The usual iPhone and Olloclip Macro lens and iPad Snapseed for editing.

 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Sorry for not posting in a while! Now let's get into my character.

 

Name: The Eradicator

Superpowers: Super speed

Background: After the death of his best friend a University basketball star found himself in a fight that was taken too far. He was pushed into a box of chemicals which somehow caused him to gain super speed. With that power he vowed never to let anyone die under his watch again.

Some of Supermans Metropolis based allies and opponents.

 

Still a few to get such as Eradicator and Atomic Skull. I'm really hoping for a big fig Doomsday one of these days too.

 

I'd also love to see someone tackle Metallo, parasite, Mongul (I know you have a design Pat and i hope to see it printed one day :) ) and Mr MXYZPTLK (LB3 version).

 

Figs featured are by TLG, PPR - Customs, OLS, CB, PPM, SGP and Christo.

Post-apocalyptic zombie problems? Then you need the JB-3000 ATZE. For all your zombie removal issues.

The Mammoth Armored Reclamation Vehicle (MARV) was an ultra-heavy tank/Tiberium-processor hybrid designed by GDI Zone Operations Command (ZOCOM) during the Third Tiberium War. The Mammoth Mk. III-based design was used to support ZOCOM's Tiberium-abatement operations in red zones which were traditionally vulnerable to Nod and separatist mutant attacks. The MARV was extremely powerful and versatile, and it was capable of defeating most ground units in an one-to-one battle (any, if garrisoned by four Zone Troopers/Raiders). It somewhat filled the role of the old Mammoth Mk. II as the ultra heavy assault unit in the GDI arsenal.

Like the Nod Redeemer and the Scrin Eradicator Hexapod, the MARV must be built from its own specialized construction building - the Reclamator Hub - and commanders were only authorized to deploy one MARV at a time to the battlefield.

.

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All of my renders are done using Stud.io by Bricklink. This is a new lighting system they added

Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran sahib is one of the most prestigious Gurudwara(place of worship for sikh religion)located in Patiala City here in Punjab.

 

Dukh Nivaran's meaning is-"eradicator of suffering".

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurdwara_Dukh_Nivaran_Sahib

  

For best view: View On Black

L to R:

 

Superboy (Kon-El/Connor Kent), Steel (Natasha Irons), Winn Schott Jr, Power Girl (Karen Star), Alex Danvers, Lois Lane, Supergirl (Kara Zor-El/Kara Danvers), Superman (Kal-El/Clark Kent), James 'Jimmy' Olsen, Superwoman (Lana Lang), Steel (John Henry Irons), Strange Visitor (Sharon Vance), Power Boy, Powerhouse (Tanya Spears), Eradicator

Barry shook the debris off his shoulders, his head stinking from the rough crash.

 

The moment he'd seen Iris plummeting from the sky, he knew he had to act as fast as he could. He'd bolted to the nearest fire escape, climbing the metal at super speed, and being quick enough to catch the woman midair.

 

"The Flash?" Mardon called, hovering above Barry and Iris. "You don't look like the Flash I remember."

 

"Wait."

 

"Huh?"

 

Barry watched Eddie turn back to his room, the pace at which he moved being much faster than before.

 

"I've… got something," he called, his voice straining. "You're gonna need it if you're going out there."

 

"Mr. Jones, I don't have ti-"

 

"There!" he shouted, interrupting Barry mid-sentence. "A hero… has got to have a uniform."

 

Eddie stepped out of the room, his open hand now carrying a duffle bag. His hand extended, Barry accepting the bag and sliding the zipper.

 

Barry's eyes widened as he looked into the black back, his gaze shooting up to Eddie. "Well, I told you… I was a big fan of his…"

 

Barry smiled, nodding to him. "I'll make sure to put it to good use."

 

"Let's just say… I needed a makeover," Barry announced. "Now, I'm gonna need you to stop, Mardon."

 

"I'm the Weather Wizard now, Flash!" Mardon yelled, his wand waving in the air. "I won't fail… and you definitely won't stop me."

 

Barry's expression steeled, his head turning to Iris. "Ma'am, get out of here," he ordered, lightning dancing around his body. "I'll take care of Mardon."

 

The woman was hesitant, looking between the two costumed men before nodding, running from the scene.

 

Barry brought himself to a running stance, eyes locked onto the floating man. Mardon's arm swung forward, his wand dragging a bolt of lightning to where Barry stood.

 

Moving as fast as he could, Barry dashed to the right, only barely avoiding the lightning strike. Another streak of lightning came crashing down, this time destroying a sedan near Barry. The car's explosion sent Barry crashing into a lamp post, yelling in pain as his back hit the metal.

 

With another wave of his wand, Mardon sent a gust of wind directly at Barry. The blast sent him into the air, his body crashing through an apartment complex's window. Barry brought himself to a stand, the force of a second wind blast bringing down the brick wall of the building.

 

Barry pushed the bricks off his body, his skin under his suit beginning to bruise. The explosion had seared his costume, his chest now exposed. "You don't need to get in my way, Flash," Mardon yelled from outside, now floating outside the broken wall. "Just walk away… you don't need to die."

 

"And what?" Barry said, standing up, swaying slightly. "Just let people die? No… I'm not going to let you hurt anyone."

 

"I don't want… to hurt anyone," Mardon added, swirling his wand in the air. "But I have a goal… and I will reach it no matter what."

 

A bolt of lightning shot through the apartment, Barry sidestepping to dodge. Carrying his momentum, Barry stepped onto the apartment's couch leaping from it towards Mardon.

 

The punch connected with Mardon's jaw, sending him to the ground with a crash. Barry rolled into a parked car, denting the metal with the impact.

 

Mardon stood, swinging his wand upward. Barry was hit by an uppercut of air, the car flipping onto its side. Barry recovered, dashing back at Mardon. His hands moved quickly, landing multiple blows against Mardon's torso.

 

"Get… back!" Mardon screamed, a tornado of wind blasting from his wand. Barry slid backwards, this time keeping on his feet. "I'll kill you if I have to!"

 

"Stop trying to imitate your father!" Barry screamed, Mardon's eyes widening at the words. "The Weather Warlock was a criminal! Why would you use this… amazing power to hurt others?"

 

"You… remember," Mardon mumbled, his voice shaky.

 

"You don't have to go down this path… Mardon," Barry said, his breath short. "You can still make this right… still be a hero…"

 

Mardon's expression darkened. "I don't… give a damn about heroes or villains…" Barry frowned, lightning sparking around him once again. "I'm going to be remembered… the world will remember me!"

 

The sky darkened, a mass of black clouds began converging above Mardon. A column of wind formed around the two of them, a small rebreather extending over Mardon's mouth. Barry could feel his oxygen leaving him as the tornado swirled around him.

 

"I warned you!" Mardon screamed, debris entering the tornado. "You caused this!"

 

Barry began to feel lightheaded, his vision blurring as rubble flew around him. A chunk building slammed into his side and knocked the remaining wind out of him.

 

"I won't be forgotten!"

 

Barry blitzed, no air in his lungs at all. His vision was dark and his body felt cold. He couldn't give up, however. His legs shot him in the air, landing atop a car door that was flying through the vortex. He jumped again, running along a street lamp as if it were a track. Leaping from the debris, Barry cocked back his fist as his body soared toward Mardon.

 

Mardon's eyes widened, lightning reflecting off of his iris'.

 

"I'll do it dad… I promise."

 

-^-

 

Joe slammed his car door shut. The entire city block was ripped to shreds; debris scattered along the street, dust mixing with the falling snow. What caught his attention more than anything else, however, was the man that stood in front of the museum.

 

His clothing was tattered, a red cloth mask covering his face. His posture was bad, his body swaying slightly as he huffed. Laid under him, knocked unconscious, was Marco Mardon. The red-clad man held the silver rod that Marco had been using, snapping it over his knee.

 

"Uncle Joe!"

 

Joe's head turned, spotting his red-haired niece running up to him. Her jacket was burnt up, her sweater underneath singed in odd patterns along the arms. Joe removed his trench coat, draping it over the woman's shoulders.

 

"Stay warm, sweetheart…" he said, hugging her. As he pulled away, his eyes drifted to the man standing in front of the museum. "Who the hell is that?"

 

Iris looked at the man as well, a smile stretching across her face. "That's... The Flash."

 

-^-

 

"It's been three weeks since the attack on Central City by Marco Mardon, better known as the Weather Wizard. The costumed villain's assault on the Museum caused great property damage, but ended when a red suited man dubbing himself 'the Flash' showed up on the scene."

 

Barry took a sip of orange juice; his legs kicked up on the coffee table in front of him and his arm rested on the back of the couch.

 

"That guy is so sick," Daniel said, a bite of pancake in his mouth. "I mean, the Flash? That's just so cool."

 

"It's not like it's something new," August said, chiming in. "The Flash has been around since the 20's. I just wonder what made him come back. Now, I mean."

 

"A Weather controlling super villain might do the trick," Iris said, causing August to roll his eyes. "Whatever the reason, I'm glad he did show up. If he didn't…"

 

"Hey now," Joe interrupted, pouring himself a coffee, "don't get caught up on what-ifs. He was there and he saved you."

 

"I know… I'm just glad that no one was hurt… especially you," she said, looking at Barry with a deathly glare. "At a friend's house… what friends do you have?"

 

"What? I have friends!" Barry said defensively.

 

"Oh yeah?" Iris challenged. "Name one that isn't Patty or in this room."

 

"Uh…"

 

August spit out his coffee as he doubled over in laughter. "Not on the carpet…" Joe sighed, shaking his head.

 

"The Jade-Eyed ball of Jealousy is back…" Daniel commented under his breath, Iris tossing a pancake at his head.

 

"Why would you… there's syrup in my hair!" Daniel shouted, turning to Iris.

 

"Aww, what's wrong?" she mocked, waving a bite of pancake in the air. "The baby gonna cry?"

 

"That's it!" Daniel shouted, leaping up and tackling Iris.

 

Barry smiled, putting his orange juice down on the coffee table before lifting Daniel off of Iris and holding him. "Get him Iris," he said while laughing.

 

"This is biased!" Daniel shouted as Irissmacked him repeatedly with a pancake.

 

"Two versus one isn't very fair, Barry," August announced, smacking Barry's head with a pillow. "Let's even these odds."

 

The sound of the front door opening caused everyone to stop roughhousing. Stepping inside was a shorter boy with bright orange hair and freckles along his face.

 

"You guys are already having a smackdown!?" the boy shouted, disappointment lacing his words. "That's fine, the Wall-Man is about to show out!"

 

"Wally you jump into that and I'm returning every one of them damn Christmas presents I bought you," Joe said, stopping the boy in his tracks.

 

"But Uncle Joe…"

 

"No buts, outside, all of you," Joe ordered, all four of the young adults moving to get their winter coats on. Wally 180'd, running back to the door and swinging it open.

 

He was stopped by Rudy West, who walked in before he could exit.

 

"Sorry, we'd have been here last night but the snow is only just starting to calm down," Rudy explained, eyebrow cocking at the mess in the living room.

 

"Oh, they'll be cleaning that up later, don't worry," Joe said, causing his nephew to chuckle.

 

"So, mom and dad not here yet?" he asked, taking off his winter coat.

 

"Nadine had a last minute surgery she had to perform, she won't be here until dinnertime," Joe explained, taking a sip of his coffee, "and Ira is still filing paperwork for that Mardon business."

 

"Me and Wally saw that on TV," Rudy said, sitting down on the couch. "I know it's… not a subject you're big on."

 

Joe lowered his head, staring into his steaming coffee. "I don't like these masked freaks… or metas… but that Flash guy… he saved your sister," Joe explained, looking up at Rudy. "So for now… he's alright in my book."

 

Barry smiled from the stairs. He knew Joe's trauma… the pain that the Eradicator caused him and Daniel. Knowing that he had Joe's support… he knew he was doing the right thing.

 

"Move it, slowpoke," Iris joked, lightly pushing Barry.

 

"You're all acting like children, you know," Joe said, calling to the four leaving the house.

 

"You love us anyways," August snapped back, shooting a finger gun at Joe as he walked out.

 

"Alright, we're gonna have uneven teams…" Daniel said, realizing there are 5 people now.

 

"Don't worry about it, I'll fly solo," August said, already holding a snowball. "I'm so good it's like there's two of me."

 

"I don't want to hear complaining then, August," Iris said, grabbing ahold of Barry by the hand. "Let's go, partner."

 

Barry smirked, nodding his head. He and Iris quickly crafted a wall of snow, the sound of snowballs smacking against it already being heard. Barry quickly made a handful of ammunition, giving half to Iris.

 

"Let's take these chu-"

 

"What the hell are a bunch of grown ass adults doing having a snowball fight?"

 

Barry looked to the sidewalk, smiling as he saw Eddie and Buster. "Mr. Jones! I'm glad you could make it!"

 

"Well, I don't got anywhere else to spend Christmas Eve," he said with a chuckle. "So, where's ya compe-"

 

Barry's eyes widened as a snowball splattered against Eddie's face. Peeking out from his fort was August, who cringed at his aim.

 

"Nice job!" Daniel yelled out, laughter pouring from him. "You need two of you with that accuracy!"

 

"Buster… take my cane," Eddie said, handing the dog his cane. Buster took it like a stick, trotting up and sitting on the porch. "I'm gonna show you what a real snowball fight looks like."

 

Barry smiled, ducking for cover as Eddie began building a fort of his own.

 

This is why he was given these extraordinary powers. He had to protect this; he had to protect everything and everyone he loved. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to laugh and smile like this. It was his duty to protect them… at any cost.

 

-^-

 

Barry flipped the welders helmet he wore up, admiring his own handy work.

 

In front of him was a bright red suit, gold and dark red highlights running throughout the design. The costume was made of reinforced carbon fibers Eddie had given him, he'd explained they were from one of his own old suits.

 

"That's looking like a fine costume," Eddie said from the doorway. "Lot different from Jay's costume though."

 

"Well," Barry said, looking down at his work once again. "I accomplished that aspect at least."

 

-^-

 

Jay stood in front of his display stand. On it rested a bright red jacket with a lightning bolt running up from the bottom. Tall red boots with additional golden wings sat under the blue denim pants. Atop it all was his signature bowl helmet, shining silver and gold.

 

The comforting hand of his wife on his shoulder made him turn his head, a small smile appearing on his face. "I can't believe we missed Tahiti," Jay said, making his wife laugh.

 

"I think it was for a good reason," Joan said with a smile. "I think you ought to look for that boy."

 

Jay's eyes focused on the golden lightning bolt of the jacket. "I think I ought to as well, dear."

 

-^-

 

"The Weather Wizard… looks like this city is getting a whole lot stranger," a blond man said as he tinkered with a sidearm.

 

"The speedster showing up isn't going to be very good for us, Snart," a second man said as he fiddled with a bullet. "These things aren't gonna do much."

 

"Worry not, Roy," Snart said, cocking back his side arm and aiming down the sights. "I've never botched a heist…" pulling the trigger, a bullet was shot into the corkboard on the wall, the hole directly through the Flash's picture.

 

"And I don't have any plans to alter that status."

 

-^-

 

"A grand return. How wonderful… oh so very wonderful," a man said, cackling as he laid out multiple prank-like objects on a table.

 

"Let's see if you're still as quick as you used to be, Flash."

 

-^-

 

"Weather Wizard… how corny."

 

As the black gloves hand tapped on the TV screen, the box crumbled to dust.

 

"You say that like your name isn't the Eradicator," a second voice said, one distorted by a voice modulator.

 

"Oh, there's a difference," the first voice said, his head looking down at the newspaper on the floor. "His stunt will be forgotten in weeks."

 

The man stepped on the paper, turning to traverse an alleyway. The second man grabbed the paper, reading the contents.

 

Wanted: Creed Philips, known as the Eradicator. If any information is known about him, please report it to the CCPD.

 

A blue flame lit at the bottom of the paper, searing it as the wind took it.

 

"Let's go, Monger," the first man said, looking over his shoulder. "Sounds like the big man's calling."

 

-^-

 

The noise of the cell door unlocking caused Marco to raise his head. Standing in the cellblock were two officers, as well as the assistant warden of Iron Heights Penitentiary, Gregory Wolfe.

 

"Get up, scumbag," Wolfe snarled, sliding the cell door open. "You got a visitor." Marco didn't respond, his head still hung, his face devoid of emotion.

 

Wolfe's scowl grew angrier, stepping into the cell and picking Marco up by the collar. "You're lucky Warden Wells even gives a damn about you pieces of human garbage," he yelled, shaking Marco in the air. "I'd have you bastards locked away in the darkest depths of this damn hellhole!"

 

"Sir," one of the guards spoke, causing Wolfe to set Marco down.

 

"Let's go," he scoffed, one of the guards moving behind Marco to push him along.

 

Marco was moved to the visitor center of the prison, his body pushed onto an open chair.

 

He heard someone take a seat on the other side of the glass, but his head stayed down. A knock on the glass caused his eyes to peer up, widening upon the sight of his brother.

 

His hand raised, hesitating to take hold of the phone. Taking a deep, yet shaky breath, he took hold of the phone.

 

"Hey."

 

"Hi… Dio."

 

The two sat silent for a moment, both staring at each other's faces. Marco felt regret. He felt sorry, like he screwed things up for good.

 

"Dio…," he started, swallowing the lump in his throat, "Dio I'm sorry… I just… I wanted you to-"

 

"You were amazing out there."

 

Marco's eyes widened. "What?" he breathed out, mouth in an 'o' shape.

 

"Your… your wand, it was incredible," Claudio praised, smiling at his younger brother. "You, you nearly beat that guy… I don't understand how you were able to make something so… spectacular."

 

"But… but I failed…" Marco said, tears pooling in his eyes.

 

"You didn't win, but have you seen the news?" he asked. "Everyone knows who the Weather Wizard is. Everyone knows who you, Marco Mardon, is. You've brought so much business to us… everyone wants to work with the Weather Wizard as soon as they can."

 

Marco's head fell again, tears leaking onto the countertop. 'I did it dad,' he thought as tears fell from his eyes. 'Your legacy… it won't die…'

 

His head raised, staring at his brother with a teary smile. "Dad… will never be forgotten again."

 

"You… neither will you."

 

NEXT TIME: The Perfect Heist!

"Ah. Nothing like the smell of toxic fumes in the morning."

 

Okay, I don't have a bio for this guy. He's just another recycled character that I never made a backstory for.

 

Basically he's a crazy dude who likes to spray toxic gas everywhere.

 

Feel free to use him in other League of LEGO Heroes stuff. (With proper credit of course.) Or even come up with a backstory.

 

The League of LEGO heroes: "Suit up, sign up."

 

www.flickr.com/groups/2236018@N24

"Shoes… check, wallet… check, flowers… check," Barry mumbled as he stood at the front door of his apartment.

  

Barry Allen, a 25 year old forensics specialist for the CCPD was currently preparing himself for a date. He patted down his blazer, making sure no wrinkles remained on the jacket using the hanging mirror next to the door.

  

"Barry?" a voice called, causing him to look up. Patty Spivot, his roommate and best friend from college, stood outside the kitchen with a glass of hot chocolate in her hand.

  

"Uh… hey, Patty," he greeted, rubbing the back of his head.

  

She stood there, an eyebrow raised and mouth slightly parted. "Um… Barry?"

  

"Yeah?"

  

"What are you doing?" she asked, taking a sip of the drink.

  

"I… uh, y'know," he replied, sliding his cellphone into his pocket. "I have that date… with Iris tonight."

  

"Mmhmm," she hummed with the cup pressed against her lips.

  

"So, y'know, I gotta make sure I'm prepared."

  

"Yeah," she said, a smile finally winning over her confused expression. "I'm sure you'll be very prepared."

  

Barry sighed, rolling his eyes. "Patty, you really just don't get it. I've been head over heels for her since… well since forever ago," he explained, sighing once more. "Now's finally my shot."

  

"Oh no, Barry I totally understand," she said, small giggles escaping her. "When I went on my first date with my crush back in highschool, I had everything planned out."

  

Barry chuckled slightly as she walked over to him, placing her arm on his shoulder and looking at both their reflections. "Then I guess you do understand. Everything needs to be perfect."

  

"Yep," she responded, leaning in near his ear. "Buuuut, maybe the best way to be prepared is not being ten minutes late."

  

Barry's eyes widened, his gaze shooting to the clock on the wall.

  

7:12

  

"Oh crap!"

  

-^-

  

"Are you ready to order, ma'am?"

  

Iris West, journalist at the Central City Picture News, shook her head at the question asked by the waiter, frowning slightly. "No thank you," she responded, taking a sip of her water. "He'll… he'll be here."

  

"Alright ma'am," they responded, walking away from the table.

  

Her gaze fell to her watch, the time reading 7:26. "Barry…" she sighed, her chin falling to rest on her hand.

  

She was ecstatic when Barry finally approached her with the idea of a date, no matter how cheesy it was. His feelings for her were blatantly obvious, ever since back in middle school. She never would've turned him down if he mustered the courage to ask her out, but she had a goal she needed to make first. Her career was more important, so she never made a move. After she got her diploma, she decided to travel the world for two years, and on the day she returned, he finally asked her out.

  

"And in other news, the wild snow storm continues to rage on with no immediate signs of stopping."

  

Iris's head turned, eyes focusing on the tv situated in the corner of the room. For two weeks a near constant snow storm had been plaguing Central City and its neighboring towns. It wasn't normal, Iris knew. No snow storm in the history of Central City had ever been this bad for this long.

  

Her eyes fell back on the door, watching the heavy snowfall. "Barry, please be okay…"

  

-^-

  

"I'm okay!"

  

Barry sat in a pile of snow, his thumb up in the air. A man with his dog stood over him, a confused, and slightly irritated look on his face.

  

"Boy, what the hell are you doin'?" asked the man, his dog's bark following the question.

  

"Uh, sorry about that," he explained, shivering from the snow. "I'm late for a date and-"

  

Smack

  

The man's cane struck down onto Barry's head, causing him to yelp.

  

"All you young folk are stuck on stupid," he chastised, waving his cane in the air. "Running around these icy sidewalks for a date."

  

"You didn't have to hit me!" Barry said, rubbing his head.

  

"Well someone needed to," the man replied, placing his cane back down.

  

"Yeah yeah, alright," Barry agreed, lifting himself to his feet. "Thanks, I guess."

  

"Don't make me hit ya again, boy," he snapped back, lifting his cane. Barry's flinch seemed to subdue him, as he lowered it.

  

"Sorry… it's just… this is something I've been waiting to do my entire life," he sighed, looking at the man. Barry cringed seeing his facial expression. "Oh, that sounds weird, I mean she's a childhood friend of mine and I finally asked her out."

  

"How the hell are you running late then?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  

Barry sighed, looking at his watch, "Well, late is an understatement… Iris probably already left… I'm… something of a basket case."

  

"Yeah no kidding," he chuckled, shaking his head at Barry. "Names Eddie, Eddie Jones."

  

Eddie reached his hand out, Barry accepting the gesture. "Barry Allen, it's nice to meet you and…"

  

"This here's Buster," he spoke, introducing his pitbull. "He may look mean, but there's never been a breathing creature he ain't tried to cuddle."

  

Barry chuckled, but his expression was still showed his sadness.

  

"Tell ya what," Eddie started, "you go an' apologize to that girl and ask her for a second chance. When she says yes, c'mon down to my restaurant Vulcan's Veggies for the best vegetarian food in the city, on the house."

  

"I uh, I guess I will," Barry said, a smile forming on his face.

  

"Ya damn right you will," Eddie said, smacking him with his cane once more. "Nobody turns down a free meal."

  

A soft buzz in his pocket caused both of them to look down. Pulling out his phone, Barry viewed the message.

  

Joe: Emergency at the station.

  

Joe: Get here asap.

  

"Uhh… apologizing will need to wait, work emergency," he said, sighing as he typed his response.

  

"That's fine… but if I don't see you in the next week, we gon' have a problem," he threatened, causing Barry to laugh.

  

"Right, I'll see you then, Mr. Jones," he spoke, waving as he began running to the station.

  

"And kid?" Eddie called, causing Barry to turn his head. "Live life in the now, it goes away in a blink."

  

Barry smiled, nodding. As he turned his head back, he lost his footing, face planting in another pile of snow.

  

"And what did I tell you!"

  

-^-

  

Barry stepped through CCPD's front door. The building had its heating on, thankfully, so he was able to warm up rather quickly. He still took off his winter jacket, hanging it on the rack with the other coats.

  

"Barry…" a voice to the side spoke. Barry turned his head to see a man dressed in all black, his hair swept in a messy, yet refined fashion. August Heart, his childhood friend and Joe's partner. "Uh… what the hell happened to you?"

  

Barry looked at himself; his clothes drenched, hair wet, and flowers soaked. "Oh… uhm, traffic?" he suggested, cringing at his response.

  

"Right… sorry, I know you had your big date tonight," he said, frowning apologetically.

  

"I uh… I kinda was late for it anyways…"

  

August's apologetic frown turned to an annoyed one. "Barry…" he sighed, facepalming and pointing to the stairs. "Joe's in your lab… it's that case again."

  

Barry nodded his head, walking past August and heading to his lab. Arriving at the room, he saw Joe, his surrogate father, standing at one of his many crime boards. His hat was placed on the table, arms crossed.

  

"Eradicator again?" Barry asked, gaining Joe's attention.

  

The man nodded to Barry, his head moving back to the board. "Damn right it's that bastard," he said, almost a whisper through his clenched jaw.

  

"Hey," Barry called, placing his hand on Joe's shoulder. "We'll get him, I promise."

  

"I know we'll get him, I'm not retiring until we do," he snapped back, shoving his hand off and locking eyes with Barry. "When though? He's been out there for 10 years now dammit… who knows how many more it'll be until we stop him…"

  

"Joe…"

  

"I'm… I'm sorry…" he apologized, handing Barry a casefile. "Here's the casefile… there… there isn't a body."

  

"I'll get right to it," he said, giving Joe a smile as he left. As soon as the door shut, Barry's smile faltered. The casefile in his hand was placed on his desk, his hands following.

  

Creed Phillips; The Eradicator, a former state senator who had his metagene activated, the cause still unknown. Since then, he'd become a serial killer, murdering those he saw fit. His motives have never been found, the victims seemingly at random.

  

Barry lifted his head. He didn't have time to dwell, he needed to find out who the victim was and any possible leads.

  

Before Barry could open the casefile, a flash of lightning appeared outside the window, booming thunder crackling seconds after.

  

'That seems pretty close,' thought Barry, opening the casefile fully with another duo of lightning and thunder following, much closer than before. 'It's mainly been snowing these past few weeks. If this keeps up, Patty isn't in for a fun time.'

  

Barry held up the baggy of decayed flakes that were once a human. The first time he had to analyze a body with this modus operandi, he hurled, twice. It had almost become second nature to him now.

  

Moving to his chemical rack, Barry began shifting through the bottles of various acids and bonding agents. The crackle of thunder occurred once more, but then stopped.

  

Barry paused, turning his head to look out the window. 'That's odd…' he noted in his head. 'Thunder usually follows the-'

  

KRAKAKOOM

 

"Now breathe in, then out. Feel the soil on the ground and the air flow through your lungs."

 

"Uh, Mr. Jones, we're still in your restaurants' basement," Wally said, cringing at the annoyed expression the older man makes at the remark. "It's, uh, concrete… and the air is from the crappy unit that really needs replacement."

 

The two had been doing warmups for the past hour, Eddie suggesting it to loosen Wally up. Wally had the suspicion it was less for him and more for the older man, but he preferred not being struck by the cane.

 

"Damnit, Wallace, keep your concentration!" Eddie chastised, golden lightning sparkling around him.

 

"Yup. Yup. Totally concentrating," Wally mumbled, blue lightning sparkling off his body, more wildly than Eddie's. "Breathing in the AC that smells a lot like tomatoes."

 

"Alright," Eddie said, annoyed, reaching his hand out, a glowing ball of yellow lightning surging within his palm. "Take my hand."

 

"Alrighty," Wally said, his hand trembling as he reached out, the ball of blue lightning in his palm fluctuating. "Im… I'm not really feeling it right no-" suddenly the ball of lightning exploded, sending him soaring into the padded wall.

 

"You alright kid!?" Eddie shouted, hobbling over to the boy, who shot a thumbs up into the air.

 

"Just… just peachy," Wally said, lifting himself up. "That was kind of fun, maybe it can be my 'ultimate move'? Ultra Joybuzz."

 

Eddie sighed, shaking his head and walking away from the boy to sit in his chair. "I understand that this… entire concept is strange, believe me, I know…" Eddie began, crossing his arms, "but I can't teach you anything if you're gonna treat it as a game."

 

"It isn't a game to me!" Wally said, jolting up from the ground and moving towards Eddie. "It's just… it's new to me, and not easy…"

 

"Mhm…"

 

"I'm serious!" Wally said, letting small amounts of lightning flow through him. "I'm still struggling to really control this… but getting mad about it? It won't help anything, y'know? If I can smile in the face of defeat, then I know I can come back stronger next time."

 

Eddie was silent for a moment, Wally staring at the man through his tinted lenses. Eventually, he stood, walking towards the stairs.

 

"Mr. Jones…"

 

"Go run a few miles on the treadmill," he said, beginning to walk up the stairs. "I'll be back soon."

 

-^-

 

Barry walked into CCPD, the station grim inside. Officers felt less alive than normal, only one possible reason for it. Barry spotted Patty, who was escorting a detainee to the holding cells.

 

"Hey, Patty," he called, gaining the blond's attention.

 

"Barry, I was wondering where you were," she said, handing the cuffed man to another officer. "How are you holding up?"

 

"I… um… I'll be fine, I was with Daniel," he said, receiving a solemn nod in return. "August told me Joe was here? I haven't had the chance…"

 

"Oh, yeah," she said, frowning. "He and the DA were talking, Morillo is being extremely cautious about this matter, especially after what happened to Flash. Joe said he needed air and went up to the roof. He's been up there a while now, you should… y'know."

 

"Yeah… thank you, Patty," Barry said, smiling at the small salute she gave him as the two parted ways.

 

Barry quickly made his way to the elevator, standing in silence as he rode it to the roof. As the doors opened, he spotted Joe, sitting alone on the edge, looking out at the city. Barry slowly walked over, taking a spot next to the man.

 

The two sat in complete silence, both simply gazing out into the city. Even though it was a single building, without Central City General the city felt so… different. Barry knew if he noticed, Joe also had to.

 

"The view is strange without CCG, isn't it?" Barry asked, looking to his left.

 

Joe was silent for another moment, before nodding. "The world just keeps changing," he mumbled, looking down at his hands. "Every villain you face, every crime you stop. It makes me wonder what I'm even doing at this point."

 

"Joe, what I do wouldn't be possible without you," Barry said, placing his hand atop the man's shoulder. "Not just you the detective, but you the father. You helped make me who I am now."

 

"I mean… what about now?" He asked, looking up at Barry. "I can't stop people like Mardon or Snart… someone like Thawne could kill me in seconds… and Eradicator…"

 

"These people aren't just criminals, Joe," Barry reassured. "It's like you said, they're villains, super villains. Just because you can't stop someone who can control the weather doesn't make what you do any less important."

 

"What do I do?" he questioned, looking out at the people walking below. "I couldn't do anything with Mardon, you had to face Snart all alone. My hands were tied with Jesse… I didn't even know about Thawne until you two showed up on my lawn."

 

"You inspire people," Barry said with a smile. "People like me, who can fight the dangerous changes the world is facing… who can fight for change."

 

Joe looked down, a frown on his face.

 

"I know what it's like… having someone who caused you so much pain suddenly return, ready to hurt you again," Barry explained, looking out at the cloudy sky. "It made me scared. It made me… angry. I felt like the world, my world, was crashing down before my eyes… but I wasn't alone. You are not alone, Joe."

 

"How are we supposed to stop him?" Joe asked, still not looking up. "If Coolidge alone could do what he did… then what are you supposed to do against both of them?"

 

"We'll just have to figure that out," Barry said, lifting his hand from Joe's shoulder. "Yeah… we'll figure it out… together."

 

A few minutes of silence passed as the two watched the city. Soon, Barry's mouth curved upwards as he heard a small chuckle from the man next to him. "Y'know, I remember back when you were in middle school, and Daniel would have an episode while I was at work," Joe began, causing Barry to chuckle lightly as well.

 

"They'd have one of his teachers drive all the way to the middle school, pick me up, and take me back to the elementary all so I could calm him down," Barry said, laughing aloud. "It always had to be by the water fountain so he could get a drink after it all."

 

"You graduated hallway pep talks a long time ago, Barry," Joe said, smiling at the blond. "You just… you say I inspire you… the opposite is true too. You're a beacon to me, the precinct, the city… soon you'll be a beacon to the world, I know it."

 

"That beacon wouldn't be able to light up the night without you," Barry said, patting Joe on the back as he stood. "How about I go get everything we've got on Phillips and Coolidge, a couple Big Belly Burgers, and the two of us get to work."

 

"Yeah… we'll figure it all out… together."

 

-^-

 

"You can't do this to me. I started this company… you know how much I've sacrificed!?"

 

August sat on the West house sofa watching the burned copy of a newly released film. Sat beside him, snoring lightly, was Daniel. The boy had fallen asleep a few hours ago, but August refused to leave his side.

 

The footage of the news broadcast replayed in his mind, the sight of Heatmonger brutalizing Barry, and Eradicator destroying an entire building without even touching it. It scared him. It scared him that Barry was forced to fight this battle alone, that he was the only one in the city who could stand any semblance of a chance against the duo.

 

It scared him that he felt completely powerless to do anything about it.

 

Knock Knock Knock

 

August turned towards the front door. The sound of Daniel stirring made him frown, his and patting the boy's shoulder as he stood. "Get back to sleep, Daniel," he said, stretching. "I'll see what it-"

 

"Barry… no… lock it…"

 

August frowned again, before moving to the window. He looked around, hoping to see who was outside, but the street lamps only could reveal so much. As August reached the door, shuffling sounded off from the couch.

 

"A-August… wait a second," Daniel said, reaching out towards August, his eyes wide. "D-don't…"

 

"What's… wrong?" August began, before a cracking noise resonated through the house.

 

August eyes shot open like saucers as he peered down to the brass doorknob, which was slowly beginning to chip. His eyes shot back to Daniel before the door exploded into hundreds of tiny pieces. August raised his arm, shielding his eyes from the chunks of wood before looking back at the door frame. Stepping inside was the red cloaked-man, his golden faceplate visible in the dull light of the living room.

 

"Daniel, run!"

 

August immediately reached for the coat hanger, swinging it like a bo staff at the intruder. Eradicator caught the object mid-attack,clenching his fist and turning the wood to ash in mere seconds. August stumbled back, lifting a side table and chucking at the villain, though he didn't even let it touch the ground before it was dust.

 

Running into the kitchen, August pulled knives from the block and began chucking them at Eradicator. Eradicator, however, began to dodge each blade. Catching the last between his fingers, he clenched his fist, dusting it with ease. August continued to back up until his back hit the countertop, hand immediately opening the cabinet under the sink.

 

"No more running," Eradicator said, moving in closer. "Give me the West boy, or die."

 

"Oh yeah?" August asked, as he reached into the cabinet he was backed up against. "I think death is overrated."

 

August then smirked, pulling a twelve gauge shotgun hidden under the sink. He quickly cocked the weapon before blasting Eradicator full of pellets. The villain flew backwards from the force, his body smashing into the dining table and crushing it under his weight. August took a deep breath, sighing out loud as he began walking to the front door.

 

"It'll take more than a twelve gauge to kill me," Eradicator said, leaping to a stand.

 

August's eyes went wide as he quickly cocked the weapon again, but as he pointed it forward, Eradicator placed his hand over the muzzle. August's eyes narrowed as he stared into the intruder's red eyes. The trigger of the weapon was pulled, but Eradicator's hand remained the same. The villain pulled his hand away, letting dust fall to the ground.

 

"Pathetic."

 

August jumped back, dropping the gun as it turned to dust following the pellets. With his reflexes too slow, Eradicator was able to wrap his fingers around August's neck, lifting him into the air.

 

"You made the wrong-"

 

"Let him go!"

 

Eradicator swiftly turned, catching the downwards swing of a baseball bat. The wood turned to dust in seconds, Eradicator then grabbing Daniel, the attacker, and lifting him into the air as well.

 

"Daniel, no…" August mumbled, trying to peel away from the villain's grip.

 

"How noble of you," Eradicator said, looking into Daniel's eyes. "You shouldn't have announced the surprise attack though, it would've bought him a few more seconds to live."

 

August watched as the man turned towards him once more. Letting out a shaky breath, he grit his teeth and closed his eyes. After a few seconds of nothing passed, his eyes opened to see Eradicator standing frozen, his eyes glowing white rather than the usual red. Moments later the red returned.

 

"You're lucky, for you have been spared," he said, before flinging August across the room and into the wall. "He allows you to live, remember that."

 

August attempted to stand, but fell onto his knees. Looking up, he watched Eradicator move towards him, lifting and slamming a boot into his face, leaving his vision to fade with the sight of Daniel being taken away.

 

-^-

 

Wally let out a sigh of relief as he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He'd been running for over 20 minutes and was bored out of his mind. The sight he didn't expect to see, as he hopped off the treadmill and walked towards the training space, was Eddie holding a portable radio.

 

"Uh… did you go out and buy a radio?" Wally asked, pointing to the device as Eddie placed it on the chair.

 

"Its mine, ya damn fool," Eddie mumbled, taking a CD out of his jacket's pocket.

 

"Oh God, here come the 20's blues," Wally sighed, before a familiar drumbeat began to play. "Wait a minute… I-"

 

The boy was cut off when Eddie's cane struck his shoulder. He looked up at the man, puzzled at the smile on his face.

 

Let's get down to business, to defeat… the Huns.

 

"Is this Mulan?"

 

Another strike of the cane hit Wally, this time in the shin. As Wally opened his mouth to protest, he saw the older man holding back a laugh, golden lightning shining around his body.

 

Did they send me daughters, when I asked for sons?

 

"Eddie, this isn't a mov-"

 

Crack

 

You're the saddest bunch I've ever met, but you can bet before we're through-

 

"Alright then, grandpa," Wally said, smiling as his own lightning began to sparkle, "let's make a man out of me."

 

-^-

 

Barry's heart raced as he sped down the streets of the city. The blue flames burned bright in the night sky, easily visible to him from miles away.

 

It had been hours that he and Joe were working on the case files when the report that blue flames emerged from Iron Heights. Joe couldn't even finish his sentence before Barry had been out of the precinct and on his way to the fire.

 

"Of course I'm mad that I missed things… in my life and yours… but they aren't over, Barry. You still have so much life to live, and now I'll be a part of it, not a spectator behind a wall of glass."

 

Barry grit his teeth, the air shattering around him as his speed doubled. 'Two weeks,' he thought to himself as body began to feel weaker the closer he got. 'He can't get hurt… not now!'

 

Barry slid along the ground, nearly falling over to stop himself as he arrived. His eyes widened as he looked up, staring at the hellfire raging on the island. The grass was scorched, falling rubble crashing to the ground and into the water beside him. Standing in front of Barry, arms hanging at his sides, was Heatmonger. The villain was still, staring at the blaze he'd created.

 

"What is wrong with you!" Barry shouted, feeling his speed drain at a rapid pace. "There are bad people in there, but no one deserves this!"

 

"You've never been in chains, locked away from what you hold most dear," he said, his voice low. "With Raijin's power… I'll make my world a reality. I'll make sure no one feels that pain again."

 

"You're murdering people!"

 

"No… liberating," he corrected, turning to Barry, eyes visible before the lenses quickly closed. "Those bound in chains… they don't live… they never will again. Freedom for them is the embrace of death… with Raijin I will give them freedom and life… but until then…"

 

"No… people in there do have a chance to live again!" Barry shouted, tears forming in his eyes. "You… you're taking that away from them!"

 

Barry took quick steps forward, a punch ready, but hesitated as Heatmonger still stood motionless. He skidded to a halt, sweat dripping down his face.

 

"You can try and stop me," Heatmonger suggested, gently flicking his wrist upwards, lowering the flames to a dull burn, "or be their savior. Up to you, really."

 

Barry watched as the white suited man stepped past him, beginning to walk away from the island. Barry could feel the burning sensation on his skin lessen as his speed slowly returned to him, just not in full. He stared at the villain, curious about his lost bravado, before shaking his head and darting into the prison.

 

Though the flames were low, they still were still hot, especially so in the dense corridors of Iron Heights. He spotted multiple open cells, likely the guards escorting as many of the inmates out of the prison as they could. Barry could feel his heart rate rise once again as he moved towards E-Block, the section of the prison his father was held in.

 

Barry gasped in horror at what awaited him. Unlike other cell blocks, this hall had been burned to a crisp, as if the fire started here. Various cell doors were dripping, the metal liquified by the heat. Corpses charred black sat in their cells, the concrete walls discolored and cracked. Swallowing his fear he approached his father's cell, his eyes watering at the sight. The man was sitting against the wall, half of his face burned to the muscle. His prison jumpsuit was covered in ash, as was his skin.

 

Barry bit his lip as he stepped into the cell, the door melted like the rest. Kneeling down, he tore his mask off to stare into his father's lifeless eyes. The man's head fell, tears dropping onto the blackened flooring.

 

"Dad… I…" Barry began, letting out a harsh sob. "Dad you were… you were so close… it was your time."

 

"S-son…"

 

Barry's head shot up, watching as his father's mouth moved slightly. His hand jolted forward, two fingers placing onto his father's neck. The low, but present pulse caused more tears to fall from Barry's eyes, a smile spreading along his face.

 

"Don't worry, dad," Barry said, pulling his mask over his face and lifting the man into his arms. "I'm gonna get you home. I'm gonna make sure you come home."

 

-^-

 

Barry stood outside the operating room, watching as a nurse applied a sedative to his father. The man in the bed had been immediately issued to the small clinic's intensive care, but their resources since CCG was destroyed have been stretched thin. The man had fourth degree burns, but the proper surgery could take days to begin.

 

He was pulled from his thoughts as Joe placed a hand on Barry's shoulders, squeezing him lightly.

 

As the nurse exited the room, Barry opened his mouth, but Joe spoke first. "How is he?" he asked, looking at Barry, then back to the nurse. "My son, back home… that's his real dad. Please tell me there's good news for him."

 

Barry inwardly sighed a thank you to Joe, realizing he nearly blew his identity in front of the woman.

 

"He… is alive, at least," she said, putting up a sad smile. "He'll… he'll need multiple surgeries, but he'll live, thanks to Flash. If you didn't get him here as fast as you did, he wouldn't be."

 

"J-just doing my part…" Barry mumbled, looking into the room through the window, holding back tears.

 

beep beep

 

"Oh, I'm sorry," the woman said, clicking the small pager on her breast pocket. "Someone downstairs is calling. If either of you need anything, please let me know."

 

"Of course, thank you, ma'am," Joe said, nodding her off.

 

Once the woman was gone, a tear rolled down Barry's cheek. "Why…" he whispered, gnawing on the inside of his cheek. "He… was so close to being free."

 

"He still will be, Barry," Joe said, leading him to the pair of seats opposite the window. "Look at this like a setback, a delay. He's still coming home to you, it'll just take a bit longer than expected."

 

"I'm… I'm so tired," Barry said, his hands coming up to rub his eyes. "Tired of waiting… tired of others getting hurt because of me-"

 

"This wasn't your fault Barry," Joe interrupted, turning to the blond. "You know that, right?"

 

Barry sat silent for a moment before nodding. "Yeah… yeah I know, not everything is on me," he sighed, leaning back in the seat, letting out a long exhale. "I'm not a god… I'm not."

 

"You aren't, and that's alright."

 

"I just… I don't get why it was so bad there, in dad's block," Barry mumbled, rubbing his eyes once more.

 

"I've got that answer, at least," Joe said, grabbing Barry's attention. "I called Morillo about it, asked if they could've found some sort of motive… turns out E-Block is where Lucious Coolidge was locked up at."

 

Barry's eyes widened, before he nodded, bringing his folded hands to his chin. "He mentioned something about freeing those chained… by death…" Barry recalled, looking at Joe. "If that was his cell block, maybe that is where the fire started… some kind of twisted salvation."

 

"It's the best we got," Joe said, before falling silent. "He… he wasn't there, was he?"

 

"No… just Lucious."

 

"Right…"

 

"Joe?"

 

"Hm?"

 

"Back when the nurse was here… I don't have a real dad," Barry said, smiling at the balding man. "I have two."

 

Joe stared at Barry with wide eyes before chuckling lightly, a small smile plastering over his face. "I… I'm glad."

 

Bzzz Bzzz. Bzzz Bzzz.

 

Joe reached into his pocket, looking at the phone's caller ID. "August is calling," he said, flipping the phone open and bringing it to his ear, "he probably wants to know if Henry is-"

 

The phone suddenly fell, making a small thud as it hit the floor. Joe was frozen, tears beginning to well in his eyes. Barry looked at him, puzzled.

 

"Joe?" he asked, seeing the tear run down the man's face. "Joe?! What's wrong?"

 

"Daniel…" he mumbled as he began to hyperventilate. "Eradicator took Daniel."

 

----------------------------

 

NEXT TIME: A Gold Mine of Information, The Underworld!

August fidgets uncomfortably, rocking back back and forth in the cheap chair in the main office. His arms hang limp between his legs, the paper towel-wrapped ice pack cold in his hand. He was meant to hold the ice to his fresh black eye, but he simply didn't care. It's not like it hurt much anyways.

 

"August," the voice of the office lady calls, his eyes shifting from the floor to the woman. "Your father's here, hun."

 

He sighs, taking another moment before bringing himself to stand. He grabs the strap of his backpack from the floor, slinging it over his shoulder as he turns to the door. As it opens, the office lady calls for him once more.

  

With a sigh, August stood, picking his backpack up from the floor, slinging it over his shoulder. As he passed the secretary's desk, she called for him once more.

 

"Honey, you should keep that ice on your eye," she suggests with a kind smile. "It'll help reduce the swelling."

 

"I'll be fine," he mumbles, mustering up a smile. He drops the ice pack down on the front desk before slipping out the door, ignoring the woman's pleas. He keeps his head down as he walks through the halls. The events from earlier today replay in his mind; they make him angry.

 

That kid, Barry… he just lost his mom… his brother. His dad was sent to prison… his family was taken away from him… and people decided to make fun of him? He doesn't understand it, how could people hear something so terrible and decide to laugh at him. He also doesn't get why no one stopped it, why none of the adults would help. They had to have seen it, but they just stood there watching.

 

He had to do something.

 

August presses his hand against the front door of the school, snapping out of his own head, dreading what was awaiting him. His dad would surely be mad, his son getting into a fight is the last thing he'd want to deal with.

 

As the doors open, however, August's eyes light up. Leaning against his car, arms crossed with a smirk on his face, is Jorge. His older brother gives a small wave, causing August to burst into a sprint.

 

"Slow down," Jorge chuckles, intercepting August with a hug. "You're gonna slip and get another black eye."

 

August can't help but laugh, looking up at his brother with an affectionate smile. "You'd catch me."

 

"You're probably right," Jorge shrugs, before opening the passenger door. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

 

August jumps at the offer.

 

-^-

 

August eyes crack open, a blinding white light shining upon him. He doesn't know what's going on… or where he is. The last thing he remembers… is a dream of time before sadness and pain. Time before loss. In his confused, uncomfortable state, he sits up, bringing up a hand to shield his eyes. The confusion only grows as he views the room.

 

Lightning. Strands of white and black that intertwine throughout the room, frozen in place. It's not the only anomaly, however. His hand raises, watching amazed as after images follow the motion. Still unable to comprehend what's going on, August brings his hand to his mouth, peeling the oxygen mask off. When letting go, it doesn't fall to the floor, it doesn't drop to the bed… it stays afloat, as if it were weightless.

 

His legs slip over the side of the bed, eyes transfixed on the oxygen mask. With a tap, he watches amazed as it slowly begins to float away from him. The moment his feet touch the floor, in an attempt to chase after the mask, he finally understands. He doesn't know the cause of the feeling, or what the feeling truly is, but he knows.

 

It's when everything finally comes to him. The events that transpired at the power plant. His fight with Heatmonger… Wally's abilities… Joe…

 

"The time has come," Eradicator says, before leaning in close to August. "He awaits you," he whispers, throwing August to the ground and exiting through the hole in the fence. "I'll be seeing you again soon."

 

The murderer's words echo in his mind. It was the last thing that happened before… the lightning. He brings his hand up, staring at the way his nerves are visible through his skin, a glowing yellow pulsing along the strands.

 

August…

 

August winces, hearing the booming voice of… someone in the far reaches of his mind. It feels strange; after the initial shock, a calming feeling washes over him as the voice echoes out once again. Though he doesn't know the origin of the voice, he can't help but follow the ripples it leaves behind, like stones on a lake. With each step, he feels uneasy, like his legs could snap at a moment's notice, but they don't. With each step, he watches as the rest of the world stays frozen in time, the only movement other than him being the after image, now of his entire body.

 

The voice calls out once more, and it's now that August can see the pulsing of monochromatic lightning; each word, each echo. Exiting the room, his eyes go wide. The hallway, what would be a hallway, is completely transformed. A maelstrom of debris, clouds, and that black and white lightning. He hadn't noticed before, his mind too caught up on the strange situation, that the streaks of lightning aren't the only things monochrome… the world is. What's left of the building, the sky, even the oxygen mask… everything except for the golden lines painting his gray skin.

 

August… child…

 

The voice echos out once more, its words skipping, glitching, like a scratched CD. He watches the lightning pulse, the echoes folding in towards the heart of the hurricane. It's then when he sees it, a silhouette inside the wind. A tall figure, large spiked shoulders that bridge out like lightning. His eyes glow white, pure white, the kind that would blind a man at a glance. More lightning imagery can be seen on his face, bolts similar to Barry's extending from his head.

 

"Who… are you?"

 

A burst of wind, energy that he can't determine the origin of, hits him head on. The force is intense, enough to nearly knock him off his feet. The world around him isn't able to brace itself for the gale blast; what's left of the floor and walls being carried away into the endless void. Blood begins to run down his arms, the wind like thousands of razors on his skin. He, however, holds strong. The attack lasts for seconds more, before silence… dead silence.

 

August pants heavily, looking down at his ruined arms, only to find them good as new. He was healed in a matter of seconds. A ringing noise draws his attention back to the whirlwind, but the sight of the mysterious figure, mere inches from him, causes him to stumble backwards. He only barely catches himself before falling off the few tiles of flooring left after the wind, his harsh breathing continuing as he looks up at the towering shadow.

 

"What… what are you!?" he shouts, unable to hide the shaking terror in his voice. "Where am I!?"

 

August… Speed Force…

 

Speed Force? What's a Speed Force… whatever it is, it still doesn't explain what's going on, how he got there, or what this monster before him is. He glances down at his shaking hands, watching the golden pulses along his nerves. Looking back up at the figure, he swallows his fear and raises his arm.

 

"This… this yellow glow?" he prys, clenching his fist, causing it to pulse. "What is it… what did you do to me?"

 

"Gift…" the voice answers, no longer an echo in August's mind, but spoken words from the shadow. "Me… you…"

 

"I… I still don't understand," August mumbles, wincing at a piercing pain in his skull. "What… what are you… why do what you did?"

 

"God… Speed…" he says, the shadow beginning to fade. "You are… future… God… Speed…"

 

-^-

 

August shoots up like a rocket, arms flailing, knocking down hospital equipment. He hears screams, but is unable to process anything but the intense pain throughout his body. Falling out of the bed, he writhes in an ungodly ache, flashes of the night replaying in his head. The lightning… he was only now feeling that pain, but… he shouldn't be? Soreness, sure, but the initial strike didn't feel like this, he'd black out almost immediately.

 

Something else was happening to his body, like it was keeping him awake… like it was healing him. With clenched teeth, he raises his arm to eye level, watching as the deep purple bruises and red burns along his flesh slowly revert back to an uninjured state. Through test filled eyes, he sees those glowing yellow markings on his skin, though they aren't receding.

 

He can't stay like this, even in pain. His hand finds a place on the tile, slowly beginning to push himself to a knee. That plan changes the moment his foot touches the floor, as his body accelerates forward, through the clinic's walls. The force, enough to knock any man unconscious, if not kill him, reverberates through August's skull. He's still awake, still feeling every ounce of pain as his body flails through the sky. He comes to a crashing halt upon hitting a brick wall, before tumbling down to the alley below.

 

Breathing… it's something he can barely do. His body is ruined, yet it's fixing itself, piece by piece, bone by bone. He raises his hand to his eyes, watching the bones snap back into place.

 

"What… what's happening to me?" he mumbles, before a familiar image pops into his mind. Barry, broken and bruised after their defeat of the Trickster. "Barry… healed… his wounds…" His eyes go wide, the bruising from the lightning strike finally gone from his skin. Pulling himself to a stand, he extends an arm out.

 

Golden lightning sparks from his hand.

 

"I'm like you…"

 

-^-

 

"So, wanna tell me what happened?"

 

August frowns, embarrassed.

 

"C'mon, don't be shy, I'm sure you've got a good reason for this," Jorge says, poking the purple bruises around August's eye. "If you don't tell me, then that means I can't break the news to dad."

 

Sighing, August places his big belly burger down beside him on the hood of the car, his elbows placing themselves against his knees, letting his cheeks rest on his palms. "It's not like I started it," he mumbles, eyes gazing up at Jorge. "They were picking on him again, the boy who lost his mom and brother!"

 

"Allen…" Jorge frowns, shaking his head disapprovingly. "Damn kids, so heartless and for what?"

 

"That's what I mean!" August agrees, turning his full attention to Jorge. "They keep making fun of him, saying how his dad is such a bad man… but it's not his fault!"

 

"I know it's not," Jorge nods, taking a sip of his drink. "I'm proud of you for sticking up for him. Family… It's important. I can't imagine what that boy is going through right now, but I'm sure seeing you stick up for him helped him, even if it was just a little."

 

"Well if I'm gonna be an awesome police man that helps protect the city like you, I can't just watch people get hurt," August says, squeaking as Jorge playfully messes with his hair. "Hey!?"

 

"Not a cop yet, August," Jorge corrects, taking a bite of his burger. "Big Uncle Joe's trying his best though, maybe one day."

 

"You'll make the best one," August says, smiling, "I know it."

 

-^-

 

"He wakes up, screeches in pain, and just disappears? Through a hole in the wall?" Ira West mumbles, rubbing his brow. "Singh, please god, tell me Allen has found something?"

 

"Barry… he's not in today, he took an impromptu vacation a couple days ago," David Singh, the Crime Lab Director for the CCPD, notes, arms crossed and leaning against the wall. "Everything with your brother is probably setting in for him."

 

"Yeah… probably," Ira agrees, looking at the photo of Joe and him on his desk. "Well, has anyone else gotten anything?"

 

"Nothing, the security cameras were fried, and there's practically no evidence he was-"

 

"Commissioner!" Patty Spivot interrupts, barging into the office.

 

"What is it, you get a lead?"

 

"No… not a lead," she says solemnly, before presenting a pistol and golden shield onto Ira's desk, the man gasping at the name. "A dead end."

 

-^-

 

Damion coughs, dust filling his lungs. There's a ringing in his ears, and his nostrils are suffering the same fate as his mouth. If it weren't for his mask's lenses, he'd be devoid of any sense but touch, and even his fingers were covered in dust. Everything happened so fast… everything in a flash.

 

Goldrush, his livelihood, his home, is gone. An empty box, filled with rubble, dust, and broken dreams. The Flash… he decided to finally take a shot at him, at the Network… he assumed it would happen eventually, but never like this. As soon as the ringing stops, the situation becomes all the more real. Screams… employees and patrons alike, music still playing through broke speakers, and that crackling lightning.

 

"Razer!" he coughs out, hoping his bodyguard wasn't buried under the debris. "Dammit, can you hear me!"

 

A small smile forms on his face upon seeing the larger man's silhouette in the dust cloud. Taking a step towards it, he nearly trips, his abdomen badly wounded. Gritting his teeth, he presses on, looking back up only for his smile to falter. Golden lightning shines through the dust, running right past Razer's silhouette. The man's large frame flops out of the dust, unconscious with a bruised and bloody face.

 

"What the hell…" Damion mumbles, taking a step backwards.

 

"I told you…" a voice calls out from the dust. Stepping out, with an aura of lightning around him, is Detective August Heart. "I told you I'd be back to shut this place down."

 

"Detective… how are you…" Damion stutters, stumbling to the ground with eyes and crawling backwards to create any distance he can. "You're a meta!? A speedster!?"

 

August makes quirk work of the distance Damion tried to make, grabbing the cowering man by the collar and lifting him into the air. "You said you couldn't wait to see me try, didn't you?" August asks, bringing Damion down to his level, eyes glowing a bright yellow. "How's my attempt?"

 

"Y-y-you shut me down!" Damion screeches, hands clawing at August's. "I… I'm done for, no more Goldrush… look at the place! What more could you need!?"

 

Damion is thrown to the ground, again creating space between August and himself. "You're a part of The Network… you work under Amunet?" August asks, earning a swift nod of confirmation from Damion. "Get me in touch… I need a suit."

 

----------------------------

 

NEXT TIME: Origin; Every Hero Starts Somewhere!

Boom!

  

Both Barry and Eradicator turn to the sound, watching as smoke and electricity surges from across the plant. Barry's eyes widen as his crushed arm begins to heal. Eradicator notices as well, both watching the flames all die out.

  

Barry smiles to himself, thanking August as he dashes forward. His fist slams into Eradicator's faceplate, shattering the metal into hundreds of pieces. Eradicator is sent careening through the air, crashing into one of the generators. Barry is quick to follow up, grabbing Eradicator's cape and spinning himself into a whirlwind. The cape eventually tears, Eradicator flying over the gate into the forest outside the plant.

  

Barry runs over to Joe, who is holding Daniel as he regains consciousness. "Joe, you need to get him out of here," Barry orders, turning towards where the explosion occurred. "I'll go make sure August is okay and meet you at th- AGHHHH!"

  

"Flash!?" Joe calls out.

  

Barry suddenly drops to his knees, holding his head. He feels like he's splitting in two, like a new presence is entering his mind. Jolts of lighting dance around his body, but they aren't gold, rather black and white. The pain is greater than anything he's ever felt, he can't help but scream.

  

-^-

  

August coughs, wafting away the smoke. He'd already discarded his jacket, the clothing had caught fire from the explosion. The sparking of the destroyed generators illuminate the powerplant, revealing Heatmonger's silhouette knelt on the ground. Panting heavily, August pulls his gun from his holster.

  

August storms out of Goldrush, already reaching for his phone to notify Barry. As he steps through the door, a hand grabs onto his shoulder, stopping him in place. It takes everything in him not to grab the hand and break it. He turns his head, seeing one of the various members of security for the club.

  

"Let go of me, now," August says, glaring at the man.

  

"The boss' informant lost contact, we assume he's dead," the man says, letting go of August.

  

"My condolences," August scoffs, walking away from the man.

  

"Catch," the man calls out, tossing an object to August. He examines it, eyes widening up on realizing what it was. "Bling wishes you luck."

  

August approaches Heatmonger, relieved that the man is unaware of his position. A small clearing has formed around him, likely the steam from his vents pushing the smoke away. August uses this to his advantage, lying in wait for his chance to strike. It's then when he notices the crack running along the right side of Heatmonger's helmet. Looking to the ground, he scoops up a chunk of metal from the destroyed generator.

  

Charging out of the smoke, August slams the metal down against Heatmonger's helmet. The makeshift crowbar splits the crack open wide, creating the opening he needs. With a smirk, he pulls the metal out, only to be met by a geyser of steam. He cries out as the hot air is blasted against his face, causing him to drop his gun.

  

August can't see out of his right eye as he stumbles backwards, slamming hard into one of the intact generators. His face feels like it's melting, his skin bubbly and burned. He tries regaining his composure, but falls to the ground, unable to take the pain. Out of his left eye, he watches the smoke around Heatmonger disperses, the villain rising to a stand. The crack in his helmet reveals his cerulean eye, surrounded by lightly burned skin.

  

"Big mistake, Heart," he chuckles, the visible steam still pouring from the crack, like it was smoke. "You probably thought the suit was protection, didn't you? A layer to keep me away from my flames like Heatwave?"

  

Flames begin surrounding Heatmonger's body like an aura. Unlike the rest of his body however, the fire near the crack in the helmet is triple the size as the rest of the flames. August winces at the heat, raising his arms to act as a shield.

  

"My suit's designed so I don't melt my partner… keep all the heat inside, like a furnace," he says, laughing maniacally as he trudges forward. "You've been trying to get me out of my suit to beat me, but you've dug your own-"

  

A flash of light shines in August's eye. For a split second, all the sound around him deafens, all but the crackling of lightning. A ball of lightning flies through the air, striking Heatmonger in the center of his chest. The attack's force is enough to send him flying through the air, crashing into one of the still intact generators. Like a domino effect, the generator explodes, fire and electricity consuming the area. The explosion causes pylons to fall, one landing on top of Heatmonger, caging him in.

  

August pushes through the pain, bringing himself to his knees. Turning his head, his eye widens as blue light shines on his face.

  

-^-

  

"Wally, get back inside."

  

Wally looks over to Eddie, then back to the powerplant. "Are you nuts!?" he says, stepping in front of the older man. "You can't walk without a cane! You can't just run into battle! You're just asking to die!"

  

"Barry is up there, fighting those two from the hospital," Eddie says, placing a hand on Wally's shoulder. "I let a friend fight alone before… I won't do that again."

  

Wally opens his mouth to protest, but is cut off by a booming of thunder. He looks up to the sky, raising an eyebrow at the sudden massing of dark clouds. "What the… Mr. Jones!?" he shouts, turning to see the man holding his head, dropping to his knees. "Mr. Jones! What's wrong!?"

  

The sound of another large scale explosion from the powerplant steals Wally's attention. The redhead looks between his mentor, body surging with white and black lightning, and the explosion. His breathing picks up, mind racing.

  

It's then when he recalls Barry's offer. The offer to be partners, to be a hero with him. Heroes don't let people die, and partners don't abandon one another.

  

-^-

  

"With all the force of a great typhoon," Wally pants with a small, triumphant smile. His red hoodie is ruined, singed from the cyan lightning dancing around him. His focus quickly shifts to August, as does his triumphant smile to a worried frown. "August, you okay? Can you stand?"

  

"You… have powers?" August mumbles, staring at Wally in awe. "You… you threw lightning?"

  

"Y-yeah… I kinda learned how an hour ago," Wally says, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, "but that isn't important, you don't look so good, are you alright."

  

August doesn't speak, his head falling slightly. He stares at his hands, watching as they shake. His head. Then turns to the destroyed generator, where Heatmonger lays unconscious. His hands close into tightly clenched fists as August brings himself to a stand.

  

"You can, that's great!" Wally exclaimes. "We should get to Barry, he definitely needs our help."

  

August again ignores Wally, instead taking slow steps towards the unconscious villain. He scoops his pistol up off the ground as he walks, checking the magazine.

  

"A-August… he's down," Wally says, stepping in front of the man. "We'll worry about him later, Barry is fight Eradicator… alone. Please."

  

"Right…" August finally mumbles, eyes still locked onto Heatmonger. "Daniel and Joe are still in danger."

  

"Daniel and Uncle Joe are here!?"

  

-^-

  

Barry writhes on the floor in pain. He recognizes this feeling, he'd felt it mere minutes ago when he entered the other plane. Raijin is the only answer. He sees Joe and Daniel, both unphased by the neural attack. It confirms their suspicions, Raijin was somehow connected to the Speed Force.

  

"Daniel, help me carry h- Agh!" Joe begins, before being shocked by the lightning coursing through Barry. "Dammit, we're gonna have to… oh no."

  

Barry, out of the corner of his eye, sees the red cloaked man outside the fence. He raises his hand, swiping it across the metal and turning it to dust in seconds. Barry tries to stand, but is unable to move. He's forced to watch as Eradicator approaches Joe and Daniel.

  

"R…un… Jo…e…"

  

Joe begins firing shots at Eradicator as he backpedals, Daniel staying behind him. Eradicator treats the bullets like flies, swatting them away as he walks forward. Joe and Daniel turn to run, but Eradicator slams his palm onto the ground, causing it to rupture under their feet. Daniel falls backwards, Eradicator's hand clamping around his neck in seconds. Joe, seeing this, tries to fight back, but is taken down with ease and found in the same position.

  

"Stop… it…" Barry grunts, his fingers digging into the ground beneath him. Golden lightning begins to spread throughout his body, overpowering the black and white. He slowly pushes himself to a stand, his body wobbly. "Let them… go!"

  

"You're fighting back against Raijin's power?" Eradicator says, eyebrows raised in shock. "It doesn't matter how you struggle… his will shall prevail. I will mak-"

  

At that moment, Eradicator's eyes go white. Barry watches as he stands frozen, grip not wavering on either Joe or Daniel. Barry tries to take a step forward, but his body simply won't move. His teeth grit together as he tries to push himself, as he tries everything in his power to take that step.

  

"Flash," Daniel mumbles, scared out of his mind, "help us… please."

  

Barry screams out, slowly lifting his right foot off the ground.

  

"Stop."

  

Barry freezes in place, his foot falling back down. Eradicator kicks the back of both Joe and Daniel's knees, dropping them to the ground. His hands move from their necks to their heads, his palms wrapped around their skulls, fingers hovering just above them.

  

"Choose."

  

Barry is unmoving, breath caught in his throat. "Wh- what!?" he shouts, staring at the blood red eyes that stare back.

  

"Choose now," he says once more, fingers twitching with the static of the generators. "One lives, one dies… all by his will."

  

"I… you… dammit," Barry curses, hoping, praying the effects of Raijin's psychic attack wear off. He stands motionless, buying as much time as he can.

  

"He made sure you wouldn't be able to run, Flash," Eradicator says, tugging their heads up. "You can't save them both, so look at them. Look them in the eyes and choose who dies."

  

Joe and Daniel are both crying. Daniel is struggling, but unable to break free from Eradicator's hold, while Joe sits silently frowning. He knows what's going to happen. He knows what Joe is going to say before the words even leave his lips. He knows, no matter how much he wishes he didn't.

  

"Save my son… Flash," Joe says, staring into Barry's eyes. "Save him."

  

"No, are you crazy!?" Daniel shouts, slobber flying from his mouth. "Don't you dare! He's the best detective in this city! He's saved countless lives and can save countless more! You have to save him! You just… you have to, Flash, please! My brothers… they've both lost so many people… my dad he, he took them in. Gave them a home. They need him, so please!"

  

"Flash… it's okay," Joe says, smiling at Barry. "I want you to save him."

  

Barry bites his lip, unable to hold back his tears from flowing. It isn't fair. It isn't fair to Joe, or Daniel. Why does it have to happen to them? Why does tragedy strike people who never deserve it?

  

"Decide now, or both die."

  

Barry raises his hand, pointing to Daniel. "The boy," he mumbles, hand shaking in the air. "I… I chose to save the boy."

  

"No, Flash, stop!" Daniel cries, lashing out as Eradicator throws him towards Barry and places down his fingers. "You can't do this!"

  

Barry's body feels a sudden freedom as he grabs onto Daniel, holding him back from charging at Eradicator. He can feel Daniel's nails digging into his skin, cutting him deep. He only holds Daniel tighter, gritting his teeth.

  

"This isn't your fault. I know you're gonna blame yourself, it's just who you are, but please try not to. You're gonna change the world one day… and that makes me so proud to be your father," Joe mumbles as his body begins to crack. "I will always love you, son."

  

Tears flow from Barry's eyes as he nods, a simple gesture to Joe, as his skin begins to crackle. A gesture that says "I know, and I love you too, dad."

  

"No, please! Dad!" Daniel sobs, reaching out towards Eradicator, trying with all he has to break free from Barry. "I can't lose you too…"

  

Barry closes his eyes, hugging Daniel's body to his. He can hear the way Joe's body crumbles, chunks of stone hitting the ground before turning to ash. Daniel's resistance is all but gone, his body now limp as he leans against Barry, silent tears running down his face.

  

"Joe…"

  

Barry's eyes open, head shooting towards the voice. August stands frozen, skin burned and clothes charred. Standing behind him is Wally, his face full of terror. August's gun hits the floor as he stands, frozen.

  

"Joe… I…"

  

His head turns, eyes locking with Barry's. Barry sees something in them, something dark brewing that he'd never seen in August before. Their stare lasts only seconds before August charges at Eradicator, fist reeled back. Eradicator sidesteps the attack, grabbing August by the wrist and slamming him into the generator, hard.

  

"August!" Barry shouts out, letting go of Daniel and standing up. He looks over at Wally to see the boy staring at Eradicator, too terrified to move. Barry rushes forwards, but stops as the sound of thunder booms throughout the sky. Barry's head snaps to the sky, watching as familiar golden lightning surges around dark clouds.

  

"The time has come," Eradicator says, leaning in, whispering into August's ear. He pulls away, throwing the man to the ground. Pulling his hood over his head, he steps through the whole in the fence. "I'll be seeing you again soon."

  

Barry's eyes fill with lightning, ready to chase the man, but is stopped as lightning bursts from the clouds above. Wild streaks of electricity begin to rain down, colors ranging from gold to blue to red. Without a moment to think, Barry runs to Daniel, watching as one of the lightning bolts comes down above him. From the corner of his eye, he can see Wally rushing to August to intercept the strike coming at him, but he knows. He knows Wally isn't fast enough, watching as the lightning strikes.

  

He holds back his tears as golden lightning courses through August. With no time left, Barry makes it to Daniel, leaping over him and tanking the lightning strike. He cries out in pain, feeling the way the lightning burns his skin, different from before. His body crashes into the ground, skidding along the dirt, charged with lightning.

  

He watches through blurry eyes as Daniel lays unharmed, but unconscious. He shifts his gaze to August, a tear rolling down his cheek as he stares at the man. He raises his hand, reaching out to him, but his hand falls as his eyes slowly shut.

  

----------------------------

  

NEXT TIME: Family Lost, to Death and to Darkness!

Barry rushed along the road, the pyre of flames growing nearer. The blue color was throwing him off, taking any suspension away from Rory, or any other fire-based villains he'd seen around. As he rounded the block, he spotted a lone man in the parking lot of Central City General. The brightness of the fire made it hard to see, but the man's outline was easily visible.

 

"Hey, fireman!" Barry called, watching as the man turned his head, a bird-like helmet covering his face. "How about you leave the hospital alone, those people don't need to get hurt."

 

"Fireman... I'm hurt you don't recognize me," the man said through a modulated voice. Turning around fully, Barry got a good look at the pristine white suit with black accents and armor plating on the chest and arms. Wing-like shoulder pads protruded from his neck guard, accompanying the bird theme. His hand lit up blue, chucking a ball of fire at Barry, which he narrowly dodged. "I thought we had something special, Flash!"

 

'Something special? He must be one of Jay's old rogues...' Barry thought, weaving under a second fireball. "I'm not the same Flash you used to face, sorry if I don't remember."

 

The man ignored Barry, continuing to throw the fire like baseballs. Barry shot forward both arms, rapidly spinning them to create funnels of wind. Each fireball thrown was dispersed by the air currents, causing the pyro to cease his assault.

 

"Heh, not the same… like that matters to me..." he mumbled before slamming both hands to the ground, sending forward a tidal wave of fire. "Still the same to me!"

 

Barry stood in awe at the amount of flames rushing towards him before he spun in place, the vortex keeping the fire from hitting his body. Stopping, he barely ducked under a flaming fist aimed at his head, quickly dashing backwards to gain some distance. "If you're an old friend of Jay's, then how are you still up and about?" Barry asked, watching as the man recovered from his punch. "You should be old... maybe even dead."

 

"Dead? Me?" he chuckled, bringing himself to a stand. His hand drifted to the shoulder pads, fingers running along the design. "You see these feathers on my armor? They represent the phoenix that burns inside of me. You know what a phoenix is, right?"

 

"A mythological bird," Barry mumbled, watching as each of the man's fingertips lit up blue. "From the ashes of its predecessor…"

 

"A new is born. I am eternal…" he said, crossing his arms, his armor glowing a bright blue, "the forever flame. The Heatmonger!"

 

Slashing his arms forward, the flames shot out like tendrils, slicing through anything they touched. Barry barley was able to dodge the whips of fire, diving through the small gaps between each. Cars were diced through like butter, exploding into orange flames to combat the blue of Heatmonger's. Barry lifted himself up from the ground, watching as steam poured from between the feather-like plating of his armor.

 

"Get back up, Red," he shouted, flames igniting around his feet. "I'm not letting you tap out just yet!"

 

Barry's eyes widened as Heatmonger leapt into the air, flames shooting from his feet as propellants. Barry followed suit, rotating his arms to boost off the ground, watching as Heatmonger's flaming fist crashed into the pavement. The villain's head shot up, his masked face staring at Barry.

 

"Flying is cheating, Flash!" Heatmonger shouted, prepping his fingers to repeat the tendril attack. "Come down and face me!"

 

Barry immediately stopped the wind funnels, his body crashing down onto the asphalt. Not even a second later the sky was painted blue, the lines of flames slashing where he'd been mere moments ago.

 

"Damn, that was a close one," he chuckled, letting the steam out from his suit vents once more. "I should've used a quicker attack, but that really isn't as fun, y'know?"

 

"You're… you're getting faster," Barry said, lifting himself back up. "Is that some secret trick you've been hiding?"

 

Before he got an answer, Barry dashed forward, his fist cocked back and ready to take Heatmonger down. Vomit spilled from Barry's mouth as a fist was slammed into his stomach, his eyes widening as the pain spread through his core. His body flew backwards, rolling onto the ground. 'What the… he's not speeding up,' Barry thought to himself, wiping his mouth with his forearm, 'Am I… slowing down?'

 

"Ah, I can see that expression you've got, did you figure it out? C'mon, you did right?" the villain asked, stomping his foot on the asphalt, casting a ring of fire around them. "My flames have been affecting you since the moment you got here. You may not have noticed, but every second you're here, every moment the heat washes over your skin, you get a little slower."

 

"That's… not possible," Barry grunted, pushing himself up. 'The amount of heat it would take to bypass the Speed Force's barrier and slow me down… the whole city would be a puddle.'

 

"Anything is possible with the power of Raijin!" Heatmonger shouted, lifting his arm, his hand glowing bright. "That power will finally make you experience pain!"

 

"Raijin? Who's-" "

 

Barry's question was cut short as a volley for smaller, but faster fireballs shot out from the villain's hand. Barry made an attempt to dodge, but the heat combined with the speed of the smaller projectiles were too much, causing him to be hit in the shoulder. Barry's eyes widened in shock as pain coursed through his body.

 

"Agh!" he screamed, his hand shooting to hold the wound as he fell to his knees. The fire was hot, much hotter than Rory's had ever been. Barry's eyes veered up as footsteps grew closer.

 

"What's wrong, Flash?" Heatmonger asked, each step he took melting the pavement beneath him, "You fly… or I guess, run too close to the sun?"

 

"How is it… so hot?" Barry asked, staring up at the bird shaped helmet.

 

"You're pitiful, Flash," Heatmonger mumbled, flicking his open palms upward.

 

A stream of fire followed the motion causing a pillar of flames to shoot up around Barry. He again cried out in agony as the fire coated his body, the only protection his suit, which was no match for the hellfire he was enduring. The air around him became sparse, the column of fire burning all of his oxygen. His eyes were drying with the lack of moisture. His skin sizzled. Then it stopped, the flames dispersed. He panted heavily as his healing kicked in, repairing the damaged skin cells that were now charred.

 

"That speed healing really is something," Heatmonger said, smacking the center of his armor, causing a large burst of steam to exit his vents. "Even that magic healing can't restore everything."

 

Barry swung his fist forward, but Heatmonger kicked his wrist, dropping his arm back to his side. "I'll… stop you…" Barry mumbled, trying to rise from his knees.

 

"You're meant to be the savior of Central City?" Heatmonger asked, grabbing onto Barry's throat and hoisting him into the air. "You can't even beat a ghost from the past."

 

Barry slammed his fist onto Heatmonger's wrist, trying desperately to free himself. "I'm not gonna let you hurt these peo-" Barry, before being cut off by a blast of hot air directly in his neck. "AGGHGHGGG!"

 

"You think I care about these people!?" Heatmonger laughed, the eye lenses on his helmet folding up to reveal burning cerulean eyes. "No… I don't give a damn about any of them… I want you to look me in my eyes and tell me… are you the fastest man alive because you're The Flash… or are the Flash because you're the fastest man alive?"

 

Barry opened his mouth to speak, but the tightening of the hand on his neck with the flow of steam kept the words in his throat. He slammed his fist onto Heatmonger's hand again, but the man stood firm. Barry stared into his blue eyes, eyes that told him everything. Eyes of insanity, he was going to kill Barry. Barry quickly began to vibrate his hand gritting his teeth at the lack of oxygen. Jutting his hand forward, the built up kinetic energy acted as a blast of air, shooting Heatmonger across the parking lot. The villain slammed hard into a pickup truck, the vehicle exploding on impact. Barry rolled along the pavement, lifting himself to a slow stand, coughing violently. His healing, however, was acting too slow with heat, causing him to tumble back to the ground.

 

An explosion of blue flames overtook the pickup, the metal chassis melting like ice cream as Heatmonger stepped out from the wreckage. "Even getting charred like a filet, you still find a way out…" he laughed maniacally, streams of fire running from his hands along the ground. "Gotta commend the creativity, but it's over now."

 

"Raijin…"

 

"Huh?" Heatmonger mumbled, pausing mere feet away from Barry.

 

"You mentioned Raijin… who, or what is that?" Barry asked, attempting to lift himself from the ground, but unable to stand.

 

Heatmonger stared silently before audibly sighing. "I mean, I guess I can let you in on it," he said, the flames in his hands dying out. "You see-"

 

"No," another voice called, grabbing both Barry and Heatmonger's attention. "You weren't supposed to mention it at all, let alone tell him more."

 

"Wasn't I?"

 

Barry's eyes were blown wide as the black suited man dropped from the rooftop, his tattered red cloak acting as a parachute, splaying along the ground as he landed. As he rose, his golden faceplate was illuminated by the blue flames, his red eyes still shining bright.

 

"E-Eradicator…"

 

"So you know him even though you've never met him?" Heatmonger sighed, arms falling dejectedly. "Is the suit really that unrecognizable?"

 

"This isn't the same Flash, we went over this," Eradicator said, looking down at Barry. "Your personal grudge isn't with him… and it can't get in the way."

 

"Yeah yeah, whatever," Heatmonger mumbled, jutting his thumb towards the burning building. "I did what I was told, you get it?"

 

Barry watched in silence as Eradicator lifted a small keycard between his fingers. The man didn't take his eyes off Barry, ignoring Heatmonger reaching for the card entirely, simply batting away his partner's hands.

 

"What's… the keycard?" Barry mumbled, attempting to stand once more, but failing again. "And what is Raijin!?"

 

"Kill him."

 

"Huh?" Heatmonger asked, turning to Eradicator. "Didn't you say I'm not supposed to let my grudge get in the way?"

 

"He knows too much," Eradicator said, turning and heading towards the alleyway. "Torch him, then we're out."

 

"Fine by me," Heatmonger shrugged, lightning up both hands. "Nothing… eh, who am I kidding, keep hell warm for me, oh and-"

 

BOOM!!!

 

Like thunder, a burst of air blew against Barry's face. Heatmonger was lifted from the ground and sent careening through the parking lot, landing hard on the asphalt. As he hit the ground, all the fire around them fizzled out into nothing but embers.

 

"What the hell!?" Eradicator said, turning back around.

 

Standing in the parking lot, helmet and suit on, was Jay. "Sorry it took me a minute, kid," he said, extending a hand to Barry. "Tahiti is a pretty far run."

 

Barry smiled, raising his arm and grasping Jay's hand. With help from Jay, he was pulled to a stand, his speed healing returning in full with the flames gone. "I'm… I'm glad to see you," Barry mumbled, rubbing his neck.

 

"So, the Eradicator returns…" Jay said, eyeing the man in black. "Who's the firebird?"

 

"You don't recognize him?" Barry asked, watching as Jay shook his head. "He said he's an old enemy of yours, the Heatmonger."

 

"Lucious?" Jay asked, watching as the man began to stir. "The last time I fought him was in the 60's, but he went missing. How is he…"

 

"Alive? He said… he said immortal. A phoenix," Barry said, his head turning to the red-robed man. "That isn't who we need to worry about right now though… the Eradicator."

 

"Is dangerous, yeah, I know," Jay said, lightning sparkling around him. "Can get touched, right?"

 

"That's not all," Barry said, his eyes widening as Eradicator squatted down, gently placing his palm onto the pavement. "Jay, move!"

 

Both speedsters dashed across the parking lot, avoiding the cracks that spread along the ground. Eradicator stayed crouched on the ground, placing a second hand down next to the first. As more cracks spread, the asphalt of the lot began to rupture, some chunks launching exploding into the air, others instantly crumbling to dust. The man slowly lifted himself up, head turning slightly

 

"We're leaving," he ordered, before walking towards the alleyway.

 

"Nah uh…" Heatmonger mumbled, holding his head as he stood up. "I'm taking that geezer out, they'll follow anyway so we need to be cautious."

 

"They'll be busy," Eradicator said, walking into the darkness.

 

Barry tilted his head in confusion, before his eyes shot wide open. His head snapped to the left, his blood running cold as he spotted the trail of cracks spread along the charred walls of the hospital.

 

"Turning it to rubble is no fun," Heatmonger sighed, the fire in his hands fizzling out. "Fine, let's go. See you around, Red."

 

"Jay!" Barry shouted, electricity surging off of him. "We have to get everyone out, now!"

 

Like lightning, Barry was gone, his legs carrying him through each floor of the hospital at rapid pace. With every room passed, a mental note of how many people were inside was taken. The sound of the crumbling first floor could be heard, but Barry ignored it. He needed to save the people on the top floors first, hopefully Jay would cover the ground floors.

 

'53, 54, 57, 61,' Barry thought to himself, the shattered glass of the windows crunching under every step. '207…'

 

As Barry arrived on the top floor the ground beneath him shook. Looking out the broken window, the building had begun to topple. Clenching his fist and taking a running position, lightning danced around him. With a deep breath, he took his first step.

 

The world was slower than normal, almost at a standstill. Sound was non-existent, scent completely forgotten. The droplets of water from the sprinkler systems were frozen mid-air, like time was stopped entirely. Letting out his breath, he took his second step, and the world returned in a flash.

 

Barry moved from the top floor to a neighboring rooftop in a single second, three of the five patients from the floor carried alongside him. In another two seconds he'd returned to the rooftop with a doctor and another patient. Every second that passed the building fell further, but every floor cleared made the distance that much shorter, the trip that much faster. Barry was in a state of calm. He was in a state that caused him to be faster than he'd ever gone. Fast enough that Jay was moving at a normal person's pace. He felt fast enough to fight Thawne.

 

The calm, however, would not last. It hurt. Each step taken felt like a landmine went off under his feet. Heatmonger's flames must have had a lasting effect, the barrier created by the Speed Force not strong enough to nullify the increase in his speed. He was running at the cost of his body. It didn't matter at the moment, however. He had a floor left, he had to push forward. He had to save them. As fast as he could he cleared out the final floor of the building, grabbing the final patient, a little girl. Hoisting her into his arms, and running down the flights of stairs. With each step the ground shook harder. Rubble fell from above, but Barry shielded the girl with his body, the building chunks falling against his back.

 

As he rounded the front entrance, a large piece of the ceiling came crashing down onto the back of his neck, causing him to drop to the ground. His vision began to fade to black as the world sped up around him. Barry closed his eyes and clutched the girl in his arms, holding her beneath him to shield her from the incoming crash. Before a crash happened, however, he felt hands grab onto him and pull him upwards. Looking up, he saw Jay's sweat filled face. The older man dragged Barry and the girl through the lobby, before throwing them out the front entrance.

 

Barry rolled along the asphalt, attempting to stand. "Jay!" Barry shouted as he reached out towards the man. The words fell on deaf ears, however, as the rubble came crashing down a second later, Barry's consciousness slipping moments after that.

 

----------------------------

 

NEXT TIME: The Voice of a God!

Daniel's eyes flutter open, the zapping of electricity ringing in his head. He blinks, an attempt to moisturize his incredibly dry eyes. The action does nothing however, as he begins to feel the dryness of his skin as well. Only then do his eyes go wide, surveying the area around him. He struggles, trying to stand, but is pulled back to the ground. Lowering his head, he again tries to pull himself free, but is stopped by the restraints around his body. The flaming blue wire around his body.

  

"Heya, Dusty," a modulated voice calls, "your pet's awake."

  

Daniel looks up from the fire, spotting the white-suited man from the news sitting atop a large generator. He idly plays with a blue fireball, tossing it into the air and letting it fall back into his palm. Daniel can hear a light humming from the villain, but the distortion of his voice makes the tune unrecognizable.

  

"Let me go," Daniel snarls, grabbing Heatmonger's attention. "You hear me, you bastard!? Let me go!" Daniel thrashes against his bindings, the flames not scorching, but still hurting as they press against his skin.

  

"What did I do?" Heatmonger mumbles, before his head turns. "I wouldn't struggle, you'll just end up scaring yourself."

  

Daniel grunts, before screaming out in frustration. As much as he doesn't want to admit it, the villain is right, his jacket is already seared, anymore struggling and the binding will burn straight through. Defeated, he leans back, letting his head rest against the generator behind him. He finally takes in his surroundings. He was at the powerplant, the northern one, based on the hills to the east. He then turns, looking out to where Heatmonger is. He gasps, staring at the smoke and blue light emanating from just off the coast, Iron Heights.

  

"You're a maniac," he says, looking up at the pyro.

  

Heatmonger sighs, the fireball dissolving in midair. "What is it with that reaction?" he asks, turning his body to face Daniel. "You and him both… neither of you have lived it… purgatory. Neither of you would understand."

  

"It's not just that," Daniel adds, narrowing his eyes. "You put the hospital in the middle of a flame tornado!"

  

"That was all for show, kid," he chuckles, looking out at the ruins of CCG. "The real flames were in the parking lot, the ones around the hospital were about as hot as those bindings. No one was gonna get hurt."

  

"Oh yeah?" Daniel challenges, leaning forward, letting the binding sear his jacket once more. "Letting the building collapse begs to differ."

  

"You really should trust me when I say this, West," Heatmonger threatens, hopping down from his perch and squatting right in front of Daniel. "If I didn't think he was fast enough, then I would've stepped in."

  

Daniel winces as Heatmonger raises his index finger with a small flame lit on his fingertip. The flame is much hotter than the binding. "How thoughtful of you," he spits.

  

"That's enough."

  

A chill runs down Daniel's spine, his head refusing to turn towards the voice. Instead he chooses to watch Heatmonger, who keeps his gaze on Daniel a moment longer.

  

"Can't two adults have a nice conversation?" He asks, before he grabs Daniel by the chin and turns his head towards Eradicator.

  

Daniel chokes on his own breath at the sight. The man stands across the plant, cape draped over both shoulders. His hood is down, pooling around his neck to let his black hair flow freely in the light breeze. His blood red eyes glow against the darkness of the night, sending goosebumps down Daniel's neck.

  

"Someone has been tailing us," he mumbles, raising his arm into the air. Held in his hand is a severed arm, blood dripping from its other end. With a light squeeze, the arm crumbles to dust. "It won't be long until he shows, get your fire ready."

  

Heatmonger looks back at Daniel, letting go of his chin. "Just when we were getting to know each other too," he sighs, drawing a line of fire over his mouth that resembles a frown. "Maybe next- well, that probably won't work… eh whatever."

  

Daniel swallows the breath he was holding as the man stands. He looks at the dust of the severed arm, watching as the wind takes it away. He hates to admit it, hates that it makes him feel like a bad person, but he's glad. He's glad he saw the tattoo on the forearm. He's glad it wasn't his family.

  

He wouldn't know what to do if Eradicator took someone else from him.

  

-^-

  

Barry enters the powerplant with Joe following just behind him. Heatmonger's flames light the place up, running along the power lines like mere decorations. His speed is already draining, which means they'd need to act fast. Get in and get out.

  

He knows Joe is scared, even if he's doing his best to hide it. Between Francine, August, and even Barry's own encounters with Eradicator. Even so, he's marching into the situation as calmly as he can to save his family. Barry can't help but feel proud of him, he's proud to be Joe's son.

  

"Daniel!" Joe shouts, breaking Barry from his thoughts and running towards the boy. He practically falls into a crouch, holding Daniel's head up whilst looking him over. "He's not hurt, at least I don't think he is… but he's unconscious."

  

Barry surveys the area before he joins the two, taking note of the flame bindings. "We need to be careful," Barry says, placing his hand against the restraints before yanking it back. "Pressure seems to make it hotter, we need to wait until he's taken out."

  

"Is he really the one you should worry about?"

  

Both Barry and Joe look up to see Eradicator perched atop the generator Daniel is sitting against. Barry grabs Joe, dashing back away from the pounce attack. Barry pants, feeling the way his sweat rolls down his skin. His speed is already draining, he'll need to move quickly and carefully.

  

Before he has a chance to attack, Eradicator freezes, arms falling to his sides. Barry tilts his head, confused by the white glow of his eyes replacing his usual red. Barry doesn't let the opportunity go to waste, dashing forward with his fist cocked back.

  

The moment his attack connects, his world goes white. His mind floods with flashes of black and white lightning. He sees an endless lake, one similar to the Speed Force plane he was at upon first receiving his powers. He feels weightless, unlike the time before. He doesn't have the golden glow he did upon first entering, rather a dull grey. He isn't in the Speed Force, not the Negative Speed Force…

  

"W̴̧̛͉̝͉̬̞͖̙͂͌̂̅̎͑̌͆̆͘͝h̶̢̨̰̯͈̟͚͐͋̍͛́̒͛̒̃͘ȩ̸̼̼̯̓̀̆̊̀͐̏̚r̵̜̗̣̹̦͆̍́̂͆̀̉͌̉̇̅͠ȩ̴̖̪̣̖̣̣͚̩̏͘ ̵̳̙̔̎͌̉̑͑ȃ̵͇̘̗͍͊̾͗̍̓m̶͖̗̂́́͊͜ ̵͉̩̭͇̞̯͔̽͛̄̀͗͋͝ͅÍ̸̼̦͙͎͙̍͋͗?̶̧̨̛̦̥̺̗̺̲̯̓͊͐̋̃͊̕͘ͅ"

  

In the distance, narrowing his eyes, Barry sees Eradicator knelt before a large figure. His cape billows in the wind and his armor reflects the lightning strikes, constantly shifting between black and white. Barry moves closer, enamored by the bright, pure light of the figure's eyes. Barry flinches as his head snaps towards him, those bright eyes turning a deep black.

  

"You are not meant to be here, Flash," the figure says, raising his hand into the air. Black and white lightning sparking off each finger, like claws.

  

"R̴̛̺̻̩̤̲͖̜̂̓̉̌͒͌͑̉̚ͅa̶̻̺͔͈̙̞̜̺͕͖̠̍̾į̸̺̜̪̰͓̰͇͇̞̀̇j̶̛͈̰͕̜̺̏̄̓̽̒̒i̵̳̹͉̮͆͊͊̾̔͘n̶̪͕̝̊̐̀͝?̴̯̖̬̻̟̮̗͉͍̤̟̤͛̍̄̉̀͊͛͘͝"

  

The claws shoot forward, stabbing into Barry and causing him to cry out. A follow-up burst of energy launches him through the pseudo-Speed Force plane and back to reality. His vision returns slowly, as do his other senses, finding himself flat on his back. He tries to stand, but stumbles, his legs feeling weaker than normal.

  

"What happened?" Joe asks, helping to steady Barry. "You were frozen just like him."

  

"He's… communicating with Raijin." Barry mumbles, looking down at the sparking black and white lightning lingering on his body. He then looks at Eradicator, watching the white eyes dull.

  

The second Eradicator's eyes return to red, he leaps forward, his arm extending out like a tiger pouncing its prey. Barry's eyes blow wide at the speed of the villain's attack. Before he's given the chance to dodge, a wall of blue fire erupts between Barry and Eradicator, cutting off the villain's attack. Barry is caught off guard, stumbling to the ground at the sight of the flames. Joe is quick to offer a hand, Barry taking it with haste. Barry raises his hand as the fire rages on in an attempt to block the heat, but pauses, eyes narrowing. The flames, while as bright as before, aren't hot, the opposite in fact. They're ice cold. He reaches his hand out, the fire surrounding his arm like a coat, but inflicting no pain whatsoever. He looks back at Joe, the man's face showcasing confusion.

  

As the flames die down, Barry locks eyes with Eradicator once more. The man's hand is also extended, bathing in the cold fire. His head turns to the right, where the fire came from. Heatmonger stands atop one of the generators, right hand still smoking from the blast as steam shoots from his feather-shaped vents.

  

"Watch those hands, Dusty," Heatmonger calls out, shaking his head at his partner. "We need him alive, remember?"

  

"Raijin has spoken to me!" Eradicator shouts back, fists clenching tight as he turns to his partner. "Kill the Flash! That is our objective!"

  

"That's interesting," Heatmonger chuckles, the lenses on his helmet sliding open, blue eyes boring into Eradicator, "cause I sure as hell didn't hear him."

  

Barry feels the tension between the two rise as the air becomes thicker, hotter. He took note of the discourse between the two back at CCG, but it seemed even more prevalent now, like something has changed in one of them. Barry's eyes widen as he remembers his interaction with Heatmonger at Iron Heights. The arrogant bravado displayed at CCG had been gone entirely, replaced with a quiet and mournful demeanor, as if the former was all a facade.

  

"You've never been in chains, locked away from what you hold most dear. With Raijin's power… I'll make my world a reality. I'll make sure no one feels that pain again."

  

"What's going on?" Joe whispers, turning his head ever-so slightly towards Barry.

  

"Ideology," Barry mumbles, not taking his eyes off the duo.

  

"What are you talking about!?" Eradicator shouts out, the wind taking his hood off. "Are you questioning Raijin!?"

  

"Nah… Raijin is not to be questioned," Heatmonger says, his hands re-igniting as he steps down from the generator. "I just… find it odd is all. The psychotic serial killer who seems to be obsessed with this pathetic family."

  

Heatmonger clenches his fist. Barry watches in horror as the flame restraints holding Daniel grow in size, an audible cry from Daniel echoing out through the plant.

  

"Daniel!" Joe shouts, attempting to rush forward, only stopped by Barry.

  

"I mean, seriously… you think I'm blind or something?" he asks, letting the flames around Daniel fall back to their original size. "You… delay our mission by five hours. You destroy the keycard needed to retrieve Morrow's Android. You say Raijin wants the kid. You leave a witness alive to find us… and now our plan goes from needing Flash to offing him?

  

"How do I know Raijin has ever spoken to-"

  

Heatmonger's left hand shoots into the air, a steak of fire trailing behind it. The flames form a crude shield stretching from the ground to his head. In the next moment several loud pops echo in the night. Everyone freezes in place, eyes locking onto Heatmonger. The pyro chuckles, shaking his head absentmindedly as he holds his arm up.

  

"That wasn't too bad of a plan, Heart!" Heatmonger says, allowing the flame shield to disperse. His hands come together as he slowly claps up at the rafters. "I mean, my armor is bullet proof, so it wouldn't have done much but scratch the paint… but my top hat wearing acquaintance worked hard on this suit and he's a stickler for stuff like that."

  

"Damn," Barry mumbles, hand still holding Joe's shoulder.

  

"You what!?""

  

Barry cringes as Joe explodes at August, both anger and concern in his voice. He feels a similar anger, mad at August for risking his own life the way he did. He also knows Daniel is hurt, and that August watched him be taken away. "Joe…"

  

"We don't have time to talk about this now Joe," August says, pulling his pistol from his holster and checking the clip.

  

"I know that dammit, but you're still my son!" Joe yells, grabbing August by the shoulders and shaking him. "You… you can't just throw yourself away like that!"

  

"Your son is inside there, alone," August says, shrugging Joe's hands off his shoulder, a dark frown forming on his face. "I'm just doing my job."

  

"August… after all this we'll talk… about all of this," Barry says, turning towards the entrance. "For now, you two stay together and stay behind me."

  

"No."

  

Barry stops, turning back to August. "What?"

  

"You… you can't beat both of them, we all know that," August explains, walking past Barry towards a broken part of the entrance gate. "Let me take the pyro."

  

"Are you nuts?" Barry shouts, walking towards August. "He burned me alive, August. If it weren't for my speed healing, I'd be a charred corpse."

  

"Look, Barry," August sighs, expression firm and commanding. "I saw what he did. I saw him burn you in a pillar of flames… but I can't help with Eradicator… I know that much. So let me try with him."

  

Barry clenches his fists, ready to refute, but doesn't as he looks into August's eyes. They aren't full of determination, they're pleading for a second chance. "I… I don't like this…" Barry says, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "I don't like it, but I trust you, August. Just… just please be careful."

  

"Yeah, got it."

  

"August, get out of here!" Joe shouts, aiming his pistol at Heatmonger and firing off three rounds.

  

Heatmonger again raises a shield, blocking the shots. His head turns back to the rafters, lenses flipping down. He slams his palms onto the ground, spreading his flames along the power lines before launching himself up to the rafters with a burst of fire from his feet.

  

"I'm gonna go have a nice chat with the Detective," Heatmonger shouts out, hands lighting up as he speaks. "When I get back, I expect to see no more than two piles of ash!"

  

Barry watches as Heatmonger begins to sprint after August. He attempts to run after the two, but can already feel his speed being sapped by the fresh flames. He turns to Joe, patting him on the back.

  

"Go!" he shouts, giving him a slight push. "You and August slow Coolidge down, I've-"

  

"Flash, look out!" Joe warns, shooting two more shots from his revolver.

  

Barry looks in front of him to see Eradicator charging forward, hands raised to catch the bullets. Barry follows the shots, weaving to the left just as Eradicator grabs them. Now behind Eradicator, Barry slams his fist into the man's back, sending him crashing into the ground. He swings his right leg into the air, lightning dancing off his boot as it comes down like a guillotine. Eradicator slams his palms onto the concrete causing the ground to rupture. Barry stumbles backwards, his foot narrowly missing Eradicator, denting the ground below. He attempts to bill his foot free, but finds it stuck as Eradicator quickly rises and swipes at Barry.

  

With no time to think, Barry vibrates his hand as fast as possible, building up friction. With a snap, the energy is released with a burst of wind that sends both him and Eradicator across the plant. Barry rolls along the ground, clutching his wrist. His eyes meet Eradicator's, who is pulling himself back to a stand.

  

Lifting himself up, Barry begins rapidly spinning his arms, his right wrist still stinging from the snap. He's only able to hold the attack for a second before he flies backwards, crashing into a generator. He prioritized vertical use of Jay's funnel technique, leaving horizontal attacks in need of work. The attack was successful, however, as Eradicator had been pushed further back away from Joe.

  

"C'mon, August," he mumbles, lightning bouncing off his body.

  

-^-

  

Eddie grabs two of his protein bars from behind the counter, along with his checkbook. He has a satisfied smile on his face, one he isn't used to having.

  

"You got your things packed up?" he asks, taking a bite of the bar as he sits down.

  

"Yeah, I think I've got everything," Wally mumbles, digging through his bag. "I'll see you next week, Mr. Jones."

  

Eddie sighs, opening the book and scribbling onto a check. "You're too earnest kid," he says, tearing the check and handing it to Wally, along with the bar.

  

"Uhm… what's-"

  

"Your paycheck. You are an employee here," Eddie says, chuckling at Wally's surprised expression.

  

"Right… kinda forgot about that with all the stuff going on."

  

Eddie stares at Wally as he stuffs the check into his wallet. He's known the boy for some time now, but his own grief and regrets stopped him from ever truly getting to know him. He knew the basics, sure, favorite color or food, but there was something itching at him. Something he feels he needs to know about the boy.

  

"Wally," he calls, earning the boy's attention. "I… why? Why do you want to be a hero?"

  

Wally stares at him, as if he were asking himself the same question. Just before he has a chance to speak, the power in, not just the building, but the northern part of the city goes out. Eddie looks over to Wally, who wears a concerned frown. Eddie follows Wally outside, eyes widening behind his sunglasses.

  

The city's northern power plant was up in flames, blue flames to be exact. Images of Barry being thrown around like a ragdoll by Heatmonger flood Eddie's mind, as does Jay, still in a coma downstairs. He knows that if both Eradicator and Heatmonger are there, Barry will stand no chance. He knows that Barry will die.

  

He looks over at Wally, frowning at the terrified expression on his face. His hands light up with golden lightning, steeling himself and his resolve .

  

"Wally, get back inside."

  

-^-

  

August pants harshly, beads of sweat rolling down his face. He knew the heat would be hot, but his skin feels like it's ready to melt. His body leans against one of the central generators as he inwardly curses at himself. He failed. He failed to stop Heatmonger then and there, meaning he failed to save Daniel. Barry is giving it his all, and he's stuck here hiding. Running.

  

"Detective~" Heatmonger sings, sending a chill down August's spine. "I get hide-and-seek is fun and all, but aren't you a little old for it?"

  

August slides the clip from his pistol, cursing once more; he only had three bullets left. Pushing the clip back in, he weighs his options. Running is pointless, at least until the flames die down. Heatmonger's armor is bulletproof, so he can't waste any shots until he can get a piece off. He stopped his sneak attack before, it wouldn't work this time either, and trying to fight him head on is suicide.

  

He has to do something, but what?

  

"What's wrong, Auggy? Can I call you that?" Heatmonger asks, amping up the size of the flames. "Realizing you can't do anything to stop me? That you're useless? It doesn't matter how hard you try… you're a mortal man living in a world of gods. I know the feeling, having no control. Being put into a situation where you couldn't do a damn thing, sat helpless… forced to watch it all happen. It eats away at you, slowly. Just chipping at your mind until it finally breaks. Until you finally realize you have to get up and take control for yourself. That is what happened to you, right? With Trickster and Bling? See, I make sure I know my enemy before I make a move, that's how I keep my control. I've been watching Flash since I was a kid, I'd always have my eyes on him… but his friends are also unique individuals. For instance, a mechanic who worked for Trickster was found bloody and beaten in an alley… and August Heart just so happens to be the only person other than Flash on the scene. Or how your face is full of bruises, and the guy who was tailing us had a tattoo, for a local fight club.

  

"You're slipping into the same darkness all of us do, just for an ounce of control!" he cackles, blasting out a vortex of flames at the generator August is hiding behind. He narrowly rolls out of the attack's path, swallowing as he begins to run.

  

August attempts to stand, but falls to his knees. Looking up, he watches as Eradicator moves towards him, lifting and slamming a boot into his face. As his vision fades, the last thing he sees is Daniel being taken away.

  

After a few steps, he slows, stopping in place.

  

"Yeah… yeah I am," August says, looking down at his hand, knuckles still stained with blood. "I am useless. I'm a part of a system that's flawed to its core… I'm running as fast as I can to help, but I've been lapped hundreds of times already. What am I supposed to do? These gods fly through the skies and run faster than sound… while I'm an ant who's desperately trying to make change… I'm nothing compared to him."

  

"I'm glad you agree," Heatmonger chuckles, standing across from August. "I didn't need the whole spiel, but-"

  

August turns donning a sad smile. "You said I'm slipping into the darkness?" he asks, reaching into his jacket pocket. "Well you're right about that… He's the shining light of this city, a ray of hope for its people, and I'll do anything I can to help him." August pulls his hand out of his pocket and flicks his thumb outwards, the pin of a grenade sliding out with it. The click echoes in the silence of the power plant.

  

"Afterall, every ray of sunlight needs a shadow to race behind it."

 

----------------------------

 

NEXT TIME: Climax: The End is Near!

This is the MABILLE Mark II, just released from LEGO City's factories. This Mark II has been designed by Curtis Bolt years after the AntiMatter crisis to help the LEGO City's fire department. It features an all new energy core forked from Jack Fireblade's mech and has a powerful shouldermounted water cannon, a bulldozer front blade and a hydraulic powered axe.

 

===========

This moc is a pretext to use pieces from the awesome 60279 Fire Hazard Truck while experimenting with the Marvel's mech frame.

 

"MABILLE" is the name of "Françoise Mabille", the first french female firefighter (1974), owner of a legion of Honour among other very high distinctions.

-^- Central City -^-

  

"You have retrieved the item?"

  

Eradicator sat on a rooftop, overlooking the city. He held a small phone in his hand, a gruff, but proper voice coming from the device. His cape blew idly in the wind as he stared out at the nightlife below him.

  

"Yeah," he responded, raising the keycard to the light of the moon, the T and O embedded logo reflecting said light, "but we've run into a problem. Flash knows about Raijin."

  

"That… is not ideal," the voice responded with a sigh. "Did he pose a problem?"

  

"No, Monger's flames were able to slow him down, just like he said they would," Eradicator explained, looking back at his partner, who was fixated on the jumbotron across the street replaying footage of the attack. "He was about to kill him, but Garrick showed up and put the flames out. I didn't want to risk failure, so I put in place a distraction for our escape."

  

"Excellent work, Eradicator," the voice praised. "You and Heatmonger take a deserved rest, then retrieve the vessel for the summoning tomorrow. All for Raijin."

  

"All for Raijin."

  

Eradicator pulled the phone from his ear, watching it turn to dust in his palm. Bringing himself to a stand, he saw Heatmonger's gaze was still locked on the jumbotron, his body radiating a dull flame as he watched.

  

"You look like you're enjoying it," he said, grabbing his partner's attention as Flash began evacuating the building. "I didn't take you for the sadistic type."

  

"Who, me?" Heatmonger asked, chuckling. "Nah… just observing my enemy… he's so much faster than before."

  

Eradicator sighed, not bothering to correct the man. "C'mon, there's an old subway tunnel not far from here," he ordered, turning from the pyro. "We can stay there for the night, then head out tomorrow morning."

  

"Why don't we just go grab the robot and head back to the church?"

  

"Morrow's security is bound to be troublesome," Eradicator explained, sliding the card back into his belt pouch. "We'll be running on fumes by the time we get there."

  

"Yeah, yeah," he sighed, "wait for me."

  

-^- Vulcan's Veggies -^-

  

"Jay!"

  

Barry jolted up from where he sat, his breathing short and rapid. Sat around him was various training equipment, from punching bags to a treadmill. Looking to his left, he watched a younger ginger boy change an older man's IV.

  

"Calm down, son," a voice called from his right, his head snapping towards the sound. Sat beside him was Eddie, typing into a small laptop. "You two both got pretty banged up out there."

  

"What… where are we?" Barry asked, sitting up properly, letting his head lean against the wall.

  

"You're in hell, the soulless one over there is Beelzebub himself," Eddie said with a smirk.

  

"That's a harmful stereotype," Wally whined.

  

"You're at the restaurant, kid," Eddie confirmed, closing the laptop. "Details are still fuzzy to me, but the news filmed you and Jay evacuating the building Eradicator brought down."

  

"Eradicator…" Barry mumbled, sliding his legs off the bed. "I need to see Joe and Daniel, they-"

  

"Slow down, Barry," Eddie said, placing a hand onto Barry's shoulder. "Joe knows, he and Wallace brought you and Jay here."

  

"Wally… brought us?" Barry asked, turning to the boy.

  

"Jay got buried under the rubble," Wally said, dropping the used IV into the trash. "I helped dig him out… and… and used my speed. Joe said it was okay, and you guys were both in bad shape I didn't wa-"

  

"Good job, Wally," Barry said with a smile, watching the boy's face redden slightly. His gaze moved to Jay, who laid still in bed, covered in bruises. "Jay's healing, how long has it been?"

  

"About eight hours or so," Eddie mumbled, handing Barry a t-shirt. "Not sure when you two got there, but it's seven now."

  

"It must be Heatmonger," Barry sighed, slipping the shirt over his head. "His fire was affecting our speed, including healing. I guess there was a long term effect with Jay, maybe because of his age? You got any info on him, Mr. Jones?"

  

"Coolidge was the one with those flames?" Eddie asked, an eyebrow raised. "Last time I saw him was back in, what, '67? He walked around in a space suit that let him shoot out hot air. Never fire though."

  

"That's… the other issue," Barry mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "While I was fighting him… he mentioned something called Raijin giving him power. Eradicator was ready to kill me after hearing it."

  

"Raijin?"

  

"The God of Thunder?" Wally asked, Barry and Eddie turning towards him confused. "Raijin… he's the Japanese God of Thunder, Lightning, and Storms."

  

"The hell do you know that for?" Eddie asked, causing Wally to turn red again.

  

"I uh… in English we had to do a report comparing the same god for different pantheons," he explained, scratching the back of his neck. "I may uhm… have chosen lightning."

  

"Well, at least Captain Fanboy can help out a bit," Eddie sighed, turning back to Barry. "You think it could be connected to-"

  

"The Speed Force…" Barry finished, bringing himself to a stand. "If Heatmonger got powers from Raijin that could weaken our connection… I think it's more than possible… but right now I need to go."

  

"I understand," Eddie said, patting Barry on the back. "Me and Wallace will stay with Jay… make sure they're both okay."

  

Barry nodded, before speeding out of the restaurant.

  

-^- West Residence -^-

  

Daniel sat on the couch, his arms wrapped around his curled knees. His mind was blank, flashes of that night replaying in his mind like a film reel. The house was currently empty, his father never returning home after the footage played last night.

  

The news had been covering the attack since it happened. Watching the way the asphalt cracked apart, the way the building crumbled to dust in seconds. The flowing crimson cape.

  

Tears welled up in his eyes as he hugged himself tighter.

  

"Mom…"

  

The jingle of keys caused him to jump, turning towards the door. As it unlocked, August stepped inside, shutting it lightly behind him. The man stood still at the door, his eyes staring into Daniel's. A moment later he joined Daniel on the couch, breathing out heavily through his nose.

  

"I uh… I just woke up and saw," August said, eyes locked on the TV, the clip of the white suited man blasting fireballs at Flash playing. "Daniel… I-"

  

"It's fine," Daniel mumbled, watching as the TV swapped to Eradicator leaping down from the rooftop.

  

"No, it isn't," he said, placing a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "I… I can't even imagine what you're feeling… but I know it isn't fine."

  

Daniel stayed silent, his head lowering. August stared at the boy with a frown before his head turned to look at the television once again. He watched as Flash stumbled through a fight with the pyromancer, barely able to keep up. Daniel looked up as Eradicator pressing his hands into the ground played, the same familiar cracks forming and spreading quickly.

  

"Today's the day," Daniel finally said, not looking away from the screen. "I don't know if it was planned… or just God's way of being cruel."

  

"I… I don't know either," August sighed, bringing his palms together and leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. He continued to watch the footage, the original Flash appearing and knocking Heatmonger to the ground. The two heroes then rushed inside the falling building, leaving the enemies to escape.

  

"The light needs a shadow…" he mumbled, eyes narrowing at the escaping men.

  

"Hmm?"

  

"It's… it's nothing," August said, looking back at Daniel with a sad smile. "I… I know it won't help with the pain… but this time it'll be different. He's gonna receive punishment."

  

The sound of the key jingling once again caused August to turn his head, but Daniel stayed fixated on the screen. As the door opened, Daniel saw the blond hair of his brother in the TV's reflection.

  

"Daniel I'm… I'm so sorry…" Barry said, entering the room. "I promise you, he'll be brought to justice… I'll do everything I can to make sure of it."

  

"Told August already, it's fine," Daniel said, looking down. "It has to be."

  

"I know what-" Barry began, before taking a deep breath. "I know that something like this happening wouldn't make someone fine."

  

"Doesn't matter… what's it gonna change?" Daniel asked, finally looking up at Barry. "You saw what happened to Flash, even two of them couldn't take him down!"

  

"Daniel…"

  

"Neither of you could possibly know what the feels like… knowing he's out there, just waiting to strike again!" Daniel shouted, standing from the couch and storming towards the stairs. "And I know that's not gonna change… cause if the Flash can't beat him, then who can?"

  

Daniel quickly ran to the top of the stairs and into his room, sliding down the shut door with tears running down his face. The sound of their voices echoed through the vents.

  

"Barry, don't…"

  

"But-"

  

"He's… he's gonna need to process this."

  

"I know… I just don't want to leave him alone."

  

"He won't be, I'll stick here with him, alright. You're needed elsewhere right now."

  

"What?"

  

"Forensics has been working all morning, I'm sure they wouldn't mind the extra help."

  

"Oh yeah, right…"

  

"Joe's there too… he shouldn't be alone right now either."

  

"Yeah… yeah I'll do that. Stay safe, okay?"

  

"You too, Barry… you too."

  

Daniel's hand reached up to the dresser in his room, grabbing onto the family portrait. Joe stood firm, one hand on Barry's shoulder, the other around Francine's waist. Daniel himself sat atop his mother's shoulders, one hand placed on her head and the other held up in a wave.

  

Tears fell onto the portrait, Daniel pulling it into a tight hug.

  

"Why…"

  

-^- Abandoned Subway -^-

  

Heatmonger rose from the subway seat, his arms stretching out in a Y formation. His eyes surveyed the broken-down train car, the rest of the seats occupied by rats and roaches alike. With a snap of his fingers, the small ring of flames around his seat vanished, the bugs and rodents scurrying to the now unguarded territory.

  

"You'd think it's Gotham," he mumbled, standing from the seat and looking out of the broken windows.

  

The subway was filthy, the tunnel abandoned decades ago. He recalled the incident, a battle between Black Vulcan and a samurai robot took place, sealing the station off. The robot was the Thinker's creation, inspired by the JSA's own samurai hero, Wind Dragon.

  

Navigating through the critters on the car's floor, Heatmonger hopped out, letting himself stretch once more before walking towards the operator office.

  

"More comfortable my ass," he mumbled, his eyes shifting to the still working wall clock as he stepped up to the door. "Let's go, Riding Hood. It's already noon."

  

Heatmonger stood with his arms crossed, for a moment, awaiting his partner. After a minute passed, his hand knocked on the door. After a moment of no response, his fist knocked again, still with no response. The villain began to slam his hand against the door, the sound reverberating throughout the tunnel.

  

"Get up, you're delaying his return for beauty sleep!" he shouted, his other fist clenching.

  

After two minutes of constant banging, blue light illuminated the entire subway. "Be that way then," he mumbled, the roar of flames echoing off the walls. "I'm not waiting to achieve my goal… sorry in advance if you get melted."

  

-^- Vulcan's Veggies -^-

  

"So, how long do you think Jay'll be out?" Wally asked, wiping down one of the booths in the restaurant. "I know Hotmonger's powers can sap Speed Force, but it obviously isn't permanent."

  

"Heatmonger," Eddie corrected, typing on his laptop at another booth. "I'm not entirely sure though. His vitals are all stable, so he's alive, but all we can do is wait for him to wake up."

  

"Waiting sucks," Wally mumbled, plopping down next to Eddie.

  

"Waiting is a part of the job."

  

"Yeah yeah, sure," Wally said, leaning over. "So, typing up training regiments? Ooo, we should see if I can phase yet, or maybe the whirlwind arm thing."

  

"I'm ordering fresh stocks," Eddie said, pointing to the produce on the screen. "And if we were training, I'm not teaching you to run up a building, I can't walk without a cane."

  

"Didn't you start using your powers again?" Wally asked, staring at the cane. "Your speed healing should've kicked in, right?"

  

"I don't got speed healing kid," Eddie said, flicking Wally on the forehead, sending a small jolt through the boy's body.

  

"Ow!"

  

"My powers don't work the same as any of you, not exactly at least."

  

"Wait, what?"

  

"I got the same speed, sure," Eddie explained, lightning dancing on his fingertips, "but the lightning I generate can be manipulated, kinda like the new guy in Dakota."

  

"Black Lightning?" Wally asked with a raised eyebrow.

  

"Yeah, whatever…" he sighed, clenching his fist. "In turn, I didn't get any type of healing factor. Can't do any of the tornado stuff either, I'd end up making a lightning storm."

  

"Cool!"

  

"Not cool, not when you permanently scar a teammate you were trying to launch like a cannonball."

  

"Ah… sorry."

  

"You're fine, kid…" he said before trailing off. "Y'know what, why don't we give it a shot."

  

"You're gonna run up a building with a cane?"

  

"No! Are you dense?" Eddie scolded, cracking Wally's head with the cane. "I meant training in general. I can't help with any of the running aspects, but I can at least help you get more in tune with the Speed Force."

  

"Alright!" Wally shouted, hopping off the booth and dashing to the basement.

  

-^- ??? -^-

  

"My child…"

  

Eradicator was knelt down in an endless lake, his hood around his neck and facemask on the ground, barely above the water level. Sweat ran down his forehead as his pupils constricted, white lightning flashing in the sky above. The moment he'd entered the room he planned to sleep in, his mind was pulled from the mortal plane and brought to this world, one he'd been in on countless occasions.

  

"My child… my benevolent child…"

  

The figure stood tall in front of him. Pale grey skin, black and silver armor with bolts of lightning engraved in it that illuminated white light. His eyes glowed brighter than ten thousand suns, but didn't burn as Eradicator stared back.

  

"Lord Raijin," he mumbled, feeling the force of a hurricane as the man moved forward. "We are retrieving your vessel this very day, you may soon rise again."

  

"Oh my child…" the man spoke, his voice booming and echoing through the endless void. "I thank you for your devotion to me."

  

"There is no thanking required, my lord," Eradicator quickly responded, swallowing a heavy breath. "All is for you, Lord Raijin."

  

"Yes, all is for Raijin…" he repeated, placing hand onto Eradicator's head, brushing his armored fingers through the man's hair, "which is why the summoning must be delayed."

  

"My Lord?" Eradicator questioned, the hand on his head putting immense pressure on his body. "Lord Raijin, we can not delay your return! We do not know when the storm may strike again!"

  

"You must not question me, my child," Raijin said, pulling his hand away and turning from Eradicator. "The storm is merely a glimpse of what is to come. The body you have been tasked to retrieve is no longer necessary, the storm will birth anew."

  

"What is it you ask of me, my lord?" Eradicator asked, a flash of lightning shining in his pupils as Raijin's cape blew in the wind.

  

"Daniel… West…" the god mumbled, his image fading, "bring him to the source of power for Central City."

  

"West?"

  

"The Flash will come for him, that is when I will speak to you once… again…

  

In the next moment, Eradicator felt weightless, the world around him fading to black. Mere moments later, light returned and painted the room back to its original state. Eradicator looked down to his hands, clenching them into tight fists. The sound of a constant banging on the door caught his attention, his wobbly legs lifting him up. Sliding his face mask on, he opened the door, spotting Heatmonger just outside.

  

"What are you doing?" he asked, noticing the scorch marks on the door and ground. "What did you do?"

  

"They really don't make doors like this anymore," he mumbled, before raising the lenses on his helmet. "And don't talk to me like that, what the hell were you doing? I've been trying to wake you up for five hours now!"

  

"Five hours?" Eradicator asked, letting out a shaky breath. "I was… busy."

  

"Busy!?" Heatmonger shouted, his hands lighting up blue. "Busy isn't gonna cut it!"

  

"Raijin called me to his realm."

  

"He what?" Eradicator asked, his eyes widening and flames going out.

  

"Our mission has changed," Eradicator mumbled, raising the keycard he'd stolen into the air, decaying it in seconds. "I need you to cause a distraction again, but keep the Flash alive."

  

"That all I am to you?" Heatmonger asked, tilting his head. "A big ass signal fire for Red?"

  

"I thought you wanted to fight him?"

  

"I didn't think you cared," Heatmonger smirked before turning. "I got the perfect place for a distraction, where we meeting up afterwards?"

  

"The source of the City's power…" Eradicator mumbled, his head turning to look at the fading map painted onto the subway wall. "The northern power plant. All for Raijin."

  

"All for Raijin."

  

----------------------------

  

NEXT TIME: Swift as a Coursing River!

a legoformer made using eradicator mech set and 3 orange series 2 mixels set.

 

transformation here

www.dropbox.com/s/v0m8r7vjarwg7lk/skyclops.mp4?dl=0

"Daniel… are you certain? My apartment-"

 

Barry is cut off by a swift head shake, silencing the man and making him frown. Daniel takes a deep breath, his exhale shaky and filled with nerves. "I… I'm sure, Barry," he says, fiddling with the bus ticket in his hands. "I… I know everyone is… but I can't be here, in this city. Not right now, at least."

 

The bus station is crowded, much more than Daniel has ever seen. He guesses it makes sense, given everything that's happened in the last week. He's running too, just not in the way he's pretending to. He peers down at the ticket in his hand; a ticket for Midway City, the former home of Creed Philips.

 

"Metropolis is a long way from here, but you know me, Iris… all of us will be there in an instant," Barry says, giving him a small smile.

 

Metropolis. He'd told them all he reached out to a friend from highschool, asking if he could stay with him for a while. He doesn't like lying to them, they're his family… but that same family would try and stop him from what he has to do.

 

He has to kill the Eradicator.

 

"Metropolis B3 leaving in five minutes."

 

Daniel brings himself to a stand, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. Barry stands with him, a concerned expression Daniel's seen all too much since that night. Daniel is taken aback as Barry leans in to hug him.

 

"Be safe, Daniel," he says, squeezing tight.

 

Daniel reciprocates, feeling a jolt run through his body as he does. "Always, Barry."

 

As he pulls away, he gives a final wave, before boarding the bus. He finds a lone row, taking the seat and its partner for his bag. Looking out the window, he watches Barry see him off with that same expression on his face. He'll make sure that expression disappears, and he'll make sure none of them have it ever again.

 

Daniel doesn't notice the small sparks of red lightning in his own eyes.

 

-^- Later That Morning -^-

 

Barry gnaws at his inner cheek, rapidly tapping his foot against the cobble walkway beneath him. He's currently at Dwyer Park, sitting on a bench overlooking the pond. His eyes are fixated on a couple sitting together in a boat. He frowns at the envy he feels, or rather, fear of envy.

 

He's terrified. Terrified of what he's about to do, about the reaction, about the consequences of it. Eddie and Jay were right though, what he's doing, hiding half of his life from the love of his life is wrong, and unfair to not only Iris, but himself.

 

So he decided he'd tell her. He called her and asked to meet here, at the most secluded part of Dwyer Park. He knows Iris, and knows she could never hate him, but even so… he knows how important trust is, and that a secret like this could break that trust, could ruin them. He can only hope for the best.

 

"There you are!"

 

He snaps his head to the voice, his concern fading upon seeing Iris, who's pushing low hanging branches from the path to the bench. The feeling of dread still lingers, but just seeing her, just having her take a seat beside him, his mind feels at ease.

 

"Hey, Iris," he greets, scooching over so she has more room.

 

"Hey yourself," she responds, bringing both legs onto the bench to sit with her legs criss-crossed. "So, this place is pretty secluded… and there's a nice view of the pond below, not much I can think a couple would do up here. Barry Allen wasn't planning something scandalous on the fly, was he?"

 

Barry again feels a sense of safety wash over him as he laughs. "No, no scandals with me," he says, thankful for the shade of the trees that hide his embarrassment. "I… I actually wanted to talk to you. I thought the place was… private enough."

 

Silence follows as Barry stares at his hands, thumbs twiddling. "Barry?" Iris asks, taking a hold of his hands, running her thumbs along his. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

 

The tapping of his foot quickens, his heart pounds against his ribcage, and his mind races. Images of Joe crumbling and August being struck by lightning flash before his eyes. He clenches his jaw, pursing his lips with his eyes closed. More images come to mind. Eddie, broken out of his shell and Wally, smiling as blue lightning sparkles off his skin.

 

"I am the Flash."

 

Silence encompasses the two. Barry's eyes are sealed shut, unable to open and look the woman before him in the eyes.

 

"I know."

 

Sound returns to Barry in waves. First is the pounding of his heart, loud and fast, like a snare drum. Next comes the nature around him. Birds, the wind, laughter from the pond below them. It grounds him. Reminds him, no, tells him that it's all real. Finally, the crackling of lightning, which causes him to open his eyes. Without even realizing it, he'd generated an aura of lightning around the two, giving light to the shady seclude.

 

Barry finally meets her eyes, jaw going slack and face going red at the short and simple response "I… you… how…" he asks, too dumbfounded to form a proper sentence.

 

Iris calms herself, keeping her soft giggling from evolving to full on laughter. Her smile stays ever present, though. "I do, for years now, infact," she explains, nodding her head. "Ever since you fought with Mardon."

 

"With Mardon?" Barry asks, eyes going wider than thought they could. "That… that was my first time being the Flash, how?"

 

"You keep your eyes exposed in your suit," Iris chuckles, cupping his cheek and running her thumb under his eye. "It was the first thing that stood out when I met you, and it was the first thing I saw that night… before the symbol, the cowl, or even the lightning that danced along your body."

 

"You knew… all this time," Barry mumbles, placing his hand on hers. "Why didn't you say anything? If you knew…"

 

"You were keeping it secret for a reason," she says, causing him to be filled with shock once more. "Don't look so shocked: we're not in a movie, Barry. I wasn't going to freak out at you for not telling me. You planned on telling me when you were ready to, and that's what just happened."

 

"I… I'm sorry," Barry begins with a quiver in his lip. He's unable to stop the tears that follow, head falling onto Iris's shoulder. "I… I was so worried about telling you, about telling anyone… Joe and August both found out, but now… now they're…"

 

Iris places her hand on the back of his head, running his fingers through his hair. "I… don't think that's a fair burden to carry," Iris says, to which Barry nods.

 

"I… I know," he sobs, holding onto her shirt. "I just… It's all happened so fast. First Thawne showed up and made me relive it all… then dad, finally a free man, might never wake up. Then Joe and August… they're both gone… Heatmonger and Eradicator got away, and we have no idea what Raijin is capable of."

 

"I might not know about everything, and there's still tons you need to tell me," Iris says, pulling Barry up from her shoulder to look her in the eyes. "What I do know is that you aren't alone, and that it's okay to slow down sometimes. The Flash may be the fastest man alive, but that doesn't mean your pain goes away in an instant."

 

"I can't just… walk away… not if someone is hurting," he mumbles as she wipes his tears away.

 

"I'm not saying to," Iris says with a smile. "I just want you to remember Barry Allen may be the Flash, but he doesn't need to be the fastest man alive."

 

Barry nods, finally smiling once again. "Yeah… alright," he mumbles, sniffling. "Yeah okay, I'll try."

 

For the next hour, the two sit together, letting small talk and silence dominate their time. Iris rests her head on Barry's shoulder, his hand in hers. Barry's eyes fixate on a bird as it lands in its nest, smaller, naked birds appearing from inside.

 

"Y'know, dad asked about kids when I last saw him, he said twins run in the Allen family," Barry chuckles, watching the bird feed its young. "You said some of your relatives have twins as well, right? Together, we've probably got a guarantee, maybe even more than just twi- Iris?" Barry turns to the woman to see her face blank, one eyebrow twitching. "Iris, are you okay?"

 

"Y-yeah, I uhm, kinda had something I wanted to tell you too," Iris says, recovering and smiling up at Barry. "I've been meaning to tell you, but with everything that's gone on, we haven't had much time to ta-"

 

BOOM

 

Barry sighs, making Iris chuckle as he stands. "I'm so sorry, Iris," Barry apologizes, raising his fist and letting the golden ring around his finger expel his suit. With a quick spin, he's in full costume.

 

"You got yourself a ring before me?" she asks, to which Barry rolls his eyes, unable to hide his smirk. He jumps slightly as she smacks his ass. "Go save the day, then we'll slow down and talk later."

 

"I love you," he says with a wave before speeding off.

 

"I know."

 

-^-

 

As Barry arrives on the scene, his face immediately scrunches up in confusion. Standing atop a broken-up car with a large weapon in hand, is a man dressed in nothing but a leotard and cape.

 

"Flash!" a voice calls from behind him, grabbing Barry's attention. Skidding to a stop, dressed in a yellow and red tracksuit, is Wally. He wears sunglasses over his eyes, ones he recognizes from Vulcan's Veggies' basement. "Glad you're here, I've gotten most of the area evacuated already, but there's still a few buildings I haven't covered."

 

Barry's confusion shifts to a smile. "Great job, Kid," Barry nods, turning to the naked man. "Did the barbarian man say anything when you arrived?

 

"Nothing, he's just been… imitating a monkey," Wally explains, pointing at the man, who slams his fists down onto the car's hood.

 

"A monkey, what the- get down!" Barry shouts, pushing Wally to the side as the man raises and fires his weapon. A beam of energy shoots out from the gun, striking the street and causing it to rupture. Barry quickly grabs Wally, jumping on and off crashed cars like stepping stones. Though he makes it free of the blast, the shockwave still hits, knocking him and Wally to the ground. Barry is quick to stand, wiping some blood from his lip.

 

"Agh!" Wally shouts, Barry turns towards the boy in horror. Curling on the pavement, Wally holds his arm, his right shoulder clearly dislocated. Dug deep in his bicep is a chunk of asphalt, dripping with blood. "My arm…"

 

Barry curses under his breath as he grits his teeth, anger boiling inside. Kneeling down he surveys the ground, searching for anything for the boy to bite down on. Finding nothing, he exhales to steel himself, holding his forearm up to Wally. "Bite down," he orders, grabbing the chunk of debris with his free hand. Wally complies, the action making Barry wince. He pushes through, pulling the debris out from Wally's arm and snapping it back in place with two quick motions.

 

Wally releases Barry's forearm, his hand shooting to his wounded arm. "I'm… I'm sorry, Fl-"

 

"Don't apologize," Barry cuts him off, extending his non bleeding arm to help Wally to a stand. "Neither of us were expecting that gun, we-"

 

"Help! Please, I'm stuck!"

 

Barry turns to the voice, spotting a man whose leg is trapped beneath a pile of rubble. He turns to Wally, noticing his wound has fully healed already. It was faster healing than his own, and it was only Wally's first time using it. "I'll help him, get the baddie!" Wally shouts, to which Barry responds with a nod. He couldn't help but smirk as Wally darts off, even in the destruction. His abilities and his spirit are truly amazing.

 

He turns his head from Wally, eyeing the villain. Lightning crackles along his body as he lowers his stance, placing both hands against the broken up ground. The gorilla man across from him is already charging another shot of the gun, its red energy building and emitting its own lightning. As he exhales, Barry takes off. Each step he takes causes a new surge of Speed Force lightning to spread around his body. He's manipulating it, each burst acting as a kickstart for his next step. Each burst makes him that much faster.

 

Wally will be faster than him. He knows it, but right now? He needs to keep getting faster. Each step he takes paves the way for him. He couldn't save Joe, or August, or his father, or Bivolo… but he can keep trying, and keep pushing forward. Barry can keep guiding and protecting him, until the day comes when he can save them.

 

Barry's fist slams into the villain's jaw, his other hand grabbing the underbarrel of the gun and aiming it into the sky. The weapon fires, it's blast lighting the mid-day sky up red. The tail end of the shockwave hits Barry, but the force is that of a gentle breeze. He quickly dismantles the gun, leaving the parts in a small pile next to the unconscious villain.

 

He'll make sure Wally is a better hero than he'll ever be.

 

-^-

 

Iris plops down onto her couch, rubbing her tired eyes. With the recent influx of super villains, she's had more work on her plate than ever. Paired with the streak of tragedies that have fallen upon them, she's dead tired at 4pm.

 

She pulls her laptop out of her bag, and begins typing notes, not for her work, but for Barry. They'd need to talk more in-depth about everything going on, but her conversation with him did bring up a few names.

 

Heatmonger, The Eradicator, Thawne, and Raijin.

 

She doesn't know who, or what Thawne is, but she knows of the others. More specifically, she knows who the villains are, and knows who the god lightning is. She knows Barry, and because of that, she knows he'll still end up pushing himself, even if they continue to talk and she continues to let him vent the way he did.

 

Her hand rests on her stomach, eyes looking down with a soft smile upon thinking of their conversation.

 

"Y-yeah, I uhm, kinda had something I wanted to tell you too. I've been meaning to tell you, but with everything that's gone on, we haven't had much time to ta-"

 

Her smile shifts to a small scowl. "There better not be more than two of you in there," she reprimands before looking back up to the laptop.

 

Hours of Iris seated at the sofa pass, hours of searching to no avail. Barry had texted her, letting her know he wouldn't be able to talk for a few days, something about following a lead to Africa. She'd definitely need to ask him about that when he got home, but for now, he'd be gone. She was fine though, she knows their talk would keep him grounded.

 

She groans, leaning back against the couch. While Barry may have found a lead to follow, her search had proved to be useless so far. Anything she could find on Creed Philips surely wasn't new information to Barry. Lucious Coolidge disappeared years ago, with anything past his disappearance being a complete mystery. The name Thawne proved to be the most prevalent, but nothing about it pointed towards any of the attacks, just a lineage of poor farmers.

 

Raijin wound up the worst of all. All she had found were folktales and descriptions of the god of lightning from mythology, but none of it proved to be helpful.

 

She's in over head. She's a journalist, and she's damn good at research, but she's not a detective. It's then when a lightbulb goes off in her mind. She begins rapidly typing, before a smirk spreads across her face.

 

"There you are."

 

-^- The Next Morning -^-

 

Iris slams the cab door shut, waving to the driver. She looks down, checking her phone, then back up at the building. "Right address," she mumbles, eyeing the apartment complex once more. It's run down, located in one of the worst parts of Keystone City. Graffiti sprayed all over the chipped brick walls, the fire escape looks like it would break if a child stood on it, and there's an ac unit hanging dangerously far outside a window, ready to drop on a pedestrian below.

 

It does fit him well, she supposes.

 

Taking cautious steps over the tipped over trash cans, she makes her way to the buzzer. She grimaces at the green stain on the panel, pressing her thumb against it with a sigh. "Hi, I'm here f-"

 

Iris is cut off by the sound of unlocking doors. She hastily removes her thumb from the buzzer, wiping it on the bottom of her blazer as she steps inside. "Not just the outside, I guess," taking note of how small, and unfurnished the building is.

 

She steps further inside, scanning the mailboxes lined on the wall. Her eyes light up as she reaches the man she's looking for, located in apartment 6E. Happy with her finding, she trots to the elevator, before freezing with an audible sigh. Her eyes shift from the sheet of paper taped to the door that reads "out of order" to the rickety staircase.

 

"The greater good," she mumbles to herself, taking one step onto the staircase, nearly falling as the plank of wood slides out of place. "Oh come on!"

 

With slow and cautious steps, Iris makes her way to the top floor of the building, then down the dimly lit hallway. "6E," she says, performing three quick knocks against the door.

 

Iris stands in silence for just under a minute before she raises her hand, ready to knock again. Luckily, the door swings open, causing a smile of relief to spread across her face. The man in front of her has a confused expression on his face. His cheeks are hollow and he has a long, beak-like nose, but his round eyes give off a kind, friendly impression. Anything else about him, whether it be his lanky bone structure, his thin fingers, or stained button up, gives off the opposite vibe entirely. Still, Iris could recognize that wavy red hair from anywhere.

 

"Hey, Ralph," she says, smiling coyly at his already darkening expression."Remember that favor you owed me?"

 

----------------------------

 

NEXT TIME: A New Hero Rises!

"I want an APB sent out immediately," Ira West shouted, rushing from his office to the CCPD breeding room. "Every available officer needs to be searching this city up and down, every damn apartment!"

 

Inside the room sat August, his eyes locked onto the floor. When paramedics arrived, he refused to be taken to the hospital, electing to have a quick patch up and be taken straight to the precinct. The gauze wrapped around his head was stained red, but it didn't bother him at the moment, his mind was occupied.

 

"Sir, everyone is already here," Patty replied with a frown. "The fire at Iron Heights was worse than Trickster's breakout; multiple wings were able to escape."

 

"Damnit…" the commissioner cursed, clenching his fist. "We need to contact Keystone, see if-"

 

"Ira!"

 

August's head final rose, looking towards the doorway. Joe stormed into the room, Flash following in behind him.

 

"What are the patrols looking like?" he demanded, his face flushed red. "Do we have any choppers out? Wh-"

 

"Joe, Joe!" Ira called out, interrupting his brother. "Take a breather, please."

 

"It's… but…" Joe mumbled, before stopping himself, breathing in deeply. "How ma… is this everyone?"

 

Ira frowned, nodding his head solemnly. "Everyone here is what we have available," he said. "Everyone else is dealing with the breakout."

 

"Ira… you… you know that- that he took him, right?" Joe whispered out, Flash placing his hand on the man's shoulder. "Him."

 

"Yes, I do. And you know how much I want that fucker's head on a block, but I can't," Ira replied, gaze shifting to the new footage of Iron Heights. "He's my nephew. I want him home, safe, but I can't just drop everything for him. As Commissioner I need to th-"

 

August quietly stood, the group in the room not taking notice of him. August watched the Commissioner's mouth continue to move, but no words could be heard. The television was running a fast food ad, but the commercial was silent. August's eyes were fixated on Ira, his fist balling at his side. He could feel his breath pass through his teeth, gritting together tightly.

 

"He's some random dealer who got shot in an alleyway, it happens everyday. We aren't dropping everything going on right now just to start an investigation for him and that's final."

 

"Detective."

 

August flinched as a red-gloved hand was placed onto his shoulder. He quickly brushed the hand off, staring at the hero in front of him. He then noticed Joe, Ira, and Patty were all looking at him as well, causing him to unclench his fist.

 

"You okay, Detective?" Flash asked with a small, endearing smile on his face. "I know you and Daniel are close, if there's anything-"

 

"You can do to help?" August interrupted, narrowing his eyes at the hero. "How about stop standing around like everyone else and go find him."

  

Flash frowned, nodding. "I'm here to get CCPD's patrol routes," he explained, looking back at the group. "Once they start sending cars out, I'll know where is getting covered. It'll help us find him faster."

 

August stayed silent, nodding lightly before stepping past Flash and out the door. He paused as he reached the hallway, looking back into the room. "You should know by now…" he said, staring into Flash's eyes, "the right way isn't the right way… not always."

 

-^-

 

You must be swift as a coursing river, (Be a man!)

 

Blue lightning bounced off Wally's body as he slid to the right, dodging the cane strike.

 

With all the force of a great typhoon, (Be a man!)

 

The next strike came rushing at Wally's head, but the boy raised his arms to block the attack.

 

With all the strength of a raging fire…

 

Wally's other hand shot up, grabbing onto the cane and pulling it free from Eddie's hands.

 

Mysterious as the dark side of the moon!

 

Spinning the object, he pointed it at Eddie's face, panting lightly as the song on the radio ended. After a moment of silence, his eyes widened, reaching forward to catch Eddie as he stumbled backwards.

 

"I'm sorry Mr. Jones," he apologized, handing the man his cane back and guiding him to the chair. "I, uh, guess it got kinda intense back there."

 

Wally was surprised to see Eddie chuckle once more, sliding his sunglasses off and placing them next to the radio. "I'm not sure what you're apologizing for, Wallace," he said, turning the radio off. "If you didn't notice, you were able to stay in complete control for three whole minutes."

 

"I… huh," Wally mumbled, sitting down next to Eddie. "I guess I did… I did! What… prompted it? The music, I mean."

 

"Heh… well, would you believe me if I said it was you?" he asked, his smile falling slightly, but becoming evermore sincere. "Remember the day I met you? Christmas at your uncle's place?"

 

"I mean, yeah," Wally said, chuckling slightly. "August hit you in the head with a snowball and you decided to join us."

 

"Yeah that's it," he said with a nod. "That day, I hated you."

 

"Huh?"

 

"For three years I just… I didn't even like looking at you," he explained, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "When Barry told me what happened with Trickster, that we'd be training you… I wanted to opt out."

 

"Wait wait wait, go back a bit?" Wally asked, a confused frown on his face. "Why did you hate me? We hardly even saw each other."

 

"I know. I made sure of that," he said, taking a deep breath. "I… I hated you because you just… you remind me of her, so much."

 

"Her?"

 

"My daughter, Colly," Eddie mumbled with his eyes closed. "Your kindness, your sass, your carefree attitude, your ability to get knocked down and get back up laughing… it was like her ghost was haunting me."

 

"That's why you call me-" Wally began, stopping as Eddie nodded. "So… so what changed? I mean, I assume you don't hate me now?"

 

"You're still a pain in the ass, but I don't…" he said smiling again. "When Barry and Jay asked for my help with that fake Clariss, when I had to use my power for the first time since she… it was like a fog in my mind cleared. You aren't some spectre looming over me with the spirit of my baby girl held hostage. You're a reminder of her. Her heart, her brain… her soul. I told Barry he was the reason I broke out of my solitude and was able to smile again. You though? You gave me something worth more than a thousand smiles, so thank you, Wally. Thank you for being you."

 

"I uh… I'm not sure exactly what to say," Wally chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

"Well I say, we head upstairs and get some grub," Eddie said, brushing away a tear before putting his glasses back on. "Once we eat, I've got something special to show you, I think you'll really like it."

 

-^-

 

The crowd roared as a man in robes performed a roundhouse kick, knocking the other to the floor with a thud. The man was quickly back on his feet, throwing a wild uppercut at his opponent. August stood in the entrance to the club, the music blasting loud and the building reeking of sweat and alcohol.

 

Goldrush: An underground night-fight club located just outside the city border. Its owner, Damion Poitier, had run the club for a decade now under the alias of Bling. Through the years Poitier accumulated wealth and power through Goldrush, making a name for himself and dipping his fingers into the CCPD as well as the KCPD.

 

August began to survey the room, searching for the head of the establishment. Poitier, more than anything, was a businessman. A businessman who made sure he knew what went on in the gem cities at all times.

 

It was a long shot, but August had no other options.

 

As he searched the dancefloor, his eyes were drawn to the bar, narrowing as he spotted the bartender. 'Is that…' he thought to himself, pushing through the crowd, confirming his suspicions as he approached the bar and taking a seat.

 

"And what will it be f-" the woman started, before gasping. "August?"

 

"Didn't know you worked here, Becky," he said, staring at the woman, dressed in a white button down with a crimson vest.

 

"Well, things happen after you don't talk to someone for five years," she responded, a slight venom in her words. "I don't think you really should know, either. What's one of CCPD's finest doing here?"

 

"I-"

 

"And that is round two, we have had a great fight on our hands so far ladies and gentlemen, it shall continue shortly!"

 

"I need information," August said, noticing the unphased look on Becky's face. "If you could point me in the direction of your boss, I'll be out of your hair."

 

"Pretty ballsy to walk in here demanding to speak to Bling," she said with a coy smirk, leaning forward on the counter. "I'm not too sure he'd enjoy me sending a cop to his doorstep."

 

"I'm not playing games, not today," August growled, causing Becky to frown. "Tell me where he is, or I'll make sure this club comes crashing down."

 

Becky sighed, crossing her arms as she pulled back from the counter. "You're not much fun anymore," she mumbled, jutting her thumb to the side. "Door behind me, it'll take you to the VIP lounge. If they ask, say you threatened me with a knife or something, 'kay?"

 

August didn't respond, stepping through the opening and past Becky through the door. He quickly made his way up the carpeted stairs, finding himself on a balcony positioned to view the arena and dance floor.

 

August spotted a plethora of mobsters, CEOs, and high ranking officials sitting at the various tables lining the balcony. It didn't take long to find his target, however, as he sat at the largest of them all. August approached the table with a quickness, his eyes locking onto Poitier's.

 

"Well, well, well," Poitier said, an invisible smile forming under his mask, "what an interesting turnup we have here. Never expected to see you in here, Detective Heart."

 

August stared at the man, who sat on the couch of the VIP lounge, scantily clad men sat around him. He was dressed in a crisp white suit, arms splayed across the back of the couch as he chuckled, a drink in one hand.

 

"Bling," August said, narrowing his eyes. "I don't have time for any bullshit, I need information."

 

"I do like someone who can cut to the chase," he said, raising his glass to August before sticking the straw through his mask and taking a sip. "You need information, I've likely got it."

 

"Eradicator, where is he?" August asked, crossing his arms, watching the man's golden eyes narrow.

 

"Eradicator…" Poitier mumbled, bringing his free hand to his chin. "Ah yes, Eradicator, good old Mr. Phillips."

 

"Well?"

 

"Well?"

 

"Where is he!?" August shouted, his fists clenching.

 

Poitier was silent for a moment, his eyes staring into August's. Then suddenly, he began to cackle, throwing his head back and holding his stomach. "Oh… oh that… that's rich," he wheezed, trying to contain his laughter. "Yo- ha. Do you think you're Batman or something? Why in the hell would I be afraid of you?"

 

"Do you want to find out!" August shouted, reaching forward and grabbing onto the man's collar. "I'm not playing around, Poitier! My family is-"

 

Suddenly, a large hand clasped onto August's shoulder, tearing him from Poitier and lifting him into the air. August began to struggle, but the grip tightened, making him groan in pain. A cold blade was pressed against his throat, the edge pressing into his skin. August's eyes shifted slightly, eyeing the man that held him up.

 

He stood tall, much taller than August's own frame. He was clad in a blue suit, pieces of silver armor covering his body. His face was rough and mean, a scar running from his cheek through his lips. The blade pressed against August's neck was attached to the man's gauntlets, the silver stained red.

 

"It seems I forgot to introduce you two," Poitier smirked, slipping the straw through his mask once more. "Razor, meet Detective Heart. Detective Heart, meet Razor, my personal bodyguard."

 

Poitier gave a slight nod, causing the large man to drop August to the ground. "You've got a supervillain working for you?" August grunted, rubbing his shoulder.

 

"I've got supervillains working for me," Poitier corrected, shooing the strippers away as he leaned forward. "Razor's good at his job, earns his paycheck and then some. Now, you wanna try being a good boy and continue our conversation?"

 

"I need to know where he is," August said, standing up from the ground. "I don't have time for your games. He has my… my brother."

 

"Yes, I know," Poitier said, nodding his head. "It would be a shame if something were to happen to Daniel. Here's the thing though, Detective. I am a businessman," he explained, placing his glass onto the table and bringing his right leg over his left. "When I do something for someone, I get something in return. If I just started handing out things, all of this wouldn't last."

 

"And Crowbar goes down! Your winner for the match, the beastly, Kung!"

 

"I've got an uneven amount of fighters tonight," Poitier said, raising his hand into his coat pocket, pulling out a stack of cash. "If someone were willing to, say… help me fill that spot…" the man's eyes narrowed, "well, let's just say I like to help my employees with their troubles."

 

August stared at Poitier, his own eyes narrowing.

 

"I can't lose anyone else either."

 

-^-

 

"Get ready folks, you won't want to miss this next matchup!" the announcer shouted, riling the crowd up.

 

August sat in the small locker room located in the back of the club. His jacket, shirt, and gun were all placed in the locker Poitier had given him. He stared at his gauzed wrapped hands, mind flooding with the events that occurred earlier that night. Eradicator beating him effortlessly, Daniel being dragged out of the house after trying to save him. His teeth grit, hard.

 

"You've seen him here before," the announcer returned, introducing his opponent. "He strikes like a winter wind, give it up for… Chillblaine!"

 

August turned to see his opponent discarding an aviator jacket into the locker. The man smacked his head a few times, before turning towards the arena.

 

"Get ready to die, piggy," Blaine said with a devious smirk before rushing out into the arena, earning a roar of applause.

 

August looked down to the bench he sat on, lifting his badge from the seat.

 

"If having this badge means I can't even help a child in need, then maybe I shouldn't have it."

 

"Facing off against Chillblaine," the announcer began, causing August to stand, throwing the badge into the locker before slamming it shut, "he's a never before seen fighter here at Goldrush. Taken straight from the other side, Detective August Heart!"

 

As August exited the locker room, he was met by a barrage of negativity. Food was thrown at him, hands tried to grab ahold of him, and insults were loud enough to drown out the music. His head stayed down, eyes locked onto the stage in front of him.

 

They could think whatever they wanted. He was here for one reason, their words didn't matter.

 

Stepping into the cage, the door was slammed shut behind him. As the lock ticked, the ref mumbled out a threat, but August was unable to decipher it. Blaine stood across from him, chatting with a woman outside the cage.

 

"Are… you… ready!?" The announcer asked, earning another roar from the crowd. "Alright! Let's get ready to rumble!"

 

The sound of a bell ringing caused Blaine to turn. August kept his head straight, eyes locked onto Blaine. He readied his fists and began to sidestep around the cage.

 

"I'm gonna kill you in here," Blaine said, taking a similar stance to August and following his movements. "Filthy fucking pig ruining my night."

 

August didn't speak, the events from earlier once again flashing through his mind. 'Powerless,' he thought to himself, narrowing his eyes.

 

Blaine charged forward with a quick jab, one August was able to block with his forearm. The man followed up quickly with a low hook, connecting with Blaine's abdomen. Blaine easily tanked the hit, responding with another two jabs, one right one left. August attempted to use the opening, but was met with a rising knee to the stomach, the force causing him to stumble. Blaine didn't let up on the attack, rushing forward with another jab and a right hook. August was able to block the first strike, but the second connected with his skull, putting him into a daze.

 

"How you like that, hog!?" Blaine shouted, sending another hook into August's head, knocking him to the ground. "Gonna be joining old Jorgy soon, fucker!"

 

Blaine brought his foot down, smashing it against August's abs, vomit spilling from the detective's mouth.

 

"Screw dad, he's not family, not real family, I mean."

 

Another stomp was against his chest, causing August's vision to darken.

 

"Real family is… well, it's the people who you care about. Not just like friends, but people who've changed and impacted your life so much that… that you'd do anything for them. People who you'd steal for, kill for… and even die for. That's what a real family is."

 

August laid on the arena's floor, Blaine's foot tauntingly hovering above his face. Blood trickled down his face, from new wounds and his cut from earlier reopened. As he watched Blaine taunt, the image of Daniel passed through his mind once more, causing a guttural cry to be ripped from his stomach.

 

August grabbed Blaine's foot in one hand and leg in the other. With all the force he could muster, he pushed in opposite directions until he heard a pop, as well as a cry from his opponent. Stumbling to a stand, he still held Blaine's now broken foot, panting. His body rushed forward as fast as it could, slamming Blaine's back against the cage. Once there, he brought his elbow crashing down onto his opponent's kneecap, attempting to break it. Blaine was quick enough to bend his knee, stopping the attempt, but drawing August in closer in the process.

 

Still holding onto Blaine's foot, August slammed his free fist into Blaine's abdomen. Blaine doubled over at the strike, allowing August to let the man's foot fall and perform a devastating uppercut. August then sent his fist into Blaine's face, smashing the blond's nose and slamming his head back into the cage. A second strike connected with his upper jaw, with a third again hitting the bridge of his nose.

 

Grabbing him by the hair, August hit him with two more quick head punches before throwing him to the ground. August quickly straddled the man's hips, his breathing erratic. Blaine raised his hands in a weak defense, but August pushed them aside, bringing his fist down. He began pounding the man's face, each strike causing another crunch, every hit staining his wraps a deeper red.

 

"Please…"

 

August paused with his fist ready to strike again. He panted heavily, a concoction of blood and sweat dripping from his chin. His eyes widened as he truly looked at the man beneath him.

 

His head was smothered in crimson, his skin torn all along his bruised face. Blood was pooling underneath him, coloring his blond hair an orange-y red. His nose was broken, his bottom lip split open, and his right eye was sealed shut.

 

With uneven breaths, placing a hand on his knee, August pulled himself to a stand. It was only now when he noticed the crowd, completely silent.

 

"A-a-and… I'm sorry," the announcer stuttered, gulping audibly. "Your winner, Detective August Heart!"

 

August looked up to the balcony as the crowd began to roar. Poitier was looking down at him, slowly clapping his hands. August could tell, even with the mask over his face, the man was smiling.

 

'It was for Daniel,' August thought, looking up into the blinding lights as he panted. 'It was for Daniel… anything for family.'

 

-^-

 

"That was a spectacular fight," Poitier said, his feet kicked up on the table, clapping as August entered the VIP lounge. "I'd say the best we've had in this place in years, at least since that blond kid with a temper came in a few years back."

 

August stood across from the man, his wounds crudely wrapped in gauze and his jacket laid over his shoulder. "Eradicator..." he mumbled, "where is he?"

 

Poitier sighed, dropping his feet to the floor. "A deal... is a deal," he said, pulling out the same stack of bills from before. "I had one of my informants follow them after they took down that building. Apparently, he and the fire fella are heading to the northern power plant. What for, beats me, but you should find them there."

 

August stared at the Poitier, the stack of cash, then back at Poitier. "Keep your damn money," he mumbled, turning away from the man.

 

"You're welcome to step into the cage again anytime, detective," Poitier called out, causing August to stop.

 

"When all of this passes," he mumbled, looking over his shoulder, "I'll be back to shut this place down."

 

"I cannot wait to see you try," Poitier chuckled, as August left Goldrush

 

-^-

 

"Nothing… we've got nothing," Joe said, slamming his fist against the wall. "What are we supposed to do!?"

 

"Joe, calm down," Barry said, placing his hand atop his shoulder. "We'll head back to CCPD and check in with Patty, I'm sure they've got some updates."

 

"I should've brought him to the station…" Joe said, his voice wobbly. "If he was there instead of home-"

 

"Nothing would've changed, Joe," Barry said, causing Joe to look at the blond. "What would've been different if you had him at CCPD instead of home?"

 

"I… I could've…"

 

"Nothing," Barry continued, giving Joe a sad smile. "You… you have to accept the things you can't change… it's the only way you can make real change."

 

"I… Yeah… I just-"

 

bzzt bzzt bzzt bzzt

 

Barry looked at Joe, confused, before tapping the wing on his cowl. "Hello?"

 

"I found Daniel, get to the Northern Power Plant, now."

 

"A-August? Wait, what? How did you? A-alright, I'll text Joe and-"

 

"Cut the act, Barry," August responded, a drive Barry had never heard before in his voice. "I know you're him. Bring Joe if you want, but get here, now."

 

As the line cut, Barry was frozen in shock. Before he could let the reveal get to him, he turned to Joe, a small, but hopeful smile on his face.

 

"August found him."

 

----------------------------

 

NEXT TIME: Faceoff! The Flash vs The Eradicator!

Creed trudges through the dense forest north of Central City. He'd been able to keep standing before, but the adrenaline had long worn off. Every part of him aches. If it weren't for Heatmonger and his fire, he doesn't think he'd have lasted against Flash. He makes a mental note to thank the pyro, if he isn't being dragged back to Iron Heights at this very moment.

  

Creed would break him out, of course, but he'd really rather not go through the trouble.

  

Pushing aside lush greenery, he finally comes to a stop at his destination. In front of him stands a small, run down church. Its walls are covered in moss, and the roof is barely visible with the foliage. Grabbing onto the handle, he pulls the tall wooden door open and slips inside. The interior doesn't fare much better than outside. Windows are broken and the ground is overgrown. There are six rows of pews on either side of the singular aisle, all leading to the altar, where an old, bald man sits. He reads scripture aloud to the few people seated.

  

"Eradicator," the gruff, but charming voice of the bald man calls out upon noticing Creed, closing the book in his hands. "Welcome back."

  

"Monger come back?" Creed is quick to ask, signing in relief at the nod he receives.

  

"Just a little while ago, in fact," the bald man confirms, stepping down from the altar. "He didn't stay long, however. He said he needed some time to himself. Did something happen?"

  

"He… burned down his old cell block… with everyone in it," Creed says, pulling off his cloak and laying it over one of the pews. "At the time I didn't think anything of it, but I was wrong."

  

"You should've seen him," a voice from the pews calls, more chipper and youthful than the bald man. "His whole 'nothing bothers me!' attitude was completely gone. Totally flipped script."

  

"Spencer," the old man sighs, shaking his head. "Please, be considerate of your comrades feelings. Both Eradicator and Heatmonger took a giant leap for us all, and it will soon pay off."

  

"Sorry, sorry," he quickly apologizes.

  

"Did he debrief with you about the… change?"

  

"Heatmonger informed me of your communion, yes," he says, placing a hand atop Creed's shoulder. "I am glad you followed through with his will. Heatmonger may be anxious, but his heart is in the right place."

  

"Yeah… I know it is."

  

"Anyhow, you deserve proper rest," he says, leading Creed towards the back of the church. "Doctor Rosso will be here in the morning to check up on your wounds. I'll also make the call to get you a new costume."

  

"Thank you, Cicada," Creed says, nodding.

  

"Do not thank me, thank Raijin."

  

-^-

  

Barry stands at the front of the room, back turned to Joe's closed casket. He scans the room, spotting a multitude of friends and family, heartbroken expressions on their faces. Eddie sits with Jay and Joan near the door, Wally and Rudy are seated beside Ira, while across from them are Daniel and Iris. His eyes lock onto the seat beside Daniel, empty.

  

"The lightning that struck him… it's unlike anything we've ever seen."

  

Barry stands outside the hospital room, Daniel by his side. Inside said room lies August, body riddled with dark burns, ones the doctors can't tell the origin of.

  

"I'm terribly sorry about this streak of bad luck, Mr. Allen," the doctor says, "and I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. West."

  

Barry nods at the man, mouthing a thank you before he departs. Barry stares through the window, biting his inner lip at the sight of his best friend.

  

"Twice…" Daniel mumbles, clenching his fist tight. Barry turns to him, frowning. "Twice he chose to save me over them… what makes me so special? Why were they forfeit over me?"

  

"Daniel…" Barry sighs.

  

"They've saved so many lives, they've brought so many bad people down," he says, slamming his fist against the wall. "What good am I!? What did I do to deserve being alive!?"

  

"You don't have to 'do' anything, Daniel," Barry says, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I can't say for certain what went on… but I know Joe and August, and neither of them would want you to be like this… putting blame on yourself."

  

"I don't care what they'd want," Daniel mumbles, shrugging Barry's hand off. "I just want them standing here, with you."

  

Barry takes a deep breath. "I would like to thank you all for being here and showing your love and support in these… these difficult times. These last couple weeks have been… tough, to say the least, so I really do mean it, thank you all for being here.

  

Barry clears his throat. "Joe wa-" he pauses, head turning to the portrait sitting beside the casket. "My father… was a hero. Whether he had his badge and hat on, or a pair of flannel pajamas, he never stopped being an inspiration to me. He took me in when I was all alone; a time where I was angry at the world and afraid of what more it could take. He saved me. He helped me on the path to recovery and helped me feel whole again after losing everything. He helped make me who I am today; my morals, my ideals, and my drive to help everyone I can." Barry exhales a deep breath. "A thousand reasons," Barry begins, smiling as a tear rolls down his face. "That's a-uh, a lullaby of sorts that my father, Henry, used to sing to me and my brother whenever we couldn't sleep. It was simple, and I think my dad was making it up as he went along," Barry chuckles, earning a few laughs in response, "but even still, 'there are a thousand reasons to wake up tomorrow.' It stuck with me, ever since I was little. I've seen a lot of things and lost a lot of people I hold dear… but I know tomorrow is waiting for us, and there are a thousand reasons we should see it, and one of them is to honor the memory of Joe West; husband, father, and hero."

  

Barry thumbs away the tear as he steps away from the casket, returning to his seat beside Daniel and Iris. He feels the sorrow radiating from Daniel's body; the mournful frown, the puffy red eyes… he's in so much pain, but Barry doesn't know what to do, what to say. He knows pain, losing his mom and Malcolm, Francine and Joe… but never has been chosen to live, and forced to watch someone he loves die.

  

His head turns to the left as an arm wraps around him. Iris smiles at him softly, a sad but sincere smile. That smile makes him feel okay, but only for a second before he frowns, turning away from her. He knows. He knows it wasn't his fault, and that no matter what he did, he could have prevented what happened.

  

His gaze shifts between the casket and the empty chair beside Daniel. He can't change the past… but if they never knew, if his identity was still a secret…

  

Maybe they'd still be here.

  

-^-

  

Creed steps out onto the cliffside about a mile out from the church, basking in the gentle spring breeze. He used to come here often, the rushing flow of the waterfall putting his mind at ease. He hadn't come in a while, however. They were too close for distractions. He figures he's earned it now, however, especially after his fight with Flash.

  

As he approaches the edge of the cliff, his eyebrow raises. Sat along the edge, one leg dangling over the drop, is Heatmonger. The man wears the white hoodie he's seen in whenever at the church, as well as dark jeans. Creed watches as the man stares at the birds flying around the waterfall's peak.

  

"It's impolite to stare," Heatmonger calls out, eyes never leaving the birds.

  

Creed walks up to the edge, taking a seat beside his partner. "When Cicada said you needed time for yourself, I didn't think he meant here," Creed says, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. "Didn't think anyone else knew about this spot."

  

Heatmonger is silent for a moment before nodding. "Saw you make your way here back when I first joined up with you guys," he explains, taking in a breath of his own. "It's… nice. Free."

  

Creed lets the silence sink in. It's hard to tell by the black reflective sunglasses he has on, but Creed is sure Heatmonger's gaze has yet to leave the birds. Nearly five years the two have been partners, but he's never seen Heatmonger like this. No quippy sarcasm, no brash confidence… but a quiet embrace of his surroundings.

  

"The birds… why're you so interested in them?" he asks, looking over at the man.

  

Heatmonger frowns, the new scar running along his cheek and lip contorting and leaking blood past the stitching. "It's nothing special, really," he says, wiping the blood off his cheek, staining his sleeve crimson. "Birds are free… nothing can hold them back."

  

Creed nods, again letting the silence take over. He too watches one of the birds as it lands atop its nest, beginning to feed its young. He doesn't need to look to see the tear running down his partner's face.

  

"You keep to yourself," Creed says, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "Everything I know about you has been learned in the present. I don't know what happened to you those years you were locked away…" he looks back at the hatchlings in the nest, "or what happened to the people you cared for… but you're my partner. I'm here if you need me."

   

-^-

  

"I didn't know what to do…" Wally mumbles, head lowered. "The storm was raging on, August was hit… and you were out cold. I dragged you all out into the mountains away from the plant, but by the time the storm ended, Heatmonger was gone, the pylons were completely liquified."

  

"Wally, you did the right thing," Barry says with a soft smile. "Saving people? It's always our first priority."

  

"Yeah but… I feel like I could've done more."

  

"You shouldn't have had to be up there in the first place," Eddie says, entering the room and taking a seat in the booth. "I'm still not even sure what happened."

  

"We're only working off theories right now," Barry says, passing the man an energy bar. "All I know is the lightning that was surrounding me was the same I saw Raijin use. I think he might have attacked us from within the Speed Force."

  

"And we think that same attack somehow jump-started my Speed Force connection," Jay explains, leaning against a table. "Either way, it still doesn't explain why the attack didn't affect Wally."

  

"I don't really get it either," Wally sighs. "One minute Mr. Jones is about to run into battle, and the next he's on the ground covered in that lightning."

  

"You said you were able to move him, right?" Barry asks, earning a nod from the boy. "Joe couldn't even touch me, it was like an electrical field around my body."

  

"What if it's his connection to the Speed Force that stopped it from reaching him?" Eddie asks, turning to look at Wally. "We know Wally's connection is stronger than any of ours, what if acted as an immunity to the attack?"

  

"That could be it… but that isn't good," Jay says with a frown. "If Raijin can take any of us down for his cronies to finish us off…"

  

"Then it's all on me…" Wally mumbles, eyes widening.

  

"I won't let it come to that," Barry says, determined. "I was able to push back against it, even if it was only a little. I'll keep getting stronger… I won't leave Wally to do this, not alone."

  

"Good, that's what I was hoping you'd say," Jay says as he steps away from the table. "We all have part to play right now, mine… just won't be here."

  

"What do you mean?" Wally asks with a raised eyebrow.

  

"Lucious, Heatmonger, he's my enemy… if he's a part of this… cult," Jay explains, pulling his jacket on, "he's my responsibility."

  

"Heatmonger killed a dozen inmates… people who were serving their time, putting in the effort to be better!" Barry protests, standing up from the booth. He clenches his fist, "He put my dad in a coma… You passed the torch to me when you accepted me as your successor. This isn't your responsibility, not anymore."

  

"You being my successor is exactly why it's still my responsibility," Jay chuckles, making Barry frown. "Listen, I have some old contacts from my JSA days; Informants, colleagues, even a few villains living the big life in retirement homes. I'll see what I can dig up about him, maybe even the others involved with Raijin. I'll make sure to be careful, but I urge you three to do the same."

  

"I don't like you going alone," Barry mumbles.

  

"These days you're never alone, not when I can pull a little dohickey out of my pocket and tell my wife goodnight," Jay says just as Barry's phone begins to buzz. "Speak of the devil."

  

"Wait, why is Joan texting him?" Wally asks, earning an exhausted sigh from Eddie. "What?!"

  

"I… I'm scared," Barry mumbles, staring down at the message. "Joe found out… and not even a month later he was… and August, he's in the hospital with no guarantee he'll ever wake up."

  

"What if telling her puts her in harm's way," Eddie cuts in, arms crossed. "That's what you were gonna say right? It probably will, especially knowing that woman. I'll bet you she's knocking on Captain Cold's door the next time he gives you the sniffles… but this ain't some highschool romance like lover boy over there. This is the woman you love, your future… you really okay lying to her? Keeping a part of yourself hidden deep inside? What happens when you drive her away? When all the lies and secrets build up until it's too much for either of you to handle.

  

"Take it from someone who knows," he says, mouth curving into a frown, "there's nothing worse than having no one when you're at your lowest."

  

Barry nods, his mouth a thin line as he stares at Eddie's solemn expression. His eyes peer down to his phone, staring at the wallpaper of himself and Iris as he contemplates what to do.

  

----------------------------

  

NEXT TIME: Revelations, New Faces, and More!

In This Picture

 

-Adam Strange

-Agent Liberty (Benjamin Lockwood)

-Alpha Centurion (Marcus Aelius)

-Amazing Man (Will Everett, III)

-Ambush Bug (Irwin Schwab)

-Anima ( Courtney Mason)

-Animal Man ( Bernhard "Buddy" Baker)

-Apache Chief

-Aquagirl (Lorena Marquez)

-Aquagirl (Tula)

-Aqualad (Jackson Hyde)

-Aquaman (Arthur Curry)

-Argent (Antonia Louise "Toni" Monetti)

-Arrowette (Bonnie King)

-Artemis (Artemis Crock)

-Artemis of Bana-Mighdall

-Atom (Al Pratt)

-Atom (Ray Palmer)

-Atom (Ryan Choi)

-Atom Smasher (Albert Rothstein)

-Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley Jr.)

-Aztek (Curt Falconer)

-B´Wana Beast ( Michael Payson Maxwell)

-Batgirl (Barbara Gordon)

-Batgirl (Cassandra Cain)

-Batman (Bruce Wayne)

-Batwoman (Katherine Kane)

-Beast Boy (Garfield Logan)

-Beautifull Dreamer

-Big Barda (Barda Free)

-Big Bear

-Black Alice (Lori Zechlin)

-Black Canary (Dinah Drake Lance)

-Black Canary (Dinah Laurel Lance)

-Black Condor (Ryan Kendall)

-Black Lightning ( Jefferson Pierce)

-Black Vulcan

-Bloodwynd

-Blue Beetle (Jamie Reyes)

-Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)

-Blue Devil (Daniel Patrick Cassidy)

-Blue Jay (Jay Abrams)

-Booster Gold (Michael Carter)

-Bouncing Boy (Jay Abrams)

-Brainiac 5 (Querl Dox)

-Bulleter (Alix Harrower)

-Bumblebee (Karen Beecher-Duncan)

-Captain Atom (Nathaniel Adams)

-Captain Marvel (Billy Batson)

-Captain Marvel Jr. (Freedy Freeman)

-Catwoman (Holly Robinson)

-Catwoman (Selina Kyle)

-Chamaleon Boy (Reep Daggle)

-Chamaleon Girl (Yera Allon)

-Citizen Steel (Nathan Heywood)

-Colossal Boy (Gim Allon)

-Comet Queen ( Grava)

-Commander Steel (Hank Heywood III)

-Cosmic Boy (Rokk Krinn)

-Crimson Avenger (Albert Elwood)

-Crimson Fox (Vivian D'Aramis)

-Crimson Fox II (Constance D'Aramis)

-Cyborg (Victor Stone)

-Cyclone (Maxine Hunkel)

-Damage (Grant Emerson)

-Dawnstar

-Deadman (Boston Brand)

-Detective Chimp

-Doll Girl ( Martha Roberts)

-Doll Man (Darrell Dane)

-Dolphin

-Donna Troy

-Dove (Dawn Granger)

-Dove (Don Hall)

-Dr. Fate (Linda Strauss)

-Dr. Fate (Nent Nelson)

-Dr. Light (Kimiyo Hoshi)

-Dr. Mid-Nite (Pieter Cross)

-Dream Girl (Nura Nal)

-Elasti Girl (Rita Farr)

-Elementad Lad (Jan Arrah)

-Elongated Man (Ralph Dibny)

-Enchantress (June Moone)

-Eradicator (David Connor)

-Etrigan (Jason Blood)

-Faith

-Ferro Lad (Andrew Nolan)

-Fire (Beatriz Da Costa)

-Firebrand (Hombre)

-Firebrand (Mujer)

-Firehawk (Lorraine Reily)

-Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond)

-Flamebird (Mary Elizabeth "Bette" Kane)

-Flamebird (Thara Ak-Var)

-Flash (Barry Allen)

-Flash (Jay Garrick)

-Flash (Wally West)

-Freedom Beast (Dominic Mndawe)

-Fury (Lyta Trevor-Hall)

-Gangbuster (Jose Delgado)

-General Glory (Joseph Jones)

-Geoforce (Prince Brion Markov)

-Godiva (Dora Leigh)

-Golden Eagle (Charley Parker)

-Goldstar (Michelle Carter)

-Grace Choi

-Green Arrow (Connor Hawke)

-Green Arrow (Oliver Queen)

-Green Lantern (Abin Sur)

-Green Lantern (Alan Scott)

-Green Lantern (Arisia Rabb)

-Green Lantern (Arkiss Chummuk)

-Green Lantern (Boodika)

-Green Lantern (Ch'p)

-Green Lantern (Gnort Esplanade G'neeshmacher)

-Green Lantern (Gur Gardner)

-Green Lantern (Hal Gordan)

-Green Lantern (Jalius Zed)

-Green Lantern (John Stewart)

-Green Lantern (Katma Tui)

-Green Lantern (Kilowog)

-Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)

-Green Lantern (Laira)

-Green Lantern (Larvox)

-Green Lantern (Mogo)

-Green Lantern (Pincess Iolande)

-Green Lantern (Salak)

-Green Lantern (Sodam Yat)

-Green Lantern (Soranik Natu)

-Green Lantern (Tomar Re)

-Guardian (Jim Harper)

-Gypsy (Cindy Reynolds)

-Halo (Violet Harper)

-Harbinger (Lyla Michaels)

-Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel)

-Harley Quinn (Duela Dent)

-Hawk (Hank Hall)

-Hawk (Holly Granger)

-Hawkgirl (Sharon Parker)

-Hawkgirl (Shiera Hall)

-Hawkman (Carter Hall)

-Hawkman (Fel Andar)

-Hawkwoman (Shayera Thal)

-Hippolyta of Themyscira

-Hourman (Matthew Tyler)

-Hourman (Rex Tyler)

-Hourman (Rick Tyler)

-Human Bomb (Andy Franklin)

-Huntress (Helena Bertinelli)

-Ice (Tora Olafsdotter)

-Ice Maiden (Sigrid Nansen)

-Indigo 1

-Invisible Kid (Jacques Foccart)

-Jade (Jennie-Lynn Hayden)

-Jericho (Joseph Wilson)

-Jesse Quick (Jesse Chambers)

-Jet (Celia Windward)

-Jhonny Quick (Johnny Chambers)

-Johnny Thunder (John L. Thunder)

-Judomaster (Hadley Jagger)

-Judomaster (Sonia Sato)

-Karate Kid (Val Armorr)

-Katana (Tatsu Yamashiro)

-Kid Devil (Eddie Bloomberg)

-Kid Flash (Bart Allen)

-Kid Quantum (Jazmin Cullen)

-Kole (Kole Weathers)

-Krypto

-Lady Blackhawk (Zinda Blake)

-Liberty Belle (Libby Lawrence)

-Lightining Lass (Ayla Ranzz)

-Lightning (Jennifer Pierce)

-Lightning Lad (Garth Ranzz)

-Lightray (Sollis)

-Manhunter (Kate Spencer)

-Mark Moonrider

-Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz)

-Mary Marvel (Mary Batson)

-Mas

-Matter Eater Lad (Tenzil Kem)

-Max Mercury (Max Crandall)

-Maxima

-Menos

-Mento (Steve Dayton)

-Mera

-Metal Men (Gold)

-Metal Men (Iron)

-Metal Men (Lead)

-Metal Men (Mercury)

-Metal Men (Platinum)

-Metal Men (Tin)

-Metamorpho (Rex Mason)

-Metron

-Mirage (Miriam Delgado)

-Misfit (Charlotte "Charlie" Gage-Radcliffe)

-Miss Martian (M'gann M'orzz)

-Mon-El (Lar Gand)

-Mr. Miracle (Scott Free)

-Mr. Terrific (Michael Holt)

-Mr. Terrific (Terry Sloan)

-Negative Man (Larry Trainor)

-Negative Woman (Valentina Vostok)

-Nemesis (Thomas Andrew Tresser)

-Nightgirl (Lydda Jath)

-Nightwing (Chris Kent)

-Nightwing (Dick Grayson)

-Obsidian (Todd Rice)

-Offspring ( Luke O'Brien)

-Omen (Lilith Clay Jupiter)

-Orion

-Phanta (Rosabelle Mendez)

-Phantom Girl (Tinya Wazzo)

-Phantom Lady (Sandra Knight)

-Phantom Stranger

-Plastic Man (Patrick O'Brien)

-Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley)

-Polar Boy (Brek Bannin)

-Power Boy

-Power Girl (Kara Zor-L)

-Prysm (Audrey Spears)

-Question (Charles Victor Szasz)

-Question (Renee Montoya)

-Ragman (Rory Regan)

-Ravager (Rose Wilson)

-Raven (Rachel Roth)

-Red Arrow (Roy Harper)

-Red Hood (Jason Todd)

-Red Tornado (Abigail Mathilda "Ma" Hunkel)

-Red Tornado (John Smith)

-Robin (Demian Wayne)

-Robin (Tim Drake)

-Robotman (Cliff Steele)

-Rocket Red (Dimitri Pushkin)

-S.T.R.I.P.E. (Pat Dugan)

-Saint Walker

-Samurai

-Sandman (Sanderson Hawkins)

-Sandman (Wesley Dodds)

-Saturn Girl (Imra Ardeen)

-Sensor Girl (Projectra Wind'zzor)

-Serafin

-Shadow Lass (Tasmia Mallor)

-Shinning Knight (sir Justin)

-Shrinking Violet (Dirk Morgna)

-Silver Sorceress (Laura Neilsen)

-Skeetz

-Spectre (Jim Corrigan)

-Speedy (Mia Dearden)

-Spoiler (Stephanie Brown)

-Star Sapphire (Carol Ferris)

-Star Sapphire (Fatakity)

-Star Sapphire / Cowgirl (Jill Pearlman)

-Starfire (Koriand'r)

-Stargirl (Courtney Whitmore)

-Starman (Jack Knight)

-Starman (Prince Gavyn)

-Starman (Ted Knight)

-Starman (Thom Kallor)

-Static (Virgil Ovid Hawkins)

-Steel (John Henry Irons)

-Steel (Natasha Irons)

-Strange Visitor (Sharon Vance)

-Sun Boy (Dirk Morgna)

-Superboy Kon-El)

-Supergirl (Cir-El)

-Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)

-Supergirl (Linda Danvers)

-Superman (Kal-El)

-Superman (Kal-L)

-Supernova (Daniel Carter)

-Superwoman (Kristin Wells)

-Swamp Thing (Alec Holland)

-Tasmanian Devil (Hugh Dawkins)

-Tempest (Garth)

-Terra (Atlee)

-Terra (Tara Markov)

-The Creeper (Jack Ryder)

-The Ray (Ray Terrill)

-Thunder (Anissa Pierce)

-Thunderbolt (Yz)

-Timber Wolf (Brin Londo)

-Tomorrow Woman (Clara Kendall)

-Triplicate Girl (Luornu Durgo)

-Triumph (William MacIntyre)

-Ultra Boy (Jo Nah)

-Uncle Marvel (Dudley H. Dudley)

-Uncle Sam

-Vibe (Paco Ramone)

-Vigilante (Greg Saunders)

-Vikin

-Vixen (Mari Jiwe McCabe)

-Waverider (Matthew Ryder)

-White Witch (Mysa Nal)

-Wildcat (Ted Grant)

-Wildcat (Tom Bronson)

-Wildcat (Yolanda Montez)

-Wildebeast

-Wildfire (Drake Burroughs)

-Wonder Girl (Cassandra Sandsmark)

-Wonder Twin (Jayna of Exor)

-Wonder Twin (Zan of Exor)

-Wonder Woman (Princess Diana)

-Xs (Jenni Ognats)

-Zatanna ( Zatanna Zatara)

-Zatara (Giovanni "John" Zatara)

-Zatara (Zachary Zatara)

-Zauriel

 

-^- West Residence, 1986 -^-

 

"Mama, I'm hungry!"

 

Francine smiled at her son, Daniel, sprawled out on the floor in his footie pajamas. Barry sat beside him, chuckling lightly at the expression his brother was making.

 

"Well, Daniel," Francine said, looking at the clock on the TV stand, "your father said he'd be home by seven with dinner. I didn't make him half an hour late, you'll need to take it up with him."

 

"Ughhhh…." Daniel groaned, causing both Francine and Barry to laugh. "Stop laughing at me!"

 

"I'm sorry," Barry said, trying to hold back his giggles. "It's just, you're drooling onto the carpet."

 

"Don't be sorry, Barry," Francine said, laughing loudly. "You should've seen him as a baby, drool was everywhere, all the time."

 

"No baby stories…" Daniel groaned once more, flipping onto his stomach, pretending to swim. "Can we go swimming tomorrow? We can bring August and Barry's 'little girlfriend' Iris."

 

"M-my what!?" Barry shouted out, turning red. "Sh-she's not my… I'm n-not, what!?"

 

"Nope," Daniel said, performing a backstroke, pointing at a laughing Francine. "Mama says it."

 

"F-Francine!?"

 

"I didn't think I raised a tattletale, but-"

 

Ding Dong

 

"Dong ding!" Daniel shouted out at the sound of the doorbell, sitting up right.

 

"Your father probably ordered a pizza for us," Francine said, standing from the couch. "Let me go get my purse."

 

"Barry, I want four," Daniel mumbled, copying how Barry leaned against the couch. "You and Mama can split the rest."

 

"You're about the size of four slices," Barry said, earning a smack from Daniel, making Barry laugh. "Okay, okay, sorry."

 

Crack

 

Barry's head turned towards the door, tilting slightly to the side. "Did you hear that?" he asked, looking down at Daniel, who shook his head. "I'll… answer the door, just so they know we're home."

 

"M'kay," Daniel said, turning back to the television.

 

Barry lifted himself from the carpet, padding towards the front door. He stopped at the window to look outside, but it was already too dark to really see. Returning on his path, he noticed something odd as he reached the door. The metal knob had cracks running along it, cracks that spread from the brass all throughout the door.

 

"Uh… Francine?" he called, taking a step back as more cracks formed, spreading quickly, as if the wood was freshly shattered glass. "The… the door?"

 

"Tell him just a minute, Barry," she responded, pulling her phone from her purse. "Joe just texted me, probably telling me how much it'll be."

 

"Sorry, lost track of time. Getting Belly Burger, be home soon. Love you."

 

Francine's eyebrow raised as she viewed the text.

 

Barry took another step back, eyes widening as the door's wood began to fall apart, each chunk turning to dust before it could even hit the floor. As cracks began to spread onto the doorframe, the door itself crumbled into a pile of ash. Barry's world froze as the barrier between himself and outside was removed. His body trembled as a shadowy figure stood in the doorway, its eyes glowing a blood red.

 

"Not again…" he shakily mumbled, tears already running down his cheeks. He stumbled backwards, tripping over his own feet and landing on the ground. "Please not again…"

 

Francine quickly rounded the corner, gasping as her eyes met the intruder's. Her eyes trailed to Barry, who was trembling on the ground, frozen in fear. Daniel was beginning to cry, running from the living room to hold onto her leg.

 

"B-Barry!" she called, dropping to a knee behind him. "Barry, you need to get up, now!"

 

The figure stepped inside the house, revealing his red and black suit, a golden mask covering his face. His hand latched onto the doorframe, the wood crumbling to dust almost instantly.

 

"Francine West…" he mumbled, taking another step towards the three.

 

"Barry!" Francine shouted once more, turning his head to look at her. "Listen to me, Barry. You need to get out of here with Daniel, now! Save him!"

 

Barry's eyes shifted between Francine and Daniel. His constricted pupils watched the tears falling from the younger boy's eyes. Tears like his own.

 

"O-okay…" he mumbled, bringing himself to a wobbly stand. He bit his lip as he picked Daniel up, one arm sliding under his legs and the other pressed against his back. "I… I won't let him get hurt…"

 

"I know you won't," Francine said, smiling at the boy. "Now go, I love you both."

 

"Mama!" Daniel screamed, reaching out to her, his other hand gripping tightly onto Barry's shirt. "Mama no!"

 

"Run, Barry!" Francine yelled, pointing towards the backyard. "Run!"

 

As she yelled, she tore the lamp from its socket and threw it at the costumed man. The intruder simply raised his hand, smacking the lamp away and turning it to dust before it could hit the floor. Francine turned, stumbling into the kitchen. She snatched any object she could, throwing pots, pans, and plates at the man, but each was either dodged or caught and turned to ash.

 

"What are you!?" she screamed, eyes shifting to see Barry and Daniel running through the backyard towards the alleyway.

 

"I am the one who will purify this world," the man said, inching closer to the woman.

 

Francine's heart raced, she looked around the kitchen, before spotting a knife in the sink. "Wh-what… what do you want!?" she asked, slowly moving towards the blade. "I did nothing!"

 

"What you did doesn't concern me. I abide by his will, and only his m-"

 

Francine screamed as her hand grabbed the steak knife and drove it towards her attacker. The man, however, reacted too quickly, raising his hand to stop the blade. Francine's heart dropped as the metal crumbled into dust on the floor. The same hand that had decayed the blade then reached forward, grabbing the woman by the neck and lifting her into the air.

 

"Mama!" Daniel cried from outside, watching as his mom's skin began to crack, until her body exploded into chunks.

 

-^- West Residence, 2002 -^-

 

"Mama!"

 

Daniel jolted up from bed, sweat dripping down his body and his chest rising and falling rapidly. He gulped down the bottle of water sat next to him, before pulling away from the bottle and heaving harder than before. His eyes peered down to the alarm clock sitting on his nightstand.

 

"Five…" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Might as well."

 

Flipping the blanket off his body, he slid his legs off the side of the bed, feeling the hardwood underneath him. His arm ran along his forehead, wiping away the copious amount of sweat before he stood up. Trekking into the bathroom, he stared into the mirror.

 

He knew it would happen soon, it happened every year. The same night would be remembered vividly in his mind. Every year he'd wake up covered in sweat, heart pounding like he was six years old again.

 

Tomorrow was the anniversary of his mother's death.

 

-^- Iron Heights Penitentiary

 

Barry slid into the visitor chair with a joyous grin on his face. On the other side of the partition sat his father, a confused smile on his face. Both quickly grabbed onto the phones on the wall.

 

"What happened?" "You're gonna be free!"

 

Both paused for a moment before beginning to laugh. Barry could feel tears building in his eyes, but he didn't care. They were happy tears, the first in a long time.

 

"You can go," Henry said, tears of his own forming. "I'm very confused right now."

 

"You… you were proven innocent! You can finally come home… they found evidence and you're innocent…" Barry said, his bottom lip quivering and a shaky breath slipping out of his mouth. Tears fully fell from Barry's eyes as his head fell. "You're innocent."

 

Henry smiled at his son, barely keeping his own composure. "So… how'd they manage that?" he asked, watching as Barry wiped his nose.

 

"They… the Flash… he found the killer," Barry mumbled, taking a deep breath. "He… he recorded the confession… the man in yellow, Reverse Flash."

 

"You… you really did see him… all this time?"

 

"I… I did."

 

"Guess the state should learn to trust a bit better, huh?" Henry said with a chuckle.

 

"You… you aren't mad?" Barry asked, looking up at his father.

 

"Mad? Why would I be mad, I'm ecstatic!"

 

"No… I don't mean you getting out…"

 

"About the conviction?" Henry asked back, with a small sigh. "It's the past now."

 

"But… you lost so much time," Barry said, his fist clenching tightly. "You missed out on… everything in your life. You've had the murders of Mom and Malcolm painted all over you… your reputation as a doctor was ruined. People turned their backs on you… you should be furious!"

 

"I'm more angry that my son was considered delusional for his entire childhood," Henry said with a frown.

 

"It's not about me-"

 

"Of course I'm mad that I missed things in my life and yours…" Henry said, cutting Barry off, "but it they aren't over, Barry. You still have so much life to live, and from now on I'll be a part of it, not a spectator behind a wall of glass."

 

Barry's hand covered his mouth as he breathed heavily, more tears falling from his eyes. "That's… that's all I ever wanted," he mumbled behind his hand. "I can't wait for you to meet everyone."

 

"If they're you're friends and family, they've gotta be the best of the best," Henry said, smiling at the blond. "Now… any thoughts about some little Barry's? Twins run in the family, you know?"

 

-^- Vulcan's Veggies -^-

 

"Bumping it up to speed fifteen," Eddie said, tapping a key on the large computer.

 

In front of him, running on a large, red treadmill was Wally, blue lightning sparkling off his body. The basement of Vulcan's Veggies, previously used to house merchandising and advertising, had been completely revamped to be a training room for Wally. Multiple pieces of training equipment had been salvaged from the JSA's old headquarters by Barry and Jay over the last week, more than enough to properly train Wally.

 

"Y'know, I feel like fifteen is too slow," Wally said, keeping a steady pace with ease. "I can go a lot faster, we should try bumping it up to twenty, maybe twenty-five?"

 

"Take a step faster than you're supposed to and I'll blast you," Eddie warned, a golden glow flashing behind his glasses. "This is not show off for every girl you're trying to hook up with, it's a baseline test, Wallace."

 

"Names still Wally," he corrected, looking down at the man, but not letting up his pace, "and I've actually been in a very committed relationship for like, five years now."

 

"I'm sorry for her," Eddie mumbled, tapping a few keys.

 

"Sorry!?"

 

"This is… interesting, to say the least," Eddie said with a hand rubbing his chin. The man typed a few words, pulling up baseline tests both Barry and Jay did once the equipment was properly moved.

 

"I guess I'll be ignoring the other comment," Wally sighed. "What's up? Something wrong with my speed?"

 

"The lightning you're generating, I always thought it was strange," Eddie said, dragging Barry's tests and lining them up next to Wally. "Every one of us; Jay, Barry, Myself, even Johnny Quick… all of us got golden lightning. Every one of us but you and Whip Whirlwind."

 

"Maybe it just comes in different colors?" Wally asked. "I mean, Rival and that Reverse Flash guy both had red, right?"

 

"Except Thawne said he is connected to the Negative Speed Force, and Clariss was all artificial," Eddie said, eyes widening as Wally's statline registered next to Barry. "The blue lightning is different… it's a stronger connection to the Speed Force."

 

"Huh?"

 

"I'm saying… your tests… you're faster than Barry."

 

Wally's eyes opened wide, his concentration breaking completely. He took one faulty step, losing his footing on the treadmill and flying backwards into the padded wall of the basement.

 

"Wallace!" Eddie shouted, turning the treadmill off and rushing over to the boy, crumpled on the ground. "I told you not to change your speed!"

 

"It's… ow, Wally…" he groaned, pushing himself up. "You… you said I'm faster? Faster than Barry?"

 

"If your baseline speed is anything to go off of…" Eddie began, looking back at the monitor, "you're gonna be a helluva lot faster."

 

-^- Central City Police Department -^-

 

"So… this original timeline… you didn't mention… this."

 

Joe was seated as he stared at the evidence board of the Eradicator setup in Barry's lab. Countless threads pinned together, photos of victims tacked on with clippings from each case. None could be connected, however. Not a single detail shared between each victim.

 

"I… I didn't know how to tell you…"

 

"That Eradicator was never meant to kill Francine," Joe said, frowning as he stared at the photo of the woman. "That he was… supposed to commit suicide? How do we know Thawne was telling the truth?"

 

"I was… skeptical too. So, when me and Jay were collecting his and Eddie's old equipment, I used the old JSA mainframe," Barry said, handing a folder of information to Joe. "It's still more advanced than anything we have available, so I thought maybe I could find some things we couldn't. Turns out… there's been information hidden, blacklisted from every possible outlet. Hell, the only reason they still had it on there-"

 

"He was being considered as a recruit…" Joe mumbled, staring at the information in the folder. "Jay didn't know?"

 

"No, neither did Eddie, it was after they both left," Barry explained, turning his head to the board. "He was… a hero, or… a vigilante, I guess. They thought his methods could be refined and turn him into a proper hero… but he murdered an innocent and went dark. It was the same year the JSA disbanded."

 

"That was… a year before…" Joe sighed, closing the file and handing it back to Barry. "So something changed in him? Stopped him from taking himself out?"

 

"Yeah, and if we can find out what that is…" Barry said, tacking the file to the evidence board, "we'll be one step closer to figuring out what broke the timeline."

 

"Yeah… one step closer."

 

"Joe…"

 

Barry raised his hand to comfort the man, but was interrupted by a searing blue light that shined brightly through the windows. Barry and Joe shielded their eyes, both groaning due to the irritation. As the light dulled down, Joe rubbed his eyes fiercely, while Barry immediately ran to the window, eyes widening as he stared outside.

 

"What the hell was that?" Joe cursed, blinking rapidly and joining Barry. "What the…"

 

Across the city, miles away, was a swirling vortex of blue flames. The cloud of ash above the area looked as if a volcano had erupted, blocking out all the light from the moon and stars in favor of the tornado of flames.

 

"That's Central City General," Barry mumbled, staring into the cerulean cyclone as he slid a golden ring onto his finger.

 

"You don't think it's Rory, do you?" Joe asked, turning to Barry, who was already turning to leave.

 

"No, I don't," he mumbled, running his thumb along the lightning crest on the jewelry, "but I'm gonna find out."

 

----------------------------

 

NEXT TIME: Eradication!

Barry stood rigid, eyes wide as he stared at the man in front of him. His heart was beating faster than normal, and sweat coated his skin like it was clothing.

  

"Th-the man… in yellow…" he mumbled, tears building up in his ducts. "You're… you're the one who…"

  

"What's wrong, Barry?" the man asked, smiling menacingly at Barry. "Lost for words?"

  

Everything around Barry fell silent. His heart rate felt even faster than before and he clutched his chest. His body swayed from side to side as his world shook. Every image from that day flooded his mind. No nightmare he'd experienced since then had matched up to what he felt now. He was shrinking. The world around him had changed to pale beige walls and a cheap carpet. His backpack hung over his shoulder as the man in yellow cackled in front of him.

  

"Barry. Barry!"

  

His eyes were wide, his breathing sporadic. A firm hand grabbing onto his shoulder broke him from the trance, his head turning to see Jay's concerned face.

  

"Barry, calm down," he said, giving the blond a reassuring smile. "You're okay…"

  

Barry swallowed, taking a deep breath. "I… I'm fine…" he mumbled.

  

Jay's head turned back to the man in yellow. "Who the hell are you," he asked, narrowing his eyes.

  

"My name is Eobard Thawne," he said, motioning to his suit, "the Reverse Flash."

  

"And you're the murderer of Nora and Malcolm Allen?" Jay asked, unphased by the name reveal.

  

"Of course I killed Nora and Malcolm," Thawne said, looking at Barry, "the blood was a pain to get out of my gloves."

  

Barry peered up at the man, nothing but red hot hatred in his eyes.

  

"And Clariss?"

  

"Hmm?"

  

"Clariss… why?" Jay asked, head tilting downwards, his helmet shielding his eyes. "Why impersonate him?"

  

"Oh, that," Thawne mumbled, tapping his temple. "Why not bring back some bad memories? You're the one who gave me the idea… back at Barry's old house."

  

"You… you did it to mess with me? With my head?" Jay asked, noticing Barry trembling slightly. "Why would you want to?"

  

"Simple," he said, his smile falling. "I hate you."

  

"I've never met you," Jay said, "how could you-"

  

"Why?"

  

Both Thawne and Jay turned to Barry. "Oh come on," Thawne began, his smile spreading once again. "You-"

  

"Why!?" Barry shouted, tears running from his sealed eyes. His fists clenched tight as his teeth grit. "Why did you kill them!? What did they do to you!? Tell me!"

  

"It isn't about them, Barry," Thawne said, walking forward. "Never was."

  

"Then why!?"

  

"You, Barry. You're the reason why."

  

"I was ten years old…"

  

"Not you then… you…" Thawne paused, bringing his hand to stroke his chin. "Actually, a visual demonstration may work better."

  

In an instant Barry felt Thawne's hand wrap around his throat, lifting him into the air. The world around Barry disappeared, replaced with flashing red lightning in a void of darkness. Mere moments later, his body skid across a rooftop, his back slamming against the parapet.

  

His vision was blurry, but he felt different. The air was thinner and smelled new. The rooftop lacked any type of texture, and the sky was a deep lavender.

  

"Where…" he mumbled, noticing the sting from hitting the wall wasn't healing.

  

"Are we?" Thawne said, cutting Barry off. The man stood above the blond, looking out over the parapet. "The future."

  

"What…" Barry mumbled, turning to see the small barrier he'd hit was see-through, a holographic wall. Looking past it, his eyes widened. Everything looked ripped from a science fiction movie. Buildings were sleek, roads hovered in the air, accompanied by cars floating off the ground. "This is a trick. How are we here?"

  

"You don't know a thing about the Speed Force, Barry," Thawne said, looking down at Barry. "Any of the forces, really."

  

"Any of the… what are you saying?"

  

"You're supposed to be smart," he sighed, pointing out into the city. "The year is 2475. I'm from the future.

  

"I… your lies don't matter to me!" Barry shouted, leaping up and swinging at Thawne. Barry cried out as his arm was twisted, snapping like a twig. Thawne's boot came crashing down onto Barry's ankle, breaking it as well.

  

Barry tumbled to the ground, holding back tears. "You're… so fast," he mumbled watching as his arm remained the same. "Why… why can't I heal?"

  

"Both are due to the tachyons I used to make such a far time jump," Thawne said, pulling his mask off. "They don't do much to those with a Speed Force connection, but when combined with the Negative Speed Force, they amplify my speed tenfold. As for the healing, they slow both of ours down, at least when travelling through time."

  

"Why? Why kill them?" Barry groaned,propping himself up on the holo-wall. "They were innocent people!"

  

"Like I told Garrick back there," Thawne said, crouching down to be face-to-face with Barry, peeling back his cowl. "I hate you. Even more than him."

  

"I've never met you!" Barry yelled, struggling against Thawne, who held Barry by his hair. "How can you hate me!"

  

"What don't you get, Barry?" Thawne asked, flicking Barry on the forehead, leaving a mark. "I'm from the future. I have met you… a future version at least."

  

"What could have possibly done… that warranted the murder of my mom!? Of my brother!?" Barry asked, tears falling down his face.

  

"Not much," Thawne said, the malicious stare fading into one almost blank, void of any emotion. "You broke me."

  

Thawne let go of Barry's hair. Barry sat stunned, horrified by the lifelessness he'd seen in the man. Gulping down his fear, he turned his head, looking up at the man. "If this is the future… why'd you bring me here?" Barry asked, watching as Thawne pointed out into the city.

  

"I needed to check something," Thawne said, grabbing onto Barry's shoulder. "Thought it would be a fun tagalong adventure.

  

The speed Thawne moved at was incomprehensible to Barry. It felt like he'd been instantly transported from the rooftop to the inside of a building. He found himself laying face first on the marble flooring. Lifting himself up and stumbling to a seated position, his eyes widened. The building he was inside was some type of museum, but dedicated to… himself.

 

Portraits and statues of himself, Jay, Wally, and even his villains were scattered around the room.

  

"Where… are we?" He asked, staring at the various battle dioramas with himself and villains.

  

"This is the monument to your legacy," Thawne said, standing in front of the largest display, featuring Barry facing a large, armored gorilla. "The world created this when you sacrificed your life to save the multiverse. Infinite Earths of gratitude all for you."

  

"Sacrificed… multiverse?" He asked, his eyes moving from the gorilla to Thawne.

  

"The Justice League had many losses in the war, but none greater than yours," Thawne said, walking past Barry.

  

Barry leaned back against the gorilla statue, his good hand holding his broken arm. "Why are you… telling me this?" Barry grunted, breathing heavily. "Won't this… change something?"

  

"No," Thawne mumbled, looking at another statue, one featuring Barry and the Eradicator. "Things have already changed."

  

"What?"

  

"This isn't the Flash Museum, not from my time," Thawne said, pointing to the Eradicator. "Eradicator, for example, was a vigilante who killed himself when he accidentally murdered an innocent man. That took place a decade before you became the Flash."

  

"What are you talking about… Eradicator is a murderer," Barry said, gritting his teeth. "He killed Francine West!"

  

"That! That is what I'm talking about!" Thawne shouted, turning to Barry. "Things have changed! Key figures wiped from existence or changed completely with others shoved in their place. It isn't set either, I've visited four times since I murdered Nora, and everytime it's different. I thought my introduction would correct things… but it's all changed again."

  

"Yet, you're still here… it means you-" Barry began, before he paused, a darkness falling over his eyes. "It means you have ancestors in my time… I can… I just have to-"

  

"What are you gonna do, Barry? Kill them?" Thawne asked, causing Barry to freeze. "Would you really kill an innocent woman for something her descendent does four centuries later? I doubt you'd do it if she were a serial killer."

  

Barry fell back, his hand returning to his broken arm. "I'll… convince her not to," he mumbled.

  

"It won't do you any good, I have contingencies for that," Thawne said, stepping away from Barry. "Not that it would matter either way, there'll always be a reverse, whether it's Zoom, Inertia, Godspeed… even your own… actually, I'd prefer you witness him first hand."

  

"You aren't gonna kill me?" Barry mumbled, ignoring the list of names and looking up at Thawne.

  

"You can't die, Barry," Thawne said, pulling his cowl over his head. "If you do, the timeline wouldn't just be fractured, the Multiverse itself would be lost. You have to live, or the universe dies."

  

"I'm going to find a way to stop you," Barry said, groaning as Thawne grabbed onto his broken arm.

  

"That's great, Barry, really," Thawne said, speeding off with Barry once again.

  

Barry watched as he reentered the void, red lightning bouncing around the duo. His body was thrown against the ground, rolling onto the freshly cut grass. Barry recognized the home, Joe's.

  

"You brought me… back?" Barry asked, looking up at Thawne.

  

"We both have problems to deal with right now," Thawne said, rushing forward and snapping Barry's other elbow, causing him to cry out. "I'll be back whenever I can find the root cause of the timeline changes. Until then, I hope you keep an eye on your 'brother'... someone should."

  

The sound of the door opening caught Barry's attention. His eyes widened as Joe stepped out, pistol ready. The pistol lowered as his eyes locked onto the blond's.

  

"Barry…"

  

In an instant, Thawne disappeared, vanishing into nothingness, leaving behind a trail of red lightning. "I… wanted to tell you," he mumbled as his eyelids suddenly became heavy, his healing kicking back in. "I'm sorry…" Barry watched Joe rush down the porch as his vision faded. His last sight being his father, before everything went black.

  

-^-

  

Jay returned to his home, his heart beating fast. He'd received a call from his wife that Joe West had appeared at their doorstep with Barry. The hero burst through the door, spotting Joe and Joan on the sofa.

  

"Where is he," Jay shouted, looking at the two. "Is he okay, I-"

  

"Jay, honey," Joan said, moving towards him and cupping his face. "Barry is fine, he's hurt, but not nearly as bad as last time. He's sleeping upstairs."

  

Jay looked at Joan, then shifted his gaze to the stairs. Taking a deep breath, he looked back at Joan. "Right… he's okay," he mumbled, following Joan to the couch, her taking the recliner. "Joe I'm… I'm sorry… this should never have happened, let alone twice."

  

"It isn't on you, Jay," Joe said, staring into the glass of water he held. "I should've figured it out sooner. He was struck by a bolt of lightning and as soon as he woke up, The Flash appeared. I mean, c'mon?"

  

"Trust me, it isn't as easy to piece together as you may think," Jay said, giving Joe a soft smile. "I had a lot of friends back in the day who kept their identities hidden from their loved ones for decades. They were even more obvious than making your motif a lightning bolt after getting hit by one."

  

"I know, I just… I should've known… as his father," Joe mumbled, taking a small drink. "Can you… give me a rundown? On everything that's gone on? I… I just need to know."

  

"I can do that for you," Jay said, smiling once more, "though you may have a tough time believing it all, I still do."

  

Joe sat in awe as Jay explained the origin of he and Barry's powers, the history of the Speed Force, and the tribulations Barry had gone through thus far.

  

"That's why he was acting differently…" Joe said, sighing. "If he'd just told me what happened to Bivolo… I could've helped him work through it."

  

"I don't think you could've," Jay said, frowning slightly. "Me and Eddie both tried, but that kind of event is hard to overcome. It took him saving Wally to be at peace… oh, right…"

  

"What's wrong?"

  

"Well… Barry, he isn't the only one who got speed recently," Jay said, rubbing the back of his neck. "When Barry had saved Wally, he wasn't able to pull him from the deathtrap Jesse made. He had to… take a gamble."

  

Joe tilted his head to the side, before his eyes widened. "Wally was hit by lightning too…" Joe said, watching as Jay nodded. "That's why Barry ran to his CCPD… he recreated the accident. Has Wally been out there!?"

  

"No, don't worry," Jay said, raising his hands reassuringly. "Me and Barry made sure he only uses speed with us under supervision. He's getting a part-time job at Eddie's so the three of us can train him. Thoroughly."

  

"Train him for what!?" Joe shouted, standing up. "Did you see what happened to Barry just now!? He passed out on my lawn with two broken arms and a broken leg!"

  

"Joe, listen. We aren't training him to send him out into combat, that's not at all what we're doing," Jay explained as Joe sat back down. "We aren't going to just let him run out and be a superhero, but you know Wally, the moment he's an adult…"

  

"He'll go out to help people no matter what we say," Joe said, sighing. "That's the Wests for you."

  

"That's why we're training him," Jay said, smiling at Joe once more. "When the day comes that Wally blossoms, he'll be ready."

  

"I… I get it," Joe said with a nod. "Just… just make sure he knows everything all three of you know and then some."

  

"You have my word, Joe."

  

"Alright… so, what was that thing?" Joe asked, looking at Jay. "The one that hurt Barry?"

  

Jay was silent for a moment, staring down at his hands. "He called himself Eobard Thawne… the Reverse Flash," Jay explained with a sigh. "He… he was the man who murdered Nora and Malcolm Allen."

  

"What did you just say?"

  

"I… I still don't get it either. He didn't say much before he dragged Barry off… I did, however," he said, reaching into his pocket, and pulling free a small device, "get this."

  

"Who the hell are you?"

  

"My name is Eobard Thawne, the Reverse Flash."

  

"And you're the murderer of Nora and Malcolm Allen?"

  

"Of course I killed Nora and Malcolm, the blood was a pain to get out of my gloves."

  

Joe stared at the recorder in Jay's hand, his eyes wide like saucers. "That… that's a confession…" Joe mumbled, unable to move his gaze. "Henry was innocent this whole time… does Barry-"

  

"No, not yet," Jay said, smiling again. "I didn't know if I'd be able to pull it off, so I didn't want his hopes to go up. Whatever this Thawne person did… at least Barry will wake up to good news."

  

Joe smiled, wiping a tear from his eye. "Yeah… yeah he deserves that," Joe said, sniffling. "He deserves that a lot."

  

-^- The Next Day, Vulcan's Veggies -^-

  

"He… he told me that our timeline was… wrong," Barry said, rubbing his eyes. "That something was changing how events were meant to play out."

  

Barry took a sip of the coffee sitting in front of him, before looking back up to the three older men around him. His eyes lingered on Joe, but he couldn't make eye contact. Not after what he'd learned.

  

"Time travel by runnin' fast," Eddie mumbled, leaning back in his chair. "That's batshit crazy, even for us."

  

"There's so much we don't know…" Jay said, jotting down what Barry had said on a notepad. "I mean, there's a Negative Speed Force? More 'Forces' beyond that? Time travel doesn't seem too far-fetched."

  

"And… he said you sacrifice yourself for the world?" Joe asked, his words laced with concern.

  

"Not the world, every world," Barry said, rubbing the back of his neck. "The Multiverse is… apparently real."

  

"Of course it is," Eddie mumbled, standing from his chair. "I'm gonna go make sure everything is ready for Wallace tomorrow."

  

"His name is Wally," Barry sighed.

  

"Well, that's a dumb name."

  

Barry watched as Eddie walked into the backroom, leaving the three alone in the restaurant. "I should really get going too," Barry said, looking between Joe and Jay. "The Thawne stuff… I'll have to think about it later. The city has been without me for a few days now, I should really do a-"

  

"Barry, wait just a minute," Joe said, stopping Barry. The blond tilted his head to the side, watching as Joe slid a small black object onto the booth.

  

"Is that a wire?"

  

-^- Two Weeks Later, Waid Overlook, 1:19 AM -^-

  

"Finally," the man in a white suit said, blue embers falling from his hands. "This has been the longest three years of my life!"

  

"That's a long life to go off of," another man in a tattered red cloak responded. "Sure you aren't stretching it?"

  

"I've waited three years to get a crack at old red," the first said with a chuckle, slamming his fist into his palm. "Now I finally get to take him down."

  

"That isn't our mission," the second said, securing a golden mask to his face and pulling the cloak's hood over his head. "It's taken three years for the time to be right, Cicada needs us to succeed, or we could be pushed back another century."

  

"Yeah but he doesn't factor in at all," the first man said with a sigh. "It doesn't matter what I do with him, right?"

  

"Your job is to create a distraction tonight," the first said, looking back at his partner. "You do that, and I'll worry about the hard part."

  

The two men stared out from the cliff side, watching the lit-up Central City.

  

"All for Raijin."

 

----------------------------

 

NEXT TIME: A Night Never Forgotten

This is No. 583 in the series of figurative art

 

this artwork is the ancient Mecha robot known As old Uncle J.O.E WIP satage 2 (Junk Orange Eradicator) known for its slow but reliable bursting of the orange-meanies ButtCons ( toy model composite custom build and paint”

 

It is based on this ex-robot: flic.kr/p/2pVoXjP

 

Medium/media: mixed media, toys, bits, acrylics, plastic, metal and more

 

Peace and Noise!

 

/ MushroomBrain a mechanized artist toying about

 

So, as I've mentioned before I used to share a Flickr account with my brother which was called: Chaos Son of SoS or Chaos & SoS, which worked well since he hardly used it. So the account became my little niche and shit started getting confusing once he started posting often. So here we are, we've divorced and he got full custody of the account and the views. Thankfully, I had a prenup and I got to keep my pictures. :P

 

So, I'm uploading them again but on my account. :)

  

Series 3:

- Green Lantern John Stewart

- Sportsmaster

- Solar Suit Superman

- Cyborg Superman

- Vandal Savage

- Nightwing

- Etrigan the Demon

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Well I'm back from California and decided to mark my return back home by posting Series 3 of my custom figs. I changed up the background layout and presentation of the figs. Hope you all like it. Now to some info and details about the figs:

 

- John Stewart: pretty straight forward. I used another torso from Kristi/customBRICKS to make him. This design is a nod to his JLU look.

 

- Sportsmaster: he's one that's had quite a few designs. He's been portrayed as a blond and a ginger in the comics and cartoons. I decided to go for his Young Justice cartoon look, as I thought it was a pretty cool design. It also helped that he was a pretty badass villain in the show.

 

- Solar Suit Superman: as he is seen in the Reign of the Supermen arc when recovering from his encounter with Doomsday. This, along with Eradicator, is one of the figures I knew I was going to make when the Man of Steel sets were announced way back when.

 

- Cyborg Superman: not much to say about it. Just a purist design of ol' Hank Henshaw.

 

- Vandal Savage: since many tend to go for his Young Justice look, I wanted to go against the grain and go for a more JLU design for Vandal.

 

- Nightwing: pretty much the same figure I've had built for ages now. He's finally been completed thanks to my friend Billy Riner's skills in making his head for me. :)

 

- Etrigan: I have two versions of Etrigan. His classic look and this one. I liked the idea of Etrigan wearing armor so much that I dare I say it....preferred to use his New 52 design for my Series 3. After all he does hail from Camelot. : )

  

C&C always welcomed and appreciated.

 

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Series 1

Series 2

Series 3

Series 4

Series 5

Series 6

Series 7

With the Micro GARC craze storming on, I though I may as well join in the fun again. This time I took Simon's advice and raided my Eradicator Mech (Complicated story as to why it's till together, but it will be taken part for parts soon) for the one sticker I have that wouldn't look weird on here.

In the early 90's DC Comics decided to kill Superman. They introduced a mysterious new machine of a character, Doomsday, who pummeled his way across the States, eventually beating the Man of Steel to death on the streets of Metropolis.

Of course, no one was really convinced the greatest comic book character of all time was going to stay dead for long but what was a nice surprise were the four 'replacements' introduced, all of which went on to various levels of their own success.

 

The Cadmus Project stole Superman's body in an effort to clone a replacement. Kryptonian DNA proved tough to crack and human DNA was spliced to it to produce Superboy. Lacking in the moral upbringing of the Kents and grown at an accelerated rate, Superboy or Kon-El as he eventually became known, was a wise cracking teen version of the Last Son of Krypton, his powers varied to Superman's, lacking his vision based powers but having a form of tactile telekinesis. Kon-El eventually discovered that his human DNA was donated by Lex Luthor, causing much soul searching. Superboy eventually died during the Infinite Crisis saving the Earth from Alexander Luthor's attempt to recreate the universe.

 

The Eradicator was a piece of ancient Kryptonian technology that constantly plagued Superman. At once a tantalsing link to his past and a terrible threat, the Eradicator constantly sought to impose Krypton's harsh and sterile culture upon Kal-El and the Earth itself. Returning to Earth from the sun, The Eradicator stole Supermans body and used it as an energy source and template for a new, humanoid body for itself. Weakened and confused from its previous battles with Supeman, The Eradicator believed it was Superman and used its lack of morality and energy powers to ruthlessly stamp out crime in Metropolis. The Eradicator has waivered between physical forms and good and evil over the years.

 

Astronaut Hank Henshaw found his body mutated by cosmic radiation, along with the rest of his shuttle crew, including his wife. Superman was able to save Henshaw's wife but seemingly not him. His body disintegrated, while his intellect became pure energy, inhabiting any machine it came across. Henshaw fashioned a robotic body which drove his wife mad. Blaming Superman, Henshaw became deeply psychotic and joined his will with the ship that brought Kal-El from Krypton, using it to partially clone the Man of Steel and create a cyborg imposter. Henshaw sought to rule the Earth in Superman's image, forever tainting the hero's name, destroying Coast City and killing millions of innocent people in the process. However Superman returned from the grave to foil The Cyborgs plan.

The Cyborg has remained at large ever since, becoming a nemesis to Green Lantern as well as Superman and even briefly visiting the Marvel Universe also.

 

John Henry Irons was living life incognito as a construction worker. Irons was in deep remorse for having designed weapons that he foolhardily believed would not be used on civilians. Having been saved from a fall by Superman, Irons decided that he needed to fill the void left by the heroes death and fashioned a hi-tech suit of armour to fight crime and rid the streets of the weapons he had helped to create. Steel became an ally and close friend of Superman and eventually joined the Justice League of America.

I mean there's some originality?

 

From left to right:

Nekron (partially stolen from mad_lego_boy, also Jonathan)

Ambush Bug (like this outfit)

Ventriloquist (feat. Scarface. Ended up being similar to this one)

Scarecrow (pretty sure someone else has done this hood for him but I can't remember who: Snowy Bricks probably)

Eradicator (very sure someone else has done this head for him but I can't remember who: Sam K Bricks in a Discord post)

 

For Hammerstein NWC's contest, anythings goes category.

Chaoz is an old character but his MOC is new

Actually I liked it better green? Perhaps I should color it green again??? Here is a link to stage 2: flic.kr/p/2qwguM9

 

Peace and Noise!

 

/ Mushroombrain a robot constructor

Character Creation

 

Maxima is a character appearing in comics published by DC Comics. In her original incarnation, she was a morally ambiguous queen from the planet Almerac who is known for searching for mates among Earth's superhuman male population to be wedded as her king, and became obsessed with Superman for a time. She has also worked as a superheroine member of the Justice League.

 

Outside of comics, Maxima has appeared in the live-action series Smallville and Supergirl, respectively portrayed by Charlotte Sullivan and Eve Torres Gracie.

 

Publication history

 

Maxima first appeared in Action Comics #645 (September 1989) and was created by writer Roger Stern and artist George Pérez.

 

Maxima was created by writer Roger Stern and artist George Pérez as a powerful female antagonist for Superman, but one who would also harbor a strong romantic interest in him. The character was conceived during the period of the late eighties and early nineties, when comic book specialty stores were dominated by X-Men related titles. Aside from the conspicuous visual similarities to Marvel's Jean Grey, Maxima's creators also borrowed elements from other popular X-book characters such as Magneto, Nightcrawler and Professor X. Her first appearance was in Action Comics #645, published by DC Comics in September 1989.

 

Jerry Ordway on Maxima's transition from 'Panic In The Sky' to the Justice League

 

Buoyed by their success against Brainiac, Superman would be predisposed to leading another super-team – namely the Justice League, which my buddy Dan Jurgens was planning to take over. There was one problem though – Dan wanted to use Maxima as a member of the new League, and I’d kind of planned to have her take over the helm of the now leaderless Warworld. Who else could I use, in order to free up Maxie for Dan? A quick call to the-New Gods editor Jonathan Peterson and we were given the okay to install Orion of the New Gods as ruler of Warworld! See how the cross-continuity works? You think coordinating is easy?

 

Dan Jurgens on whether it was always planned for Maxima to join the Justice League when she did her face turn in 'Panic In The Sky'

 

It was more of an afterthought in that when she was first introduced, I thought she was a really interesting - potentially interesting sort of character. So, as we were doing the story I wanted to put her on the other side of things with the idea that I'd use her again at some point, but I don't think I had really thought so far as, you know, putting her in the Justice League. But again...she had attitude, and in the DCU, there weren't a lot of characters with attitude at that time. I just found her interesting. I think a lot of what we were doing is slowly building up a cadre of characters in the superman books that were worthwhile to use and worth having around.

 

Charlotte Sullivan on playing Maxima in Smallville

 

My opening line as Maxima makes me laugh and go red - it was, ‘I came when I saw your KRYPTONIAN beacon.’ I just thought I had to play it out funny. Of course, I was bashful. There was a certain element of shyness that crept up inside of me with having to say those things, wearing that costume, and knowing that it would be seen by millions of people.

 

Origin

 

Maxima once ruled a vast intergalactic empire centered on her homeworld of Almerac. For thousands of years, her ancestors had intermarried with races from other worlds, breeding for strength, for speed, and for power. Representing the apex of Almeracian eugenics, Maxima resolved to continue in the same tradition of her people. To that end, she became obsessed with expanding her galactic reach and, most importantly, securing a suitable mate to father an heir to her glorious realm.

 

When Sazu, her personal handmaiden, intercepted a subspace transmission detailing the astonishing feats of Superman in the gladiatorial games of Mongul's Warworld, Maxima was sure she had found her man. Without further delay, she set out to make the Man of Steel her husband. But despite Maxima's beauty and power, Superman consistently eluded her for various reasons. As a result, Maxima's admiration turned to rage, and she became his enemy.

 

The day of the Krypton Man

 

Initially, Maxima sent her royal advisor, Sazu, along with a near perfect duplicate of herself to seduce Superman on his adopted home planet of Earth. Despite Sazu's attempts to extinguish the warrior queen's growing fascination with Krypton's last son, Maxima soon traveled to Earth herself. After first engaging Superman in battle to test his mettle, the Almeracian aristocrat managed to obtain some privacy for the two of them by luring her prospective mate beneath the waves at the bottom of Metropolis Harbor.

 

There, Maxima revealed that she could bring new life to Krypton's lost race by giving to Superman what no earth woman could -- children. While the Man of Steel expressed among other things that he had no desire to father despots, it was soon revealed that an ancient artifact called the Eradicator was interfering. Earth's champion had been reformatted in favor of the sentient program's own cold, cerebral, and unemotional matrix.

 

Not knowing where this attitude of dismissal was coming from, Maxima ceased making advances at Superman during this initial encounter, stating: "Sazu was right, you are unworthy of the bloodline, but not because you are overly merciful. Far from it. You have become heartless, passionless. Whatever fire that once lurked within has been eradicated, replaced with a presence of horrible sterility. I'll not find a mate in so cold a knave!" Ultimately, these rocky beginnings set a precedent for the type of rapport that Maxima and Superman would have in future confrontations.

 

Panic in the Sky

 

As time passed, Maxima's fury towards Superman abated when Brainiac gained control over Warworld, and used the engine of destruction to wreak havoc on her home planet of Almerac. To save her people from complete annihilation, the Warrior Queen pretended to ally herself with the powerful telepath, and acted as his chief officer. As the cosmically powered Brainiac proceeded towards Earth to engage Superman and a host of other heroes in battle, Maxima took advantage of the chaos and flipped over to the side of the heroes. As soon as Brainiac's direct connection in the heart of Warworld was severed, Maxima lobotomized him.

 

Justice League

 

Although the Earth was saved at the conclusion of the Panic in the Sky crisis, Almerac was left in ruins. As a result, Maxima made it an even higher priority to find a suitable mate to help her restore her empire. To that end, she decided to remain on Earth. At the time, the Justice League's ranks were suffering the sudden loss of the Silver Sorceress, the mysterious departure of J'onn J'onzz, and the terminated membership of L-Ron. Soon, Maxima found herself helping the remaining League defeat the Weapons Master.

 

Meanwhile, Maxwell Lord was working furiously behind the scenes to secure the team's funding by dealing with the UN. Immediately following their success in the field, the shrewd businessman took advantage of the small moral victory he sensed within the group and recruited Maxima. Much to Superman's dismay, Maxima's agreement to be with the League was first and foremost a means to keep an eye on her top prospect. She was formally made a member of the team in Justice League of America vol. 2 #63.

 

Maxima and Amazing Man

 

Eventually, Ultraa, Maxima's betrothed from childhood, followed her to Earth after hearing that Maxima was seeking to mate with one called 'Superman'. As a clear sign that she still had feelings for the Man of Steel, she rejected the Almeracian warlord on the grounds that since coming to Earth, she had become familiar with mercy and unselfishness.

 

Maxima came to an understanding over Superman's dismissal of her, but she was still determined to find a worthy mate to father her children. She entered a romance with Captain Atom and followed him into battle as part of the Extreme Justice team (Extreme Justice #0). While on the team her relationship with Captain Atom deteriorated, so she became romantically involved with another teammate, Amazing Man. Neither of these relationships, nor her subsequent pursuit of Aquaman, ever worked out for various reasons.

 

Superman Revenge Squad

 

Unfortunately, the series of failed relationships and Maxima's own superiority complex caused lingering resentment over her rejection by the man she had always wanted most, Superman, to flare up with a vengeance. She returned to villainy and entered a partnership with the so-called Superman Revenge Squad, a group of super-villains who all harbored extreme grudges against the Man of Steel and were determined destroy him. Ultimately the Revenge Squad was unsuccessful, and Maxima's involvement with it became a black mark on her career, which had otherwise been on an impressive path to redemption.

 

Our Worlds at War

 

Fickle though she was, Maxima never once backed down from a fight, even at the very end. During the Our Worlds at War story arc in 2001, the seemingly unstoppable world-destroying being known as Imperiex attacked and leveled Almerac. Maxima apparently gave her own life in Man of Steel #117 so that Earth, her adopted home, would not suffer the same terrible fate. Her remains were never found, but she has not been seen since.

 

Powers and Abilities

 

As an Almeracian of Royal descent, Maxima's immense powers stem from having been the product of gene therapy and generations of selective breeding.

 

Super Strength

 

Maxima possesses a level of superhuman strength that puts her in Wonder Woman's and Superman's class; she routinely exhibits the ability to lift/press thousands of tons with minimal effort. In addition, her psionic abilities allow her to further augment her physical prowess beyond those in her tier. During Doomsday's first battle with the Justice League, other than Superman, Maxima was the only other League member able to trade blows with the creature.

 

Enhanced Stamina

 

Based on her first account to Superman, Maxima comes from a hearty star-spanning people who wage war tirelessly. Her own family spent thousands of years conquering, and assimilating only the strongest survivors from carefully selected worlds with rich genetic stock. Accordingly, Maxima continued the same progression of striving without exhaustion through sheer force of will and psychic discipline. Her stamina has been credited specifically as being the attribute that allowed her to gain victory over Hank King in a telepathic duel.

 

Super Speed

 

Maxima's first appearances demonstrated a degree of speed in combat that went well into the hypersonic. In Action Comics No. 651, Superman observed Maxima using her telekinesis to pilot Sazu back to her orbiting spaceship at escape velocity while rocketing there herself. Superman flew in to intercept, but instead of getting Maxima to break from her straight escape trajectory, the fiery monarch engaged Earth's Mightiest Hero head on in a game of chicken. As the two were about to pass one another, she reached out, grabbed his arm, and performed a judo throw on the Man of Steel. On another occasion, while observing Jay Garrick fight at super speed in Justice League America No. 78, Maxima remarked that he was fighting at a level of skill and intensity that would make a warrior of Almerac proud. Finally, Maxima and Superman traded blows for the last time out in space during the Our Worlds At War event. The lead-up to this last encounter is noteworthy since earlier, Superman and Kyle Rayner were doing a quick circuit of the solar system. Before their warm-up was interrupted by Maxima, Superman made mention of the sun being unblocked by Earth's atmosphere while doing loop-de-loops around the young Green Lantern.

 

Teleportation

 

Maxima has been seemingly conservative with the use of this powerful skill in combat. By contrast, the Warrior Queen has shown no qualms teleporting those she has deemed beneath her. That being said, she has demonstrated the capacity to forego her bloodlust, and use her teleportation strategically when more is on the line. When she first appeared on Earth in the flesh, she employed this ability in more of a theatrical way as a means to instill fear in her servant, Sazu.

 

In Action Comics No. 645, when Maxima could not find Earth's Champion at the Daily Planet, she quickly teleported herself, Sazu, and Malcolm to Metropolis City Hall, and held Mayor Berkowitz hostage with the goal of coaxing Superman out of hiding. During the "Panic In the Sky!" story arc, while governing her passions closely by maintaining the ruse of an Alliance with Brainiac, she used this ability to retreat when Matrix Supergirl, and Draaga ceased being mind-slaves in the middle of a heated battle.

 

She has shown the ability to teleport herself or others in and out of a battle over interstellar distances. In Justice League America No. 66, while she was attempting to win Superman's heart as a Justice League member, Maxima complied with Earth's judicial process by teleporting Sazu back to Metropolis. Maxima mentioned that Sazu was teleported to Earth from a prison on a distant planet. This feat is especially noteworthy since in earlier appearances, both Maxima and Sazu have stated that Earth is a backwater world far from established star routes. Moreover, in Superman Man of Steel No. 115, Adam Strange used his Zeta-Beam technology to teleport Superman and himself from Earth's solar system to Almeracian space. The Savior of Rann mentioned a distance traveled of 100 trillion light years.

 

Forcefield Projection

 

Maxima can generate defensive force-field bubbles to shield herself, and or others. This skill allows her to travel unaffected by the intense pressures of the ocean's depths, or the vacuum of outer space. She can also use this skill for offense by trapping an opponent and constricting the space inside the shield, crushing them, or letting the air run out.

 

In Aquaman No. 41, Power Girl attempted an underwater ambush on Maxima's shield as the King of Atlantis was being psionically assaulted inside. Maxima's shield didn't drop, but Kara's surprise attack winded the Almeracian warrior briefly. Although Aquaman took the opportunity to mention that Maxima's force bubble wouldn't be able to hold up to the pounding of Power Girl's punches, Maxima's shield was more solid for Kara's second punch.

 

In Superman No. 159, Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner and Superman were investigating the disappearance of Pluto when Maxima showed up with what appeared to be an army of Almeracians. Contrary to what Superman thought was an invasion of his solar system, Maxima was in fact leading a mass exodus away from her devastated home world. By creating a psionic highway, the Empress of Almerac provided intergalactic transport for the remnants of her people to rendezvous with Grayven.

 

Ferrokinesis

 

Maxima has exhibited immense telekinetic control over metals at the molecular level. She can cause metal to melt with a thought, or rearrange the molecules of scraps into anything she chooses, such as weapons or armor. In Justice League America No. 63, Maxima used her psionic power over metal to breach the hull of a wrecked interstellar craft that was submerged at the bottom of Manhattan's East River.

 

Three more examples of her ferrokinesis are in the following three books. Extreme Justice No. 6, Maxima used this ability to isolate herself atop a massive metal tower. When Captain Atom ascended the tower to try and reason with her, Maxima restrained him with metal tendrils that she animated in a liquid-like fashion out of the structure around her. In Justice League America No. 73, Dr. Destiny was responsible for making several Justice League members act very much out of character. The rogue heroes were capturing, torturing, and maiming super-villains. When one of the prison ships that they were using to capture super-villains attacked Maxima, she focused her ferrokinesis into a beam, and disassembled the ship into its separate components without incinerating the men inside. Later, in the same story-arc told in Justice League America No. 75, Maxima directed this ability on the Red Tornado, easily pulling him apart.

 

Matter Manipulation

 

In addition to metals, Maxima has demonstrated the ability to alter other inorganic matter with a thought. The full extent of Maxima's skill in this area is unknown. In Action Comics #645, Maxima's entourage coordinated a rendezvous with a fashion designer. Ultimately, none of Maxima's attendants expected to pay for anything, so the designer and her company of models were rudely escorted out of the meeting room. Soon afterward, while barefoot, and wearing a small bathrobe, she transmuted what little she had on into one of the ensembles she had just seen: a power suit jacket, blouse, black skirt, high heels, and a gold chain choker. She also did this in Justice League America No. 66, when at the request of Superman to be more conservatively dressed, Maxima transmuted the typical light armor that she usually wore into a green suit jacket and skirt.

 

Optical Force Beams

 

When firing her molecular telekinesis out of her eyes, Maxima has shown the ability to control the level of physical damage she causes to an attacker. She can focus her optic beams to deliver immense concussive force, or emulate searing heat vision. Among others, Maxima has shown that she can stagger Captain Marvel, Power Girl, and even Superman on several occasions with her eye-beams. At times, her eye-beams have been dubbed 'Psi-bolts' by her opponents despite the evidence of receiving physical damage only.

 

Mind Bolts

 

The powerful Almeracian Mind Bolt, Psi-bolt, or Psychic Blast is a favorite of those in the Royal House. This skill is typically depicted as emanating from an Almeracian's forehead. Unlike the optical force beams, the Mind Bolt targets an opponent's mind directly by delivering pain, unconsciousness, brain damage, or even death. Regardless of all his physical strength and Mother Box enhanced defenses, Orion was quickly rendered paralyzed when Maxima turned this deadly power on him during the 'Panic In The Sky' event in Superman No. 65. At the conclusion of the same story arc in Superman No. 66, Maxima was in the process of killing Brainiac using this ability, but Superman intervened just before it was too late. Brainiac was left in a lobotomized state.

 

Telepathy

 

Maxima can communicate with other intelligent beings telepathically. She has used this skill as a probe to 'hear' a target's thoughts, and pinpoint their location. On several occasions, she has used this ability to find Superman in Metropolis; nearly exposing his secret identity in one case. In Superman Man of Tomorrow No. 10, Maxima discovered that Superman had been split into two beings. To verify that what she was seeing wasn't a trick, Maxima employed a mental probe. She uncovered that both Superman Red, and Superman Blue had virtually identical minds and the same surface memories.

 

In Justice League No. 68, an ancient alien called Chaq encountered the JLA and revealed that he had purchased Earth and its entire solar system several hundred thousand years ago. According to Maxima, picking a fight with Chaq over the property deed would awaken powerful intergalactic governing bodies capable of subjugating Earth. Knowing who they were up against, Maxima enticed Chaq by offering to pay 800 trillion sentees (the well known currency of over 200 worlds) for the rights to the deed. While she was negotiating with the ancient alien, Maxima communicated instructions telepathically to Guy Gardner. Completely unaware that Guy's yellow power ring was being used to help pull off a scam, Chaq left Earth and gave up the deed after finding what looked like a deposit of 800 trillion sentees in his cargo hold.

 

Enhanced Empathy

 

For those times when Maxima may encounter an undisciplined mind that lacks coherent thought, she has demonstrated the ability to overcome this obstacle by using particularly strong telepathic skill in the area of 'hearing' emotions. During the 'Death of Superman' story arc, she was able to track Doomsday without the benefit of a previous encounter. Maxima described Doomsday's mind as harboring nothing more than hate, death and bloodlust personified.

 

Aside from its uses in tracking opponents, this ability has also allowed her to better understand the hidden motives of those around her. Having been bred as a warrior, Maxima's ability to sense emotions has helped her to more fully assess when to use tact and when to use force. In Justice League America No. 102, Maxima sensed a greater darkness behind Obsidian's pessimistic mood. Two issues later, Obsidian tried to commit suicide.

 

Mind Control

 

Maxima has the ability to subject others to her mind control abilities. In several appearances, she has shown the capacity to bend masses of people to her will. In Action Comics No. 730, while a member of the Superman Revenge Squad, Maxima was battling the Man of Steel in a scrapyard. She threw a car at a loaded ferry crossing Metropolis Harbor, causing the ship to sink. After Superman rescued the ship's full compliment of passengers, their eyes went blank. The crowd began attacking the Man of Steel by way of Maxima's mind control. In Justice League Quarterly No. 17, she altered a crack dealing pimp's mind by removing his capacity for violence, and erasing his ability to lie. In Justice League America Annual No. 6, the magical being Eclipso was about to initiate a plan that would allow him to possess all of the members of the JLA by first capturing J'onn J'onzz. However, the opportunity to first possess Maxima presented itself as Starman, who was eclipsed at the time, sensed the Warrior Queen's rage and approached her with a cursed gem. As soon as Maxima was possessed, Eclipso exclaimed,

 

"I feared the martian's absence would stall my plans...but the powers of this body are incredible! The powers of this mind...intoxicating!"

 

Sure enough, the Almeracian's mind control powers proved powerful enough to enslave Wonder Woman.

 

Hypnotic Gaze

 

The Empress of Almerac has the ability to paralyze an opponent with her gaze. Against enemies with greater willpower, this skill has shown to be particularly effective as a lead in to another attack. In Action Comics No. 645, her duplicate used this skill on Lois Lane, and the staff at the Daily Planet, leaving them all standing around like zombies. Later that morning, Clark arrived and got Lois to snap out of her trance by shaking her and shouting. During Maxima's first face to face encounter with Superman, she used this skill to freeze the Man of Steel, leaving him more susceptible to her illusion casting. Despite her rather unfocused and irrational behavior in Aquaman No. 41, during a melee with Doctor Polaris, she lured him into her stare. Dolphin took advantage, and delivered an uppercut to his jaw while he was still disoriented.

 

Illusion Casting

 

Maxima has shown the ability to project powerful illusions into the minds of others. In Action Comics No. 651, Maxima cast the illusion into Superman's mind that he was a warlord on the Almeracian Queen's home world. The overriding presence of the Eradicator in Superman's mind at the time exposed the false reality for what it was. In Superman Man of Tomorrow No. 10, Maxima used her illusions against Dana Dearden, an obsessed Superman fan called Obsession. In the illusion, Superman had separated into four differently colored supermen. As the Empress of Almerac wanted Superman for herself, she showed each of the supermen disintegrating into powder. The ruse helped implant the suggestion into Obsession's mind that her love would bring Superman to an early end, and so she fled.

 

Suspended Animation

 

Maxima's constitution combined with her mental control is such that she can suspend her own vital functions temporarily. Despite being in a state of suspended animation, she has demonstrated the ability to be completely aware of potential danger around her. Near the end of her first encounter with the Man of Steel in Action Comics No. 651, Maxima halted her breathing and heartbeat to appear dead. Superman could not detect a pulse with his super-senses. When Maxima sensed that he was close enough, she woke up quickly and paralyzed him.

 

Astral Combat

 

In Extreme Justice No. 18, Maxima took the point by assembling her finest psychic disciples to engage Brainwave II in combat on the astral plane. While the Queen of Almerac was employing a coordinated assault with her forces, Henry King Jr. relied more on raw power and intimidation by raising twisted manifestations of himself called 'Ego Warriors'. This feat is especially notable since in the real world, although Maxima's and Brainwave's physical bodies were in Florida, the physical bodies of Maxima's psychic warriors were nowhere to be seen. Moreover, while still living out her sentence of exile from Almerac, Maxima had none of her entourage with her on Earth for this occasion.

 

As the battle progressed, the tide was turning against Maxima's forces, and in the end, the Warrior Queen was the last Almeracian standing. Brainwave appeared to be feeding off of a supernatural power source; a familiar whose face was that of the original deceased Brainwave. Eventually, Maxima deduced that the familiar was in fact a manifestation of Henry's strong feelings of guilt associated with receiving his father's mentalist powers added to his own; powers that had once been used for evil. In order to have more witnesses to the truth that she had discovered, Maxima brought Zan, Jayna and Blue Beetle into the astral plane. Finally, Maxima confronted Brainwave with the truth of the source of his madness, and the overriding presence of Henry's father vanished.

 

Invulnerability

 

Thanks to her Almeracian physiology, Maxima is nearly impervious to injury. Bullets bounce off her, missiles or lasers won't leave a scratch, and nuclear bombs are unable to harm her. Her level of resistance to physical harm approaches that of a Kryptonian. In addition, as Maxima is able to boost her constitution and physical strength attributes by channeling her psionic powers internally, her resistance to physical harm also increases. During the Death of Superman story arc, besides the Man of Steel himself, Maxima was the only Justice League member durable enough to fight Doomsday evenly. In Superman No. 159, the Man of Steel used his X-Ray vision on Maxima to find weaknesses he could exploit with pressure point attacks. Although he connected with a two finger jab to her midsection, the Warrior Queen quickly shook off the attack and kept fighting.

 

Self Duplication

 

Whether inside her vast intergalactic empire, or abroad, Maxima's high profile status can be both a blessing and a curse. As such, the Empress of Almerac has shown a preference for using simulacra that are virtually identical to her. Each simulacrum possesses powers similar to her, and are able to act in situations when she cannot be present. However, these proxies appear to be less invulnerable, and according to Superman, more restrained than the original Maxima. At the end of Action Comics No. 645, it is revealed that the Maxima on Earth at the time was indeed a simulacrum. This duplicate was atomized by Sazu's optical force beams. In Extreme Justice No. 10, Maxima was a approached by Captain Atom to organize a wedding shower for his then fiancee, Plastique. At the party, Maxima heard Carol Ferris scream in an adjacent room, so she burst through the door. No sooner had she entered the room than she was ambushed by Star Sapphire. In the next issue, Extreme Justice No. 11, Maxima appeared cut in two pieces on the floor. Her torso and lower body were left smouldering where Star Sapphire had sliced her with a sword. During a break in the fight that ensued, Plastique was able to examine the dead body. The corpse was already starting to lose cohesion. Soon, the real Maxima appeared on the scene to the surprise of everyone at the bridal shower. What appeared to be a lifeless flesh and blood Almeracian on the floor was in fact a mere vessel for Maxima's psychic consciousness.

 

Flight

 

By applying her telekinesis as a means for propulsion, Maxima is able to "fly". She has shown the ability to maneuver herself, other beings, or objects through the air at escape velocity. Having served on several incarnations of the Justice League, she was often counted on to provide flight for those teammates who were not gifted with the ability to fly. During the 'Our Worlds at War' event, Maxima also demonstrated that she was able to fly through space as her psionic highway carried the remnants of her people over interstellar distances below her.

 

Telekinesis

 

In Justice League America No. 65, despite having been drained from a previous encounter with Starbreaker, Maxima closed numerous fissures on her home world by re-shifting continental plates together telekinetically.

 

Mental Defense

 

When Brainiac had seized control of Warworld, and used the planet to boost his telepathic abilities to cosmic levels, Maxima was still able to plot behind his back and resist becoming one of his mind-slaves.

 

Possession

 

Maxima has displayed the ability to place her own psychic consciousness into her simulacrums. The full extent of her skill in this area is unknown.

 

⚡ Happy 🎯 Heroclix 💫 Friday! 👽

_____________________________

 

A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.

 

Secret Identity: N/A

 

Publisher: DC

 

First appearance: Action Comics #645 (September 1989)

 

Created by: Roger Stern (writer)

George Pérez (artist)

 

First appearance:

www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/51737806453/

he Tie Eradicator is a Derivative variant to the Tie Advanced. It is well armed, it has shields, and is capable to travel to hyperspace, It was developed to outmatch the New Republic B-Wink MKII.

Flea eradicator included.

I wonder what the CLS stands for, and the significance of 89. Did they go through 89 different designs to come up with this beauty?

 

Not sure why, but I felt like taking another outdoor shot. I haven't used this mech yet but I've had it for a couple weeks. I'm really impressed with the alternating cockpit design. Usually I make some small modification but with this one I'm content as it is. I did skip some of the decals, I don't think the Orange Team will mind.

The monster truck Eradicator soaring off a jump during the freestyle competition during Monster Jam.