ISSUE #18 (May 2021)
Written by Tobias Christopher Featuring: |
"BART'S HEART"Several Years Earlier…
“You want me to do what now?” “This is the fourteenth time I’ve explained it.” “Yeah, and you keep losing me.” “What part do you get lost on?” “The part where words start coming out of your mouth.” Max Mercury sighed as he looked at his student Bart Allen. Max had recently taken the young speedster under his wing to train him to use his powers, moving him to a quiet town in Alabama. It had been three weeks and Max was ready to pull his hair out, but he had promised Bart’s cousin Wally to turn the boy into a responsible hero. “I want you to run- normally- over this marked trail,” Max said as he handed Bart a map. “Without using your super speed. At all. You will meet me at the end of this trail at sunset.” “Why can’t I just run there now?” Bart asked. “Because the point of this exercise is to not use your speed,” Max told him. “There may come a point where you have to rely on having to do things the normal way. When that day comes, I want you to be prepared instead of going into panic mode.” “Yeah, right,” Bart laughed. “When am I ever going to not have my speed?” S.T.A.R. Labs… Four hours after exiting the Speed Force… “Your heart has sustained massive damage from being impaled,” the doctor said as Bart lay in the hospital bed. “It’s a miracle that you’re even still alive.” “Jase must have used his powers to heal Bart’s body before they got ejected from the Speed Force,” Wally realized. “They got out before he was fully healed.” “Yes, and unfortunately for Bart, that damage can ultimately end up killing him,” the doctor said. “Any use of his speed in any way could worsen things. I’m afraid that you’re going to start taking things slow.” “For how long?” Bart asked. “The rest of your natural life,” the doctor told him. “Which isn’t long from the looks of things. You might have a year left at best, and that’s if we put you on medication and adhere to a strict diet regimen as well as exercise.” “So, I’m going to die,” Bart said as he looked away. “We’ll find a way to fix this,” Wally promised. “You’re not going to die. You’ve got a kid to raise now, and I sure as hell aren’t letting you die.” Now… “I’m telling you, that’s Lucas Adams’ kid,” Bart said as he pulled Jase to the side at Wyatt’s birthday party. “Lucas had that watch with his initials engraved on it. He probably gave it to Opie just before they got separated.” “That’s impossible,” Jase said. “Opie doesn’t have super speed; he drives a crappy little car that’s held together with duct tape.” “We have to find out,” Bart told him. “I’ll have to investigate starting tomorrow. If he is the kid, I have to make sure he’s okay. I promised his dad.” “And how are you going to do that without your powers?” Jase asked. “I’ll… find a way,” Bart assured him. “I owe it to Lucas for helping us in the Speed Force.” “Uh, Bart?” Jase said as he saw Opie hugging Wyatt as he headed to the door. “Opie’s leaving!” “I have to catch up to him,” Bart said as Wyatt grabbed his arm. “Mr. Allen, can we talk?” “I don’t think it’s a good time, I really have to catch—“ “Please?” Wyatt asked. “It’s really important.” “Okay,” Bart said. “What’s up?” Wyatt took his hand and had him sit down as he nervously fumbled with his hands. “Look, Jase is my best friend in the world, and I’d do anything for him. The past few months I’ve found out I can…do things. It’s kind of like a superpower and I’ve been scared to tell anyone about it, even my mom.” “Is this the thing you did for Jay?” Cody asked as he overheard. “The power you got from those alien dickwads that created me.” “Yeah,” Wyatt told him. “I didn’t want to scare anyone by saying something. But I can’t let my best friend lose his brother, I just can’t.” “You can heal him, can’t you?” Cody asked. “I think so,” Wyatt replied. “I think I can heal you, Mr. Allen.” “And if you can’t?” Bart asked as he looked at Cody. “Will you take care of Jase?” “I’ll take care of him like he were my own brother,” Cody promised. “How do we do this, kid?” Opie was heading home when Jase appeared in front of him. “Going somewhere?” “Home,” Opie told him. “But I think we found your family,” Jase said as Opie stopped. “I don’t have a family.,” Opie stated as he fished around for his house keys. “I was adopted when I was young, never knew my dad. My first memories were having amnesia when I was little.” “Maybe Bart and I can help you figure out who you are,” Jase said as they walked along. “I really have to head home,” Opie said. “Alone.” “You’re my friend, I have to help you,” Jase replied. “Because that’s what friends do. Can I at least talk to you on the way home?” “I don’t think so,” Opie said as he kept walking, not wanting Jase to meet his adoptive father. “I’ll see you around.” “Yeah, but—“ “I said NO!” Opie shouted as he zipped away using super speed as Jase just stared at him. “What the—?” Jase asked as he sped off after Opie, appearing in front of him on the doorstep of his house. “You do have super speed!” “You need to go,” Opie said. “You can’t be here.” “Why not?” Jase asked as the door opened and Opie’s adopted father stood behind him. “Okay, so this is just that simple?” Bart asked as he took off his shirt and lay on the bed. “Yeah,” Wyatt told him as his adopted mother came into the room. “Wyatt, that shirt is filthy. Give it to me to put in the wash and put on a clean one.” “Mom, not right now,” Wyatt said as White Lightning looked at the shirtless man on his bed. “Baby, I told you, if you’re going to experiment, then lock your door and put a sock on the door handle,” the woman said. “Now give me that dirty shirt, now.” Wyatt sighed and lifted his shirt over his head. “Wait a minute, you’re cool with Wyatt having sex that young?” Bart asked in shock. ‘As long as it’s consensual, and he uses protection,” White Lightning said as she kissed the top of Wyatt’s head. “Love you, baby. Listen to Cody, I’ll be working late.” She left as Bart looked at Wyatt. “You’re not having sex, are you?” “Of course not, but it’s nice to know mom is cool with me if I turn out to be gay,” Wyatt told him as Bart looked at Wyatt’s chest, where he had scars. “Wyatt, what are those scars?” Bart asked. “Nothing,” Wyatt said as he searched for a clean shirt. “Let’s do this and—“ “Not until you tell me the truth,” Bart said as he sat up. “What’s going on? Why is your body scarred?” Cody argued with himself over dialling the phone. He wanted to call Jay and talk things out, but he couldn’t think of what to say. Jay wanted more from him than he could give, and now his best friend was gone, probably having gone home to Australia. Cody and Jay had told each other all about their dreams and hopes. Cody knew that Jay had always wanted to go home to hunt down the people who ran his orphanage as a boy and exact revenge for the abuse he’d suffered. Cody put down the phone and sighed. He couldn’t find the words to tell Jay how he felt, or even how he felt about the other young man. “Come home, Jay, I need you.” Adam was doing upgrades on his system when it sparked a little. “That kind of tickled,” Adam said as the phone rang. “Hello?” “Hey, Adam,” Jon said. “My parents said it’s okay to have a sleepover and… do you and Jase want to come? You can meet my best friend, Ricky.” “I’d love to,” Adam replied as he sparked again. “What was that?” “Just trying to upgrade my system,” Adam said as he found a smoking microchip. “That can’t be good.” “Okay,” Jon told him. “See you this weekend!” Metropolis… In an abandoned toy warehouse, The Toyman was working on a new deadly toy when something started beeping. Toyman dug out a device and looked at it. “It looks like one of Adam’s security defaults has activated,” Toyman said. “Better go get him before he explodes and takes the city with him. Adam’s always been my best work, I can’t just let him die. Not before I can take him apart to figure out how to build even more like him to fight Superman.” “It all started when I first discovered my powers,” Wyatt said. “I was 10 and my friend cut his hand open while we were camping. It was bleeding badly and there was no one to help, so I grabbed his hand to try to bandage it and our hands started glowing,” Wyatt held up his hand to show a scar. “Whenever I heal someone, I take their injury.” Wyatt held up his shirt to show where he’d taken Jay’s bullet wounds. “The pain only lasts a few seconds, but it doesn’t kill me. I don’t know how much damage I can take.” “And you’re wanting to take my heart injury,” Bart said as he stood up. “Deal’s off, kid. I’m not letting you take that hit for me. You’ve taken scars and bullet holes; you don’t know what a damaged heart will do.” “I don’t have super speed,” Wyatt told him. “It won’t kill me like it will with you if you use your speed. Jase needs his big brother.” “And he needs his best friend,” Bart replied. “Although I might be able to heal you with my speed force energy. I think.” “Are you sure?” Wyatt asked. “I guess we can try,” Bart said. “If not, I’ll find you the best heart surgeon on Earth. Do you want to risk this?” “You’ve done well, boy,” the old man said as he wiped his mouth of the blood he’s drained. “This one’s a fast healer. He’ll keep me fed for a long time.” Opie wiped tears from his eyes. “I can’t let you do this to Jase. He’s my friend.” “He’s a food supply,” the old man said as he bared his fangs while speed force energy crackled around his eyes. “You just make sure no one comes for this kid. Help me chain him up so he can’t get away.” “No,” Opie told him as he kneeled to hold the unconscious Jase’s hand. “I won’t let you do this.” “Like you can stop me,” Ambrosius said as he grabbed Opie around the neck. “I took you in, boy. I fed and clothed you, and you want to betray me?” Ambrosia lifted Opie up and threw him across the room. “Maybe I should keep both of you for a second food supply.” Opie got a scared look in his eyes and quickly ran out the door with his super speed. “That’s what I thought,” Ambrosius said as he picked Jase up and headed for the basement. “This one will be powerless like Opie was whenever I drain him. I just need to wait for him to recharge.” Wyatt placed his hands on Bart’s chest and concentrated on his heart. A surge of energy flowed through him as Bart’s eyes lit up with Speed Force energy. TO BE CONTINUED… |