Bart Allen has been absorbed into the speed force, where he now lives out his fantasies of being the world's greatest hero. But still, something is missing in his new life. When the mysterious Jase appears one day, Bart finds himself forced into the role of a mentor to the boy, but something dark is coming, and Bart finds himself getting attached to his new friend. Together, they will have to face the darkness...
"Comeoncomeoncomeon," Bart said as he tried to resuscitate Jase, who was laying by the lake and suffering a horrible seizure. He finally got Jase to come out of it, with the boy quaking in fear as Bart hugged him tightly. "Jase, what happened?"
"I heard a voice calling out to me," Jase said, his voice shaking. "I came outside, then... it all went dark."
"Are you going to be able to run?"
"I-- I don't think so,"
"We'll make do," Bart said as he ran a hand through the boy's hair. "But we gotta go, and we gotta go now. Whatever that storm is that's coming, it's not natural. That's gotta be what Max was trying to warn me about."
"Is it coming to kill us?"
Bart looked up at the storm clouds, which were getting closer and drowning everything in darkness to the point where he could no longer see whatever the storm touched.
"Looks like," Bart told him. "No time to get back to the cabin for supplies, we're gonna have to go with just the clothes on our backs."
"But I'm in my pajamas," Jase said as Bart scooped him up. "And all our stuff is here."
"We can replace our stuff, and we can get you some new clothes and shoes. The only thing I can't replace is you," Bart told him. "Hang on tight, we're going full speed."
Jase held his arm around Bart's neck as they watched the storm wrap itself around their home, swallowing it into its dark void. Bart didn't take a second glance as he started running across the water, his boots splashing across the surface as he ran with Jase as fast as he could. The storm seemed to be picking up speed as well, quickly following them.
"How are you gonna outrun it?" Jase asked.
"Maybe I won't have to," Bart said as he saw the waterfall ahead of them. "Max said our way out is in there. Let's hope he was right!"
Bart put all his speed into running toward the waterfall, going behind the water so fast that he didn't even get wet. He kept running, even after he was inside, looking for anything that could be a door.
"I don't see anything!" Bart shouted as Jase closed his eyes.
"Keep going, we're almost there."
"Almost where--"
Bart suddenly saw a bright light at the end of the tunnel, with tints of orange, yellow and red.
"The speed force."
Bart picked up his speed and ran into the vortex, leaving his personal paradise behind as he entered the outer realm of the speed force, trying to take in the beauty around him as he ran.
"Where do we go from here?" Jase asked as he looked around, feeling at home more here than he did in Bart's paradise.
"We aren't the only ones who have ever died and come here," Bart told him. "Max once said that speedsters have been around forever. My Grandpa Barry and cousin Wally even came here and returned to the real world before. There's also Johnny Quick and Max Mercury, who are both probably here somewhere in their own pieces of the speed force. We just have to find someone who can tell us what's going on."
"Bart, why didn't you just leave me there to die?" Jase asked. "I know... you don't really like me. I ruined your adventures."
"Who said I didn't like you?" Bart asked as he stopped. "You're my little buddy, Jase. Yeah, we've had some... mishaps along the way, but I don't want you to die. I really do like you, kid. You remind me a lot of, well, me when I was starting out. No matter what happens, it's you and me, you got it? Nothin's gonna split us up, I promise. We're friends 'til the end."
"I think we should go that way," Jase smiled as he pointed north.
"Why?"
"Just a hunch,"
# # # # # # # # # #
The sun was scorching in the old western setting, with the desert landscape separating the well-kept ranch from the town just a half hour's horse ride away, or a five second run if you're a speedster. 24-year-old Lucas Adams was doing his chores at normal speed, something that he knew his father would want, having raised Lucas there. Using superspeed to get things done usually resulted in sloppiness, so he had to take his time to make sure things were done right to his father's liking, although his father was never going to come.
For a while, Lucas had imagined all of his loved ones were there, but after over a hundred years of living within the speed force, Lucas had eventually learned to tell reality from his imagination. His father wasn't there with him, nor were his friends or loved ones. It was just him, spending days working the ranch, the nights getting rest, and the rare weekend in the nearby empty town, just remembering what life was like before he had been cursed with these powers. The only other living thing that he wished to exist was his golden retriever, Sunny.
Lucas had just finished fixing the fence as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He needed some water after a hard morning's work. Heading to the well, Lucas pulled up the bucket just in time to hear the sounds of lightning just beyond the fence. It had been a long time since a storm had come through these parts, but there were no clouds in the sky.
# # # # # # # # # #
Bart and Jase landed in the sandy desert, rolling down a hill before they finally came to a stop at the bottom. Bart raised his head and spit out some sand, shaking some of it out of his hair.
"You okay, kid?"
Jase held some sand in the palm of his hand as he stuck his tongue into it, immediately spitting it back out.
"UGH! It's so dry!"
"It's sand, Jase, you're not supposed to eat it," Bart said as he helped the boy up. "Never thought I'd see a desert again."
"What's this?" Jase asked as he found a cactus. He stuck his tongue out and got closer as Bart pulled him back.
"Who would choose this as their personal Heaven?" Bart asked.
"Probably him," Jase said as a punch came from out of nowhere, knocking Bart back into the sand. Before he could react several more punches struck at Bart, keeping him on the ground.
"I don't know where you came from, 'cause I sure as hell didn't dream you up!" Lucas said as he went to punch Bart again, but this time Bart caught his fist and headbutted him. He jumped to his feet as Lucas rushed at him again. The two speedsters engaged in a superspeed brawl that couldn't be couldn't be viewed by the normal human eye, but Jase could see it just fine as it played out. At least, had Jase been watching. He found a lizard crawling on a log and picked it up, sticking his tongue out...
"Who are you?" Lucas asked as the continued moving at superspeed. "Who sent you!"
"Max Mercury, I guess!"
"Who?"
"This guy!" Bart said as he held up a picture. Lucas dropped him and backed off.
"Whip Whirlwind?"
"Uh, yeah, sure, let's go with that," Bart told him. "Something's happening with the speed force, forced me and my little friend to run for our lives. It's probably making its way here as we speak."
"If Whip sent you, then I suppose I can trust you," Lucas told him. "Come back to the ranch, I'll get you set up with some proper clothes and boots for this weather."
"Jase, come on!" Bart said as Jase appeared alongside him, holding a mushroom.
"I found a magic rock, it lets you see colors!"
# # # # # # # # # #
Meanwhile, back at the ranch
Bart and Lucas had been given some old western clothes and boots to wear, along with cowboy hats to keep the heat from getting to them.
"So that's the whole story," Bart said. "I think Max, er, Whip, is somewhere in the speed force, that's how he was able to warn me. But I have no idea how to find him, or how to fight a storm."
"Well, I guess the first we thing we should do is get in contact with Whip, he's a wise old sage, if anyone can figure out how to beat this, it's him," Lucas said. "So, you two are from the twentieth century?"
"Thirtieth, actually," Bart told him. "It's... complicated."
"We're complicated people," Jase said while licking a broom handle, getting a splinter in the process. "Owowowowowowow!
"He-- he likes to try new things," Bart said as he rolled his eyes.
"Well, if you're right, this storm's going to be devouring everything in its path," Lucas told them as he headed to his closet and grabbed a black and dark blue costume that resembled the Lone Ranger's, with a black cowboy hat and blue domino mask. "Never thought I'd get to wear this again."
"You were a hero?" Bart asked.
"Not the word people around here used," Lucas told them. "But I would have liked to have been called a hero at least once. Went by the name Cyclone."
"Well, Cyclone, if you're up for it, we could use your help stopping... whatever this is," Bart told him.
"I'm in," Lucas told them. "But the three of us probably aren't going to be enough."
"Which is why we're going to find the zen master of the speed force," Bart said as he looked over at Jase, holding a full grown golden retriever in his arms.
"He tastes like love!"
Lucas raised an eyebrow at him. "Please put my dog down. We'll rest up here tonight, then hit the trail first thing tomorrow morning."
# # # # # # # # # #
Elsewhere in the speed force
"It's cute that you think you can hide from me, Bart. I can find you wherever you go, no matter whose world you hide in, no matter what rock you crawl under. Fortunately for you, you're not the one I want. Since you want to play cowboy, let me indulge you in your fantasy by sending you some playmates. They should keep you distracted while I collect my prize."
# # # # # # # # # #
As Jase slept soundly in the bed, Bart saw Lucas sitting outside, staring into the night sky. Bart came outside and sat down next to him.
"Peculiar boy you got there," Lucas told him.
"Yeah, he's... special, alright," Bart said, staring down at the ground.
"Reminds me of my boy," Lucas said.
"You had a kid?"
"He was four years old when I, well, I don't want to say ‘died,’ because this don't feel like death," Lucas told him. "He had the superspeed, too. Was gettin' real good at usin' it, too. Our town was in trouble, real bad storm was threatenin' to blow it to pieces. Together, we used our speed to temper it and save the town, but... that was the last I ever saw of him. Been here over a century and I've never been able to find him in here. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing."
"Well, lucky for you that we're going to see the one guy who can tell you, right?" Bart asked. "If anyone can tell you where your son is, it's him."
"Then what? What if he's somewhere that I can never get to him?" Lucas asked. "What if he actually made it to actual Heaven? Or... what if he ran into some kind of trouble and he's stuck somewhere and I still can't reach him to help him? You take real good care of your boy, Bart. I hope you never have to go through what I'm going through."
Bart looked through the door where he could see Jase sleeping on the bed, dreaming of whatever was keeping the boy happy.
# # # # # # # # # #
The next morning, the trio ran into town to get some last minute provisions before leaving Lucas's personal paradise to start their quest. Jase had left his boots behind at the ranch, as they felt intensely uncomfortable on his feet, so he went without until he could find a nice pair of comfy sneakers. Running barefoot didn't bother him any, as he'd done it in the woods for a solid week before Bart took him in.
"Stay close, Jase," Bart told him.
"Aw, he should be fine," Lucas said as walked down the dusty street. "Nobody's been here since I realized that I was just rememberin' ghosts. Besides, we're just pickin' up supplies for the road. Meet us back here in fifteen minutes, little guy."
"And no licking stuff!" Bart shouted as he followed Lucas into the general store.
"Aw, he's no fun," Jase said as he looked around.
"Let's see, rope, canteens, snacks," Lucas said as he looked around the store, while Bart was zipping around.
"Hey, Luke, how come I haven't seen you use your speed outside of running into town?" Bart asked.
"I don't like using my speed if I don't have to," Lucas told him. "I like takin' my time to get things done, like how my Pa raised me. Plus it makes me feel like less of a freak. When I was out there in the real world...the stares people would give me when I did something with my powers, even in costume. It felt like daggers starin' into me, like I was a monster for havin' these abilities. I just wanted to be normal."
"Being normal's overrated," Bart said as he appeared beside Lucas while sucking on a peppermint stick. "Shouldn't let people dictate how you feel about yourself. If you want to help people, be a hero, then you gotta do you, pal. Don't let anyone tell you different."
"Thanks... I think," Lucas told him. "You know, we got time, and Jase can't get into any harm here. Let's go to the tavern and get a drink while we're here."
# # # # # # # # # #
Jase was kicking an old tin can down the street, trying to find something fun to do. And that's when he noticed the toy store with all sorts of old time toys from the 1880's in the store window. Even old fashioned toys looked interesting to him as he pressed his face against the window to peer in.
"Wow," Jase whispered, not realizing that there were a dozen burly bandits standing behind him, dressed in black and wearing handkerchiefs over their mouths. All of them were fully armed as the closed in on the boy...
TO BE CONTINUED...
"I heard a voice calling out to me," Jase said, his voice shaking. "I came outside, then... it all went dark."
"Are you going to be able to run?"
"I-- I don't think so,"
"We'll make do," Bart said as he ran a hand through the boy's hair. "But we gotta go, and we gotta go now. Whatever that storm is that's coming, it's not natural. That's gotta be what Max was trying to warn me about."
"Is it coming to kill us?"
Bart looked up at the storm clouds, which were getting closer and drowning everything in darkness to the point where he could no longer see whatever the storm touched.
"Looks like," Bart told him. "No time to get back to the cabin for supplies, we're gonna have to go with just the clothes on our backs."
"But I'm in my pajamas," Jase said as Bart scooped him up. "And all our stuff is here."
"We can replace our stuff, and we can get you some new clothes and shoes. The only thing I can't replace is you," Bart told him. "Hang on tight, we're going full speed."
Jase held his arm around Bart's neck as they watched the storm wrap itself around their home, swallowing it into its dark void. Bart didn't take a second glance as he started running across the water, his boots splashing across the surface as he ran with Jase as fast as he could. The storm seemed to be picking up speed as well, quickly following them.
"How are you gonna outrun it?" Jase asked.
"Maybe I won't have to," Bart said as he saw the waterfall ahead of them. "Max said our way out is in there. Let's hope he was right!"
Bart put all his speed into running toward the waterfall, going behind the water so fast that he didn't even get wet. He kept running, even after he was inside, looking for anything that could be a door.
"I don't see anything!" Bart shouted as Jase closed his eyes.
"Keep going, we're almost there."
"Almost where--"
Bart suddenly saw a bright light at the end of the tunnel, with tints of orange, yellow and red.
"The speed force."
Bart picked up his speed and ran into the vortex, leaving his personal paradise behind as he entered the outer realm of the speed force, trying to take in the beauty around him as he ran.
"Where do we go from here?" Jase asked as he looked around, feeling at home more here than he did in Bart's paradise.
"We aren't the only ones who have ever died and come here," Bart told him. "Max once said that speedsters have been around forever. My Grandpa Barry and cousin Wally even came here and returned to the real world before. There's also Johnny Quick and Max Mercury, who are both probably here somewhere in their own pieces of the speed force. We just have to find someone who can tell us what's going on."
"Bart, why didn't you just leave me there to die?" Jase asked. "I know... you don't really like me. I ruined your adventures."
"Who said I didn't like you?" Bart asked as he stopped. "You're my little buddy, Jase. Yeah, we've had some... mishaps along the way, but I don't want you to die. I really do like you, kid. You remind me a lot of, well, me when I was starting out. No matter what happens, it's you and me, you got it? Nothin's gonna split us up, I promise. We're friends 'til the end."
"I think we should go that way," Jase smiled as he pointed north.
"Why?"
"Just a hunch,"
# # # # # # # # # #
The sun was scorching in the old western setting, with the desert landscape separating the well-kept ranch from the town just a half hour's horse ride away, or a five second run if you're a speedster. 24-year-old Lucas Adams was doing his chores at normal speed, something that he knew his father would want, having raised Lucas there. Using superspeed to get things done usually resulted in sloppiness, so he had to take his time to make sure things were done right to his father's liking, although his father was never going to come.
For a while, Lucas had imagined all of his loved ones were there, but after over a hundred years of living within the speed force, Lucas had eventually learned to tell reality from his imagination. His father wasn't there with him, nor were his friends or loved ones. It was just him, spending days working the ranch, the nights getting rest, and the rare weekend in the nearby empty town, just remembering what life was like before he had been cursed with these powers. The only other living thing that he wished to exist was his golden retriever, Sunny.
Lucas had just finished fixing the fence as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He needed some water after a hard morning's work. Heading to the well, Lucas pulled up the bucket just in time to hear the sounds of lightning just beyond the fence. It had been a long time since a storm had come through these parts, but there were no clouds in the sky.
# # # # # # # # # #
Bart and Jase landed in the sandy desert, rolling down a hill before they finally came to a stop at the bottom. Bart raised his head and spit out some sand, shaking some of it out of his hair.
"You okay, kid?"
Jase held some sand in the palm of his hand as he stuck his tongue into it, immediately spitting it back out.
"UGH! It's so dry!"
"It's sand, Jase, you're not supposed to eat it," Bart said as he helped the boy up. "Never thought I'd see a desert again."
"What's this?" Jase asked as he found a cactus. He stuck his tongue out and got closer as Bart pulled him back.
"Who would choose this as their personal Heaven?" Bart asked.
"Probably him," Jase said as a punch came from out of nowhere, knocking Bart back into the sand. Before he could react several more punches struck at Bart, keeping him on the ground.
"I don't know where you came from, 'cause I sure as hell didn't dream you up!" Lucas said as he went to punch Bart again, but this time Bart caught his fist and headbutted him. He jumped to his feet as Lucas rushed at him again. The two speedsters engaged in a superspeed brawl that couldn't be couldn't be viewed by the normal human eye, but Jase could see it just fine as it played out. At least, had Jase been watching. He found a lizard crawling on a log and picked it up, sticking his tongue out...
"Who are you?" Lucas asked as the continued moving at superspeed. "Who sent you!"
"Max Mercury, I guess!"
"Who?"
"This guy!" Bart said as he held up a picture. Lucas dropped him and backed off.
"Whip Whirlwind?"
"Uh, yeah, sure, let's go with that," Bart told him. "Something's happening with the speed force, forced me and my little friend to run for our lives. It's probably making its way here as we speak."
"If Whip sent you, then I suppose I can trust you," Lucas told him. "Come back to the ranch, I'll get you set up with some proper clothes and boots for this weather."
"Jase, come on!" Bart said as Jase appeared alongside him, holding a mushroom.
"I found a magic rock, it lets you see colors!"
# # # # # # # # # #
Meanwhile, back at the ranch
Bart and Lucas had been given some old western clothes and boots to wear, along with cowboy hats to keep the heat from getting to them.
"So that's the whole story," Bart said. "I think Max, er, Whip, is somewhere in the speed force, that's how he was able to warn me. But I have no idea how to find him, or how to fight a storm."
"Well, I guess the first we thing we should do is get in contact with Whip, he's a wise old sage, if anyone can figure out how to beat this, it's him," Lucas said. "So, you two are from the twentieth century?"
"Thirtieth, actually," Bart told him. "It's... complicated."
"We're complicated people," Jase said while licking a broom handle, getting a splinter in the process. "Owowowowowowow!
"He-- he likes to try new things," Bart said as he rolled his eyes.
"Well, if you're right, this storm's going to be devouring everything in its path," Lucas told them as he headed to his closet and grabbed a black and dark blue costume that resembled the Lone Ranger's, with a black cowboy hat and blue domino mask. "Never thought I'd get to wear this again."
"You were a hero?" Bart asked.
"Not the word people around here used," Lucas told them. "But I would have liked to have been called a hero at least once. Went by the name Cyclone."
"Well, Cyclone, if you're up for it, we could use your help stopping... whatever this is," Bart told him.
"I'm in," Lucas told them. "But the three of us probably aren't going to be enough."
"Which is why we're going to find the zen master of the speed force," Bart said as he looked over at Jase, holding a full grown golden retriever in his arms.
"He tastes like love!"
Lucas raised an eyebrow at him. "Please put my dog down. We'll rest up here tonight, then hit the trail first thing tomorrow morning."
# # # # # # # # # #
Elsewhere in the speed force
"It's cute that you think you can hide from me, Bart. I can find you wherever you go, no matter whose world you hide in, no matter what rock you crawl under. Fortunately for you, you're not the one I want. Since you want to play cowboy, let me indulge you in your fantasy by sending you some playmates. They should keep you distracted while I collect my prize."
# # # # # # # # # #
As Jase slept soundly in the bed, Bart saw Lucas sitting outside, staring into the night sky. Bart came outside and sat down next to him.
"Peculiar boy you got there," Lucas told him.
"Yeah, he's... special, alright," Bart said, staring down at the ground.
"Reminds me of my boy," Lucas said.
"You had a kid?"
"He was four years old when I, well, I don't want to say ‘died,’ because this don't feel like death," Lucas told him. "He had the superspeed, too. Was gettin' real good at usin' it, too. Our town was in trouble, real bad storm was threatenin' to blow it to pieces. Together, we used our speed to temper it and save the town, but... that was the last I ever saw of him. Been here over a century and I've never been able to find him in here. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing."
"Well, lucky for you that we're going to see the one guy who can tell you, right?" Bart asked. "If anyone can tell you where your son is, it's him."
"Then what? What if he's somewhere that I can never get to him?" Lucas asked. "What if he actually made it to actual Heaven? Or... what if he ran into some kind of trouble and he's stuck somewhere and I still can't reach him to help him? You take real good care of your boy, Bart. I hope you never have to go through what I'm going through."
Bart looked through the door where he could see Jase sleeping on the bed, dreaming of whatever was keeping the boy happy.
# # # # # # # # # #
The next morning, the trio ran into town to get some last minute provisions before leaving Lucas's personal paradise to start their quest. Jase had left his boots behind at the ranch, as they felt intensely uncomfortable on his feet, so he went without until he could find a nice pair of comfy sneakers. Running barefoot didn't bother him any, as he'd done it in the woods for a solid week before Bart took him in.
"Stay close, Jase," Bart told him.
"Aw, he should be fine," Lucas said as walked down the dusty street. "Nobody's been here since I realized that I was just rememberin' ghosts. Besides, we're just pickin' up supplies for the road. Meet us back here in fifteen minutes, little guy."
"And no licking stuff!" Bart shouted as he followed Lucas into the general store.
"Aw, he's no fun," Jase said as he looked around.
"Let's see, rope, canteens, snacks," Lucas said as he looked around the store, while Bart was zipping around.
"Hey, Luke, how come I haven't seen you use your speed outside of running into town?" Bart asked.
"I don't like using my speed if I don't have to," Lucas told him. "I like takin' my time to get things done, like how my Pa raised me. Plus it makes me feel like less of a freak. When I was out there in the real world...the stares people would give me when I did something with my powers, even in costume. It felt like daggers starin' into me, like I was a monster for havin' these abilities. I just wanted to be normal."
"Being normal's overrated," Bart said as he appeared beside Lucas while sucking on a peppermint stick. "Shouldn't let people dictate how you feel about yourself. If you want to help people, be a hero, then you gotta do you, pal. Don't let anyone tell you different."
"Thanks... I think," Lucas told him. "You know, we got time, and Jase can't get into any harm here. Let's go to the tavern and get a drink while we're here."
# # # # # # # # # #
Jase was kicking an old tin can down the street, trying to find something fun to do. And that's when he noticed the toy store with all sorts of old time toys from the 1880's in the store window. Even old fashioned toys looked interesting to him as he pressed his face against the window to peer in.
"Wow," Jase whispered, not realizing that there were a dozen burly bandits standing behind him, dressed in black and wearing handkerchiefs over their mouths. All of them were fully armed as the closed in on the boy...
TO BE CONTINUED...