"That tickles," Jase said as he sat on the table at S.T.A.R. Labs. The doctor was using the stethoscope to check the boy's heartbeat. "And its cold. Stop making me feel things!"
"Well, the good news is that Jase is a perfectly healthy 12-year-old boy," the doctor told Bart and Wally a few minutes later as they waited outside. Superman had flown Bart there, while Wally carried Jase. Both had been unconscious for hours, waking up in hospital beds just a short while ago. "His powers seem stable, and there's no long-term physical damage that his abilities won't heal over time."
"Now, when you say 'normal'," Bart said. "This kid is the physical embodiment of the speed force. Is he going to be able to physically handle that?"
"That's the other thing," the doctor said as he looked in on Jase, who was licking a tongue depresser, gagging himself in the process. "From how you explained your ejection from your 'speed force', the strain gave the boy amnesia. He seems to remember you, but anything beyond living with you and learning to be a child seems to be completely erased."
"So he doesn't remember Inertia or how he came to be," Wally said. "That can be a good thing for him, Bart. He doesn't need that pressure in his life."
"You're right," Bart said, remembering the look on Jase's face when Inertia had impaled Bart. "I'm just glad we got out of that place in one piece."
"Well, the boy did," the doctor said, taking a deep breath. "You, however, are another story."
# # # # #
Jase had pulled his shirt on and snuck out of the room in order to explore his new surroundings. The young speedster headed to the window and was nearly blinded by a bright light coming from the sky. He'd never seen the sun in real life before, only what the speed force had simulated.
"Whoa, kid, you need to slow down," Wally said as he pulled the boy back, handing him some sunglasses. You'll need to wear these outside until your eyes adjust to the light. Do not lick them."
"Are you my brother, too?" Jase asked as he put the glasses on, seeing immediate darkness.
"Well, I guess you can say I'm your cousin," Wally replied as the two started walking. "How was life in the speed force?"
"Fun," Jase said. "Me and Bart, we could do anything we wanted or go anywhere just by imagining it. I tried doing that here, but it didn't work."
"Because this is the real world," Wally told him. "The rules are different here. You're going to have to do a lot of adjusting."
"Is there pizza out here?"
"Yeah, kid, there's pizza,"
"Then that's all I need. Well, that and Bart. Where is he?"
# # # # #
Bart walked out of the exam room, his head hung low as Jase grabbed him around the waist, hugging him tightly. "BART! Can we go home now?"
"Yeah," Bart said in a low tone. "But first we need to find a home."
"You okay, Bart?" Wally asked. "What did the doctor say."
"Jase, why you don't go get some candy out of the vending machine?" Bart asked as Wally handed the boy some quarters. "Do not lick those."
As soon as Jase was gone, Wally just looked at his younger cousin.
"How bad is it?"
# # # # #
Jase had found the vending machine, and was trying to decide what looked good enough to buy.
"Go for the peanut butter cups, that's what I'd get," a young voice said as Jase turned around. He was about an inch taller than Jase, with jet black hair and a red ballcap on his head. He was wearing glasses with a button down jersey, torn blue jeans and sneakers.
"Who are you?"
"Oh, sorry," the boy said. "My name's Jon. My dad said he was taking me to meet a kid my age to hang out with while the adults talked. Are you Jase?"
"Yeah. Who's your dad?"
Jon looked both ways before getting a big smile before giddily whispering.
"Superman."
# # # # #
"It'll be okay, Bart," Wally said, comforting his cousin as Clark Kent arrived with a yellow envelope.
"I talked to our... friend in Gotham," Clark said as he handed Bart the envelope. "This is Jase's birth certificate, social security number, etc. Figured you'd need it for the boy to enroll in school when he's ready."
"Jase Allen?" Bart read as he opened it.
"He's your responsibility, Bart," Clark told him. "He's classified as your younger brother that your mother left for you to raise before she disappeared again. Do you think you can handle raising this boy?"
Bart just nodded. "I'd do anything for that kid. He should've been back by now."
"I brought my son to keep him company while we talked," Clark told them. "Jon will keep out of trouble while we discuss--," Clark listened up, his hearing not picking up either boy in the vicinity. "Oh, no."
# # # # #
Having changed into their Impulse and Superboy costumes, the two young heroes were racing around Metropolis, looking for something fun to do.
"Are you sure we should leave the that place? I don't want Bart getting upset that I left," Impulse said, still wearing the sunglasses instead of his usual yellow goggles.
"Trust me," Superboy said. "I know Metropolis like the back of my hand. I can show you all the fun places to hang out while we're here. And then maybe later I can introduce you to Robin."
"Who's Robin?"
"He's my best friend. He's also kind of a dick. Please don't tell my dad I said 'dick'."
As the two friends raced through the streets of Metropolis, someone was watching them from afar.
"I could really have some fun with this."
# # # # #
"I need to find him," Bart said as Wally pulled him back.
"You need to calm down," Wally told him. "Especially now knowing... what you know. I'll go find the boys, Clark will take you back to Central CIty. There's a rental place up the street from my apartment, it'll be perfect for the two of you. I'll cover your rent for a little while until you find something to support the two of you. You'll be okay, Bart, I promise."
"Wally... thanks," Bart said as he hugged him. "Never thought we'd be this close, huh?"
"Well, we've come a long way since I wanted to vibrate you through a brick wall and leave you there," Wally smirked.
"Tell Jon we're going to have a long talk tonight at home," Clark said as Wally rushed out the door.
# # # # #
"Help!" a child's voice shouted as Superboy listened in.
"Someone's in trouble!" Superboy told his new friend. "This way!"
"Oh, boy, my first adventure in the real world!" Impulse said excitedly as he followed Superboy toward the warehouse district. "I feel just like Pinocchio!"
"My big brother Connor says that a lot, usually when a pretty girl walks past," Superboy told him as they got to the warehouse. "I have no idea what that means because I never see his nose growing. Although it is weird that he has to sit down for a long time afterward."
The two burst into the warehouse and found a boy their age trapped under a pile of crates. The blonde boy stared over at them, his eyes pleading for help.
"Don't worry, we're coming!" Superboy shouted as he started tossing the crates away.
"I can try to vibrate him out from under!" Impulse said as he grabbed the boy's arms. "Just hang on, kid! I'll have you unstuck in just a second!"
"Speaking of getting things unstuck," a voice from the darkness said as a man in a sweater vest stepped out of the shadows. He was wearing a giant plastic doll head with a creepy grin on it. "Here you go. Try out some of my new & improved silly putty."
The Toyman tossed two plastic eggs at their feet, which cracked open and shot out two small wads of silly putty at the heroes. It hit their costumes and started expanding, quickly covering both boys from head to toe.
"Did I do good , Father?" the boy asked as he stood up.
"You did excellent, Adam, and now we have two heroes to--" the Toyman started to say as Superboy started spinning at superspeed, causing the silly putty to fly off in chunks, breaking windows and denting the walls. Impulse vibrated through his, grabbing the silly putty and tossing it at the Toyman. It hit him as the villain started struggling with it while it tried to cover him.
"This is fun!" Impulse shouted as Superboy came to a stop. "What else does this guy have?"
"That guy? He's no fun," another voice said as bunch of marbles rolled toward the boys. They started exploding, sending the two flying back where they hit the wall. The Trickster stepped out of the shadows, riding a pogo stick. "Now I have some toys to die for!"
"Trickster," Toyman said as he poured some liquid on the silly putty, causing it to harden and crumble instantly. "Metropolis is my city."
"Not anymore, the Rogues took the Flash's leave of absence to their advantage and are dividing up the city. Figured it'd be a good chance to find a new city to claim."
"This is my playroom," Toyman said as he tossed several razor-sharp chattering teeth to the floor, making their way to the Trickster, who used his pogo stick to smash some of them before the other tore through the metal, causing him to fall to the ground. Trickster got to his feet and tossed several potato head bombs at the chattering teeth, causing them to explode.
"Sh-- should we step in?" Superboy asked.
"I wouldn't, Father doesn't like it when people interrupt his playtime," Adam told them.
"Aw, I wanted to play with those chattering teeth," Impulse replied as he thought about it. "Wait a minute, you're one of the bad guys!"
"Am not," Adam said. "My father just likes to have fun. He says I'm not old enough to have the kind of fun he likes."
"At any rate, I think we should break this up before someone gets hurt," Superboy told them. "Like, you know... us. Besides, we have to tell Wally what's going on in his city so he can stop it."
Before the two heroes could stop the fight between the two villains, they ran right into a wall that looked like the fight that was unfolding in front of them. The two young heroes fell onto their backs as the scene in front of them scrolled up, revealing a large, M.C. Escheresque landscape with staircases and walkways that seemed to go everywhere and nowhere all at once.
"Where are we?" Impulse asked as he looked around as he heard as sinister giggle.
"Why, you're right where your are,"
A tiny bowler hat floated toward them, hovering in mid-air something started climbing out it, before fitting the hat back on top of his head.
"Who are you?" Adam asked.
"Why, I'm Mister Mxyzptlk, and it's time that the son of Superman started taking part in the family tradition," the imp giggled insanely. "We're going to have so much fun, you and I. Fun that will last for all eternity!"
"Uh, I don't think I have eternity, Mr. Pretzelstick," Impulse told him. "I have a 9 o'clock bedtime."
TO BE CONTINUED...
"Well, the good news is that Jase is a perfectly healthy 12-year-old boy," the doctor told Bart and Wally a few minutes later as they waited outside. Superman had flown Bart there, while Wally carried Jase. Both had been unconscious for hours, waking up in hospital beds just a short while ago. "His powers seem stable, and there's no long-term physical damage that his abilities won't heal over time."
"Now, when you say 'normal'," Bart said. "This kid is the physical embodiment of the speed force. Is he going to be able to physically handle that?"
"That's the other thing," the doctor said as he looked in on Jase, who was licking a tongue depresser, gagging himself in the process. "From how you explained your ejection from your 'speed force', the strain gave the boy amnesia. He seems to remember you, but anything beyond living with you and learning to be a child seems to be completely erased."
"So he doesn't remember Inertia or how he came to be," Wally said. "That can be a good thing for him, Bart. He doesn't need that pressure in his life."
"You're right," Bart said, remembering the look on Jase's face when Inertia had impaled Bart. "I'm just glad we got out of that place in one piece."
"Well, the boy did," the doctor said, taking a deep breath. "You, however, are another story."
# # # # #
Jase had pulled his shirt on and snuck out of the room in order to explore his new surroundings. The young speedster headed to the window and was nearly blinded by a bright light coming from the sky. He'd never seen the sun in real life before, only what the speed force had simulated.
"Whoa, kid, you need to slow down," Wally said as he pulled the boy back, handing him some sunglasses. You'll need to wear these outside until your eyes adjust to the light. Do not lick them."
"Are you my brother, too?" Jase asked as he put the glasses on, seeing immediate darkness.
"Well, I guess you can say I'm your cousin," Wally replied as the two started walking. "How was life in the speed force?"
"Fun," Jase said. "Me and Bart, we could do anything we wanted or go anywhere just by imagining it. I tried doing that here, but it didn't work."
"Because this is the real world," Wally told him. "The rules are different here. You're going to have to do a lot of adjusting."
"Is there pizza out here?"
"Yeah, kid, there's pizza,"
"Then that's all I need. Well, that and Bart. Where is he?"
# # # # #
Bart walked out of the exam room, his head hung low as Jase grabbed him around the waist, hugging him tightly. "BART! Can we go home now?"
"Yeah," Bart said in a low tone. "But first we need to find a home."
"You okay, Bart?" Wally asked. "What did the doctor say."
"Jase, why you don't go get some candy out of the vending machine?" Bart asked as Wally handed the boy some quarters. "Do not lick those."
As soon as Jase was gone, Wally just looked at his younger cousin.
"How bad is it?"
# # # # #
Jase had found the vending machine, and was trying to decide what looked good enough to buy.
"Go for the peanut butter cups, that's what I'd get," a young voice said as Jase turned around. He was about an inch taller than Jase, with jet black hair and a red ballcap on his head. He was wearing glasses with a button down jersey, torn blue jeans and sneakers.
"Who are you?"
"Oh, sorry," the boy said. "My name's Jon. My dad said he was taking me to meet a kid my age to hang out with while the adults talked. Are you Jase?"
"Yeah. Who's your dad?"
Jon looked both ways before getting a big smile before giddily whispering.
"Superman."
# # # # #
"It'll be okay, Bart," Wally said, comforting his cousin as Clark Kent arrived with a yellow envelope.
"I talked to our... friend in Gotham," Clark said as he handed Bart the envelope. "This is Jase's birth certificate, social security number, etc. Figured you'd need it for the boy to enroll in school when he's ready."
"Jase Allen?" Bart read as he opened it.
"He's your responsibility, Bart," Clark told him. "He's classified as your younger brother that your mother left for you to raise before she disappeared again. Do you think you can handle raising this boy?"
Bart just nodded. "I'd do anything for that kid. He should've been back by now."
"I brought my son to keep him company while we talked," Clark told them. "Jon will keep out of trouble while we discuss--," Clark listened up, his hearing not picking up either boy in the vicinity. "Oh, no."
# # # # #
Having changed into their Impulse and Superboy costumes, the two young heroes were racing around Metropolis, looking for something fun to do.
"Are you sure we should leave the that place? I don't want Bart getting upset that I left," Impulse said, still wearing the sunglasses instead of his usual yellow goggles.
"Trust me," Superboy said. "I know Metropolis like the back of my hand. I can show you all the fun places to hang out while we're here. And then maybe later I can introduce you to Robin."
"Who's Robin?"
"He's my best friend. He's also kind of a dick. Please don't tell my dad I said 'dick'."
As the two friends raced through the streets of Metropolis, someone was watching them from afar.
"I could really have some fun with this."
# # # # #
"I need to find him," Bart said as Wally pulled him back.
"You need to calm down," Wally told him. "Especially now knowing... what you know. I'll go find the boys, Clark will take you back to Central CIty. There's a rental place up the street from my apartment, it'll be perfect for the two of you. I'll cover your rent for a little while until you find something to support the two of you. You'll be okay, Bart, I promise."
"Wally... thanks," Bart said as he hugged him. "Never thought we'd be this close, huh?"
"Well, we've come a long way since I wanted to vibrate you through a brick wall and leave you there," Wally smirked.
"Tell Jon we're going to have a long talk tonight at home," Clark said as Wally rushed out the door.
# # # # #
"Help!" a child's voice shouted as Superboy listened in.
"Someone's in trouble!" Superboy told his new friend. "This way!"
"Oh, boy, my first adventure in the real world!" Impulse said excitedly as he followed Superboy toward the warehouse district. "I feel just like Pinocchio!"
"My big brother Connor says that a lot, usually when a pretty girl walks past," Superboy told him as they got to the warehouse. "I have no idea what that means because I never see his nose growing. Although it is weird that he has to sit down for a long time afterward."
The two burst into the warehouse and found a boy their age trapped under a pile of crates. The blonde boy stared over at them, his eyes pleading for help.
"Don't worry, we're coming!" Superboy shouted as he started tossing the crates away.
"I can try to vibrate him out from under!" Impulse said as he grabbed the boy's arms. "Just hang on, kid! I'll have you unstuck in just a second!"
"Speaking of getting things unstuck," a voice from the darkness said as a man in a sweater vest stepped out of the shadows. He was wearing a giant plastic doll head with a creepy grin on it. "Here you go. Try out some of my new & improved silly putty."
The Toyman tossed two plastic eggs at their feet, which cracked open and shot out two small wads of silly putty at the heroes. It hit their costumes and started expanding, quickly covering both boys from head to toe.
"Did I do good , Father?" the boy asked as he stood up.
"You did excellent, Adam, and now we have two heroes to--" the Toyman started to say as Superboy started spinning at superspeed, causing the silly putty to fly off in chunks, breaking windows and denting the walls. Impulse vibrated through his, grabbing the silly putty and tossing it at the Toyman. It hit him as the villain started struggling with it while it tried to cover him.
"This is fun!" Impulse shouted as Superboy came to a stop. "What else does this guy have?"
"That guy? He's no fun," another voice said as bunch of marbles rolled toward the boys. They started exploding, sending the two flying back where they hit the wall. The Trickster stepped out of the shadows, riding a pogo stick. "Now I have some toys to die for!"
"Trickster," Toyman said as he poured some liquid on the silly putty, causing it to harden and crumble instantly. "Metropolis is my city."
"Not anymore, the Rogues took the Flash's leave of absence to their advantage and are dividing up the city. Figured it'd be a good chance to find a new city to claim."
"This is my playroom," Toyman said as he tossed several razor-sharp chattering teeth to the floor, making their way to the Trickster, who used his pogo stick to smash some of them before the other tore through the metal, causing him to fall to the ground. Trickster got to his feet and tossed several potato head bombs at the chattering teeth, causing them to explode.
"Sh-- should we step in?" Superboy asked.
"I wouldn't, Father doesn't like it when people interrupt his playtime," Adam told them.
"Aw, I wanted to play with those chattering teeth," Impulse replied as he thought about it. "Wait a minute, you're one of the bad guys!"
"Am not," Adam said. "My father just likes to have fun. He says I'm not old enough to have the kind of fun he likes."
"At any rate, I think we should break this up before someone gets hurt," Superboy told them. "Like, you know... us. Besides, we have to tell Wally what's going on in his city so he can stop it."
Before the two heroes could stop the fight between the two villains, they ran right into a wall that looked like the fight that was unfolding in front of them. The two young heroes fell onto their backs as the scene in front of them scrolled up, revealing a large, M.C. Escheresque landscape with staircases and walkways that seemed to go everywhere and nowhere all at once.
"Where are we?" Impulse asked as he looked around as he heard as sinister giggle.
"Why, you're right where your are,"
A tiny bowler hat floated toward them, hovering in mid-air something started climbing out it, before fitting the hat back on top of his head.
"Who are you?" Adam asked.
"Why, I'm Mister Mxyzptlk, and it's time that the son of Superman started taking part in the family tradition," the imp giggled insanely. "We're going to have so much fun, you and I. Fun that will last for all eternity!"
"Uh, I don't think I have eternity, Mr. Pretzelstick," Impulse told him. "I have a 9 o'clock bedtime."
TO BE CONTINUED...