#3
November 2001
Freeze the Moments
Part III: Last, the Thunder and the Ice
by JM de Joya
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#3 November 2001 |
Freeze the Moments Part III: Last, the Thunder and the Ice by JM de Joya |
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Falling for Linda's media trap. That's not going to be good . . .
Moving at 765 mph, the Flash, in his scarlet red suit, rushed towards the abandoned marina at the northwest edge of Atlanta. Pier 10 was situated on the lake, a two hour's drive from where Wally was. Not that that counts.
Details, details . . . Wally thought, passing by the detour sign.
Already 20 miles from the Pier . . . shouldn't be a problem then . . .
8
2 . . . " . . . whadda..!?!?!"
A blue blinding ray of ice flew directly to him, grabbing him, smashing him on the tree trunk by the side. There was no one there.
Or was there?
The water in the lake began to bubble, as if something was beginning to rise from it. suddenly, from the center, ice extended towards the shoreline from all sides. Wally eyes grew wide, as the figure in a black containment suit rose from the murky depths of the lake water, covered in weeds from the lakebed. Even from afar, the Flash could see from between the visor of the figure.
" . . . Victor?!" Wally yelled, as the figure closed in on him. "Oh my god, it that . . . ?!?!"
"What?!?!" Wally yelled in disappointment. "How could that . . . "
"Without Barry to support you, Walter, I'm afraid you and Bart have no place in here," Victor Freeze said, callously checking the reports given to him by his aides. "So far, the cause of many of our problems has been your interferences. I'm afraid it's time . . . "
"No! No, I can't . . . this isn't happening!" Wally shouted, angry. "After all this time . . . ? Why are you doing this?"
Freeze stared into his eyes, and Wally found in them an emptiness that swelled the soul. "Of course, if you work as an experimental model for Synergy, we'll be all the more happy to accommodate you . . . "
"Never," Wally said, grabbing Bart's hand. "We may not be with Synergy any longer . . . but Barry still left us a legacy."
Suddenly, the door flew open, as a brilliant ray of light zoomed across the place. Wally once again felt that they were alone in this world once more, and maybe . . . no one will ever care for them again.
"Say," an old man from afar muttered, as the two raced towards him. Jeremy Irons sat on chair in the dude ranch. Vacation, after all, was great rest for an old man. Suddenly, he swerved, blocking the path of the two blinding lights, chaotically laying waste to the land.
The moving light began to swerve, and like a comet, crashed into the corn field. Johnny walked closer to inspect and found the two boys, tired and hungry, kneeling down before him. "Well . . . you must be Barry's boys, I take it."
"Huh?!?" Wally then got the energy to stand up, and cling onto the man. " . . . you know Barry?"
"Know him? Why, know him I do!" Jeremy coughed, trying to gag a snicker. "I retired once he took over, you know. Sends letters now and then . . . "
"..right." Wally turned his back and sighed. "But you won't be receiving letters from Barry again."
"He's already there. I can feel him, one with the Speed Force." Jeremy ushered the two back to the ranch and sat on his rocking chair. "When you're old . . . you die. But when it concerns the Speed Force, you become the energy that fuels the speedsters after you. So, no matter where you go, Barry'll be watching you." He smiled, rocking back and forth. "Listen kids, since Barry's gone . . . and my wife and I never really had children . . . why don't you stay with us?"
" . . . Why?" Wally turned to him. "Why are you so kind to us?"
"Because," Jeremy said whispering both in their ears. "I know you're gonna wear the mask one day too."
Grabbing the wrapper, Linda was about to open her mouth to taste it when she heard a loud crash among the trees. She rushed out of her car, right before a giant icicle crushed it to pieces. Freeze stood before the Flash, wrapping him with his gloves.
"Flash."
The only word he said before aiming the freeze gun on his forehead. Suddenly, a rock hit him from behind, and Freeze let go of the Flash, only to find Linda ready and aimed, licenced to kill. "I swear buddy, these rocks hurt. Don't kill my Pulitzer prize!"
Freeze arched his head, then fired the freeze gun at Linda. Fortunately, Wally grabbed her, before the gun could do damage. Freeze stood before the frozen tree, and roared in rage, smashing the side in half. The tree shattered into many shards of ice, prickling the skin of Linda and the Flash. "Stay here," he said, hiding her among the bushes, and turned back to Freeze.
Len Snart tripped. he crashed onto the grassy fields in the forest, trying to reach his destination. Grabbing onto the notes he had in his pocket, the young man knew he couldn't go back to the University just yet. What if Freeze finds him? Or the Flash? "No," he muttered to himself.
Then he was there. His hideout, an abandoned shack in the middle of the forest. He'll have to protect himself. With these notes, just maybe . . . do a variation? Something much more powerful than Freeze.
He had to.
He'll go in hiding for now; until he was ready. He'll find a way.
"Hey, Jeremy! Guess what!" Bart said. "There's someone here to see you. Some named . . . the Red what?!?!"
[The Red Tornado.]
"Right. Jerrreeeemmmyyyy!!!!! There's a Red Tomato to see you!"
Jeremy Irons sighed, grabbing onto his hat and coat. He got down and greeted Bart, swinging the front door open and sat on the porch of his house. Staring at the metallic red-and-gold android standing before him, his face shining like the sun.
"It doesn't look like a red tomato to me, Bart," he said, sighing. " . . . did you steal it from another super-villain? I mean Red Tornado WAS created by T.O. Morrow and all . . . "
[Pardon me, sir, but I DO believe that I am NOT a tomato, Rapid,] the sentient said. [Sir, I have been given the privilege to work with the next generation of superheroes. Among them, we have detected your son Bart as one with potential.]
"A privilege. Right," Jeremy said, winking at Bart. "Well . . . since you do know about his life so much already . . . what do you think, Barty?"
"STOP CALLING ME THAT!!!" Bart said, jumping up and down. "Sure! Save the world and all that . . . uh . . . how? Like when I teamed up with those guys to take on the Looter?"
[You will have help,] Red Tornado said, as he opened the door to the white van behind him . . . er, it. Bart hopped on, noticing a green girl sitting beside him. " . . . uh . . . hi," he said, blushing.
"Hi! Name's Jenn . . . can call me Jade . . . you have the nicest shirt . . . do you shop at . . . ?How's . . . why . . . ?"
"Boy," Bart muttered to Red Tornado. "She talks faster than I can move."
[I know,] the sentient muttered, slapping his forehead. [I--am a--getting-- ma-ma-alfunction just listening to her . . . ]
"You take care of Bart now, you hear?" Jeremy yelled, and Red Tornado nodded, slamming the door shut. Wally just got down and was ready to go to the arcade.
"Hey, where's Bart?" he asked Jeremy. The old man sighed and pointed to the direction of the leaving van. In an instant, he stomped his foot to the ground, then disappearing, running at a light speed.
Five miles an hour.
" . . . and blah blah blah . . . hey, know him, Bart?" Jenn asked, and Bart peered out of the window. On the side, Wally was running at the same speed of the moving van, and was waving hi. "HEY! Wally! Going to be on a team!"
"HeyBarty!don'tforgettobrushandwritetomeusalot!" he yelled, and Bart gave him a thumbs-up.
Suddenly, Wally swerved, right before a giant truck could smash him like a bug. But the velocity was too strong, flinging him over to a pile of hay. "Oh . . . MAN!" Wally yelled. "My new Gap's ruined!"
Then he laughed out loud. "Well, it's just me now . . . someday, I may be on a team too . . . "
The cold man in the containment suit said nothing, as Wally rushed to get behind him. Suddenly, the speedster found himself trapped in an ice field, then crashing back onto the ground. "How . . . ?!?!"
"Physics," Freeze said, kicking the Flash aside.
Wally the rationalized the impossible. Okay . . . Barry taught me this little sucker . . . he's got a gun. He's got a gun that could make the whole of Atlanta into a popsicle, which shouldn't be too bad. But . . . I can't touch him. Rolling back, Wally got up and made another try at the man, this time heading straight towards him. Then, another blinding blue Flash, that stopped Wally in motion, and gave enough time for Freeze to pummel him. Bleeding, Wally stood up, a little dazed, as Freeze fired the gun at him.
"Freeze," he uttered, as the patches of ice began to grow around his body. Moisture in the air . . . so that's why he wanted to fight me in the lake, it's the water! What else, what else . . . think Wally, or you'll be the first popsicle on his list! The ice flow was already up to his neck, when Wally paused.
"Oh god, Barry, hope you're right on this . . . " the Flash closed his eyes, as if praying. Suddenly, the ground began to vibrate, like an earthquake was occurring near the lake. The Flash opened his eyes again, only to find the molecules in his blood vibrating, as he burst through the patches of ice covering him. "Molecules, you better try harder than that Freeze," Wally muttered. "That gun's to make it slower, all I have to do is adjust mine on a different level and . . . kaboom! Instant crushed ice. Care for a drink?" Without hesitation, Wally grabbed Freeze by the collar, and held him up.
"So . . . what do you have to say to . . . what the . . . ?!!?!" From inside the black suit, the Flash could've sworn he heard Freeze laughing at him, as he himself was turning to ice. "Molecules . . . on a different level," Freeze said from his mask. "Energy levels on ice have increased as well. Freezing your molecules. Savor it, Wally West, for you cannot freeze the moment no longer . . . "
Struggling, Freeze pushed the speedster aside, smashing him against the tree. He then readied his gun, only to find it no longer in his hands. "I believe you were looking for this," Wally said, grinning in pain. "Linda! Help please!"
From the bushes he heard the reply. "I thought you wanted me out!"
"Not anymore, so please haul yourself over hear before Freeze gets you . . . or me . . . " Wally felt the ice slowly clasping him. He couldn't move, as Freeze drew near him, arms outstretched for the ray gun.
"Mine . . . " he chanted, as Linda appeared behind his back.
"Y-you know what?" Wally said. "Catch!" He threw the ray gun on the air, missing the clutches of Freeze, and landing on the grass behind the man. Linda hesitated, but seeing Freeze reach out for it, she immediately grabbed it and sidestepped aside. "Reverse the switch!" Wally yelled to her.
"Where?"
"On the right! I saw it!"
"Right . . . right," she muttered, pushing it to the other side, suddenly she found herself being pulled upwards, as Freeze held her by her other arm. "Wally . . . " she grumbled. "I hate you for this."
Firing the ray gun at speedster, the Flash found the ice in his molecules suddenly disappearing, and within seconds, Wally West was back to normal, ready to kick some serious . . . stuff. Freeze threw Linda aside, grabbing the gun. Only this time, he found himself staring into the Flash's eyes. "Y'know about that freeze the moment thing you were talking about?" he said, crunching his fist. " . . . Barry told me the same thing . . . and I'm going to savor it, yep."
Freeze never knew what hit him, as the Flash pounded the man several times within a second, and going over almost five minutes. Letting go of his enemy, Wally held on to Freeze as he lay unconscious in his hands. "He's like putty, if you ask me," he muttered.
Suddenly, Linda grabbed hold of him, holding onto her tape recorder. "'kay, superstar, speak up! I want a full interview here now, see . . . "
"Whoa, Linda, you're forgetting about my identity that easily?" Wally said, surprised at his friend. "I thought you wanted it badly . . . "
"Nah. Not this time," she said, smiling. "For saving me . . . and my butt back there, I'll save it for a rainy day. Besides, you look cute under that mask, I don't want the world to know the Flash looks cute."
"Right . . . "
"So . . . why don't we do it like this. I interview and report your stories personally, and I shut up about you being Flash? Deal?" She placed her hand on his. Wally blushed for a second, but was then jolted into reality. " . . . sure. Why not?"
"Settled. See you tomorrow, I'm sure you'll be as heroic as ever," she said, as she jumped into her car and drove off. Wally sighed. And within a blink of light, disappeared into the night.