Wally continued to read the file from Barry's computer. The file that could save his life.

Jay Garrick, the original Flash, was standing with a stopwatch. He shook his head, worriedly. He wasn't happy with what he was seeing. This was going too slowly.

A red streak whizzed by and suddenly Barry Allen, the new Flash, appeared. Barry smiled. "How was that?" he asked with a smile. But he stopped smiling when he noticed Jay's expression.

"I hate to be critical, Barry," Jay said, "but this is serious business and I need to be bluntly honest with you. I'm not impressed with your times. You can do a lot better. I know you can. And you'll need to if you're going to survive Rival!"

"Why does this Rival hate you so much?" Barry asked.

"It goes way back to the days before I was the Flash," Jay said. "He was a teacher who molested a student. I reported him and he got fired. His teaching career was ruined. He blamed me. Later, he somehow managed to become the ruler of the Realm of Fiction, and called himself Bard Figment. He tried to destroy the JSA, but we stopped him. He came back a third time looking almost exactly like me, and with all my powers. He was now called Rival. He joined the Injustice Society, but I managed to trap him in the speed force. We met again after that. I always managed to get the better of him. As far as I knew, he was still in the Speed Force."

"What's the Speed Force?" Barry asked.

"That's what you need to learn about if you're going to have a prayer of ever beating Rival."

Barry grimaced, thinking of his previous encounter with Rival. "He was so fast. Much faster than me. I could barely see the punches he was throwing. He could have killed me anytime."

"That's why you need lessons," Jay said.

"You beat him before, did you?" Barry asked. "You must be much faster than I am."

"I was, in my youth," Jay said. "But I'm getting old now. I can't move like I used to. And my stamina is nothing like it used to be. But at one time, I flirted with the speed of light."

"The speed of light?" Barry gasped, amazed, "Incredible! I can't move nearly so fast."

"I've been clocking your speed," Jay said. "Judging by the amount of time it took you to cover the approximate distance, and using that as a basis for a calculation of the ratio of your speed comparable to the speed of sound, I'd say that your top running speed is three times that of sound. That may be impressive against anyone else, but not against Rival. He was always as fast as I was, and he hasn't aged at all. He's still in his prime. He's faster than either of us now."

"Why hasn't he aged?" Barry asked.

"Because he was inside the Speed Force. Time and entropy work differently there. You can live forever in the Speed Force," Jay explained.

"So he can still move at near to the speed of light?" Barry asked.

"Yes, and you'll have to also, if you want to win," Jay said.

"But I can't run that fast. You just saw me . . . " Barry began.

"You can!" Jay insisted. "And you will when I'm through with you."

"How?"

"I'm going to show you how to tap into the Speed Force better," Jay said.

"I still don't understand about this Speed Force," Barry said.

"It's the source of our power," Jay said. "The human body isn't designed to produce this kind of speed. But we do it anyway. We run hundreds of miles without getting tired. Where do you think the energy to do this is coming from? And how does a human mind navigate while moving at such amazing speeds? Don't you realize that something speeds up your thought processes proportionate to how fast you run? Where does the aura come from that protects you from friction and super-speed falls? It all comes from the Speed Force. Barry, you and I have tapped into an incredible power source. I'm going to teach you how to use it."

Barry's head was spinning. He had wondered about all of this. He was a scientist, after all. But he never considered that he was tapping into some powerful energy field.

"Teach me."

Starman! The young hero had been trying to catch up with the speeding villain all day. Rival had been moving much too quickly, until now. He stopped outside the residence that used to be his home back when he was a respectable teacher. He missed those days, but he had to admit, he loved the power he now had as Rival. As he was staring, lost in a reverie, Starman arrived and fired his cosmic rod at the swift criminal. Rival caught a glimpse of sunlight reflected off the rod, and using his incredible speed and reflexes, Rival dodged the blast.

"So, back for another try, are you boy?" Rival asked. "I never got to fight your predecessor, but I'll be satisfied with killing you. You'll be a nice warm up for Flash!"

"Faster!" Jay yelled, "Hit faster!"

Barry tried his best to speed up his punches.

"Don't think so hard about it," Jay said. "Just let it happen. Let the speed come. Use your feelings, not your intellect."

Barry tried not to concentrate on the speed of the punches. He just punched. And to his amazement, the blows seemed to be coming faster and faster. Faster than Jay could block them. Barry knocked Jay off his feet.

"Jay!" Barry yelled in alarm as Jay crashed and rolled. He rushed to Jay's side.

Jay sat on the ground, bruised but smiling. "Well done."

"I did it!" Barry said. "I've never thrown punches so fast!"

"And we're just getting started," Jay said. "There's so much more to learn. Fortunately, at super speed, we can cover a lot in a short time."

"We've done punching speed. What's next? Running speed? I'm hoping to reach light-speed."

Jay shook his head. "Barry, you still don't get it. You have no idea what you're capable of. This is not just about running fast. Do you know that by running and reaching nearly light-speed, your mass increases, thereby increasing your punching and ramming power a million times? Do you know that by vibrating through a solid object you can either shatter it to pieces or turn it into an accelerated particle bomb? Do you realize that by spinning you can created a small twister, or that by spinning your arms you can create a powerful wind or suction, depending on which direction your arms rotate? Do you know that you can see into other dimensions? Have you ever used a sonic boom as a weapon? Do you know you can confuse an enemy by creating ‘after-images' of yourself, making it look like there is more than one of you? I even used my speed to time-travel.

"My God, Barry, you've got hold of something that has unlimited potential. There may still be things even I haven't figured out yet. You may go beyond where I was when I was at my best. Because you have an advantage, a head start. You have me and my experience to learn from. I'll tell you what I've discovered over the past forty years. With my know-how and your youth and energy, we'll make you into a force that Rival can't contend with. But you have to trust me, and listen and learn."

Barry nodded, impressed and eager to learn. "I'll do whatever you say, coach."

Rival laughed as Starman lay before him. "Nice try, boy, but not good enough. Maybe the first Starman, the one from World War Two, would have done better. But I guess we'll never know. He's probably an old dinosaur now, isn't he? Now, what should I do with you? There are so many ways to kill someone. Especially when you have my abilities. Maybe I should . . . "

Rival sensed something. It was far away, but still within the range that he could detect it. Someone was using super-speed. It was coming from the direction of Pennsylvania.

"Garrick!" He hissed.

Rival forgot about Starman and headed to Keystone County, Pennsylvania.

Night was falling. Jay sat on a rock, exhausted. "I need to rest. I don't have the endurance for this anymore."

"How much longer until I'm ready?" Barry asked.

"Well, Rival still has the advantage of experience on you, but you may have the advantage of surprise. He'll be expecting the same awkward rookie he fought earlier. He won't image how much you've learned in a day."

Jay suddenly jerked his head around, as if he was alerted to something dangerous.

"What's wrong?" Barry asked.

"He's coming," Jay said.

"How do you know?"

"Do what I taught you," Jay said. "We can detect other people using their speed. Reach out with your instincts. Feel the Speed Force in him."

"Yes," Barry whispered, surprised at his own abilities. "I can sense him too. He's heading this way. He's zigzagging like he's looking for something."

"He's looking for me," Jay said. "He's come for revenge. There's no time for any more lessons. It's your time now, Barry. It's up to you. I'm too old to fight him now. Everything depends on how well you've learned your lessons today. Good luck, son."

Barry nodded and braced himself for what was to come. "Moment of truth," he muttered and raced off to face the enemy. Jay sat sadly, getting his breath back. He wished he could do more. He liked Barry and he was afraid that he'd sent the young hero off to his death.

"Finally!" Rival said, smiling.

Rival changed direction and immediately came face-to-face with Barry Allen, the Flash. Both men skidded to a stop. They stood a few feet apart.

"I should have killed you before," Rival said. "Oh well, better late than never."

"I'm waiting," Flash said.

"You can still get out of this alive," Rival said. "Tell me where Garrick is and I'll give you a chance to run for your life. I won't follow you."

"You only reach him by going through me," Barry said.

Rival laughed. "After what I did to you last time? Don't you ever learn?"

"Oh yes," Barry said. "I learn."

Rival shot forward expecting to run through Flash and explode him into pieces. But to his shock, Flash wasn't where Rival expected him to be.

"Over here," Flash said, smiling.

Rival grunted and rushed Flash, but again Flash evaded him. Rival hesitated in surprise, which gave Flash a chance to attack. Flash threw countless super-speed punches at Rival, who was stunned by the sudden assault. He managed to get his hands up to try and block the punches but they came faster than he expected. He was rocked by repeated fists to the face.

Rival made a surprise move and kicked Flash's feet out from under him. Flash recovered quickly but the move gave Rival a chance to recover his wits.

"You've improved!" Rival said. "I'm impressed. Let's try this again."

They hooked up again and resumed their super-speed war. Faster than the human eye could follow, they battled all over Pennsylvania. Attacking and counter-attacking, hitting and running. Millions of punches were thrown. No quarter was given.

Eventually, Rival managed to get the edge. As Jay had suspected, his experience was too much for Barry, even with the added lessons Jay had given him. Barry was getting the worst of it. He held fast and did his best, but in the end, Barry went down. He lay stunned, trying to get himself together for another counter-attack. Rival was about to deliver the killing blow.

"Leave that school boy alone!" an angry voice yelled.

Rival turned around to see the face of the enemy that had haunted his thoughts for decades. "Garrick!"

Jay Garrick gestured for Rival to come after him. "Come on, you psycho. I've beaten you every other time we've met. Why should today be any different?"

Rival didn't bother to answer. He had waited too long to bother with words now. He streaked toward the enemy. Jay just stood there . . . apparently.

Rival went right through him. As Jay had guessed, Rival's temper and impatience would make him attack without thinking. Rival didn't notice that Jay was not really standing still. He was moving back-and-forth between two points, which created an ‘after-image' of himself. Rival passed through the image and almost crashed into a tree, but he managed to vibrate in time and destroyed the tree. He looked around hatefully.

"Come and find me," Jay said, and began playing hide-and-seek in the trees.

Rival roared, and raced around the woods trying to find the man he hated.

While Rival was on his wild goose chase, Jay ran over to Barry and yanked him to his feet at super speed.

"Are you okay, kid?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, I'm all right." Barry said. "Where's Rival?"

"He'll be coming any second," Jay said. "He's getting tired from the battle. He's also angry and careless. We have to use the plan now!"

"Right!"

A moment later, Rival came racing out of the woods. He had realized that Jay had tricked him and he knew where Jay would be. He'd be helping the other Flash. He bore down on the heroic duo, prepared to battle them both . . . snd in a way he did, but he didn't.

The elder Flash used another ability that he had learned over the years. The ability to lend speed. Barry got a boost from the extra speed that Jay had lent him. He was faster than ever. And Rival, tired and hurt, was going slower, his speed ebbing. He was no match for the younger Flash now.

Barry Allen, Flash, was now truly the fastest man alive. He was much faster than either of the other two runners. He attacked Rival with anger, but with intelligence, just as Jay had told him. As Jay had pointed out, anger was Rival's undoing. Barry wouldn't let it be his. He fought with speed, brains and skill. He utterly destroyed Rival.

Soon, Rival lay unconscious at his feet. He smiled, proud of his accomplishment.

"Nicely done," Jay said. "I couldn't have done better myself."

"Thanks," Barry said. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"We make a good team," Jay said. "But we still have a problem to deal with. Rival! What do we do with him? We can't keep him in jail. I know the capabilities of the speed force, and no cell will hold him for long. No asylum will, either. I won't kill a man, any man. Not even a killer psycho like this guy. So where do we put him? If he gets loose again, he'll try to kill us and anyone we love."

"I think science can provide an answer," Barry said. "I think we can find a way to keep him harmless until we can find a method to take his speed away."

"You mean find a way to cut off his access to the speed force?" Jay asked. "Hmmm. Interesting. I'm not sure if it's possible, but we'll work together on it."

"Good," Barry said. "I was hoping we'd get to spend more time together. I think I still have a lot to learn from you."

Jay smiled. "Barry. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

And that's the long and short of it. That's the story behind the man locked in stasis, in a vault, and why he must never be freed. Not until a way can be found to take his speed away. He's too dangerous to everyone I hold dear. Jay and I worked for years on a way to cut him off from the speed force. So far, no luck. But ‘m still trying, even though Jay is pretty much retired these days. He's earned it. To me, he's the greatest hero of all time!

Wally sat back in the chair, and turned off the computer. So now he knew it all. Quite a story. Rival was the man who had escaped stasis and now that he was loose, he would go after Jay Garrick and anyone loved by Jay or Barry. That included himself and Bart. Rival had to be stopped quickly. And the Flash was just the man to do things quickly.

So first things first. As Barry said, intelligence was paramount in a battle with an enemy of equal speed and skill. Rival could be the toughest foe that the Flash had ever faced. He needed a good plan.

He thought about the file he had just read. Barry mentioned taking away Rival's speed. That was what Wally needed to do. And the trick that Barry and Jay used to defeat Rival was just the way to go.

He used his ability to sense another person utilizing the speed force. He sensed a runner. Rival headed in the direction of the other speedster. When he finally encountered the other runner, it was not Garrick. It was the uniform of the other Flash, the young one who had defeated him. Rival was eager to pay him back. And this time, the young Flash didn't have Garrick to help him.

There were no words. They charged each other and locked up. They battled at super speed. They battled across several states in the course of a minute. Rival fought with a savage hate, while Wally did his best to keep his cool.

"You're not the same one!" Rival said. "You're a different Flash! A third Flash!"

"The latest of a proud heritage," the Flash answered.

Finally, it was time for Wally to put his plan into action. He turned and ran. Rival roared like a madman and followed him. They ran around the world. Rival stayed closely behind. Then, it was time!

Wally used an ability that Barry had taught him. That Jay had taught Barry before that. An ability that Rival never used, or considered using, because sharing and teamwork were foreign to him. Wally used his ability to borrow the speed of another. I guess borrowing without asking is stealing. So I'm stealing Wally thought.

He stole Rival's speed. Rival found himself slowing down. The harder he tried to increase his velocity, the more Speed Force he accessed, the more he slowed down. And the faster Wally got. Wally had always been warned not to pass the Speed of Light, and he actually felt a strange summoning, something calling him to another place. But he fought the urge. He had to concentrate on battling Rival.

Just as Barry had done nearly a quarter of a century earlier, Wally out-raced and outfought Rival. Rival was battered. As he passed out, his mind raged with fury at the idea of another defeat at the hands of a Flash. A third Flash. And each one had beaten him! It was too much for Rival's mind to deal with. He blacked out.

Oh well, Hollingsworth thought. No sense crying about it. Back to the drawing board. There will be other opportunities to destroy the legacy of the Flash and to avenge my father.

Thurgood Hollingsworth had planned for many years to avenge his father, Thurston. A man destroyed by Flash decades ago. And if it took Thurston the rest of his life, he would destroy everyone who ever wore the costume of the Flash.