May 14, 2018:
Professor Zoom gets the Flash to come out of hiding, and tests the Scarlet Speedster heavily. A battle around the world ensues.
Earth
Characters
NPCs: Various Central City civilians
Mentions: Impulse, Justice League
Plot:
Mood Music: [*\# None.]
Fade In…
It's been months since the Speedster calling himself Professor Zoom has appeared. Some call him the Reverse Flash because his suit is the exact opposite of the Flash. Others call him Banana Flash to taunt him. The man in the yellow suit has made it clear that he's a hateful, malevolent person, though; Kidnapping, assault, destruction, mass murder, taking an entire city hostage for almost a half hour. Professor Zoom is a force that few can cope with, and fewer can keep up with.
Eobard Thawne is the complete opposite of Barry Allen, in every way, seemingly. Now, he's come to central city and has been prodding the city in the down-low for weeks, now.
In the last day, the Flash museum has been defiled. The police have had unexplained disappearances. There have been sightings of red lightning here and there as Professor Zoom terrorized the city with virtually no opposition for the last hour.
Now, Professor Zoom is once again in the Flash museum, sitting on a chair in the center, and throwing out anyone who tries to enter. His blurred visage only allowing the red lightning arcs and glowing red eyes to show.
He's waiting.
*
Barry has been trying so hard to just focus on what he needs to do. But he can only take so much. He takes a few deep breaths as he stands up from his work, seeing on the news that a speedster was stopping anyone from entering the Flash museum. with a deep breath, Barry is prepared to do what he needs to. Opening his costume ring to reveal the slightly armored Flash suit, with a blur Barry changes into his 'work clothes' and off he goes!
He arrives at the museum in about three seconds. Standing inside the museum, he looks at Professor Zoom and his eyes narrow. "I take it you're the one whose been messin' with my pad?" he says with his usual cocksure grin and excellent poker face. He was probably the only man alive aside from Impulse who could keep up with Zoom…and likely the only man who's faster.
"So? you got a name?"
"Or is this copyright central?"
*
Zoom doesn't budge from the chair; he saw the Flash coming in and stopping far away from the chair. Those red eyes move to regard him, though.
"Well well… months of hiding, and you finally show yourself." Professor Zoom taunts Barry, before he slowly -yes, slowly- stands. That blurred visage on full display, lightning cooking his surroundings as he draws on a Speed Force energy entirely alien to Allen, "You can call me Professor Zoom… I've been looking for you, Flash." His voice is distorted, too. "Your friends have been playing catch up with me for months… but none of them have a chance of catching me, or of stopping me."
The blurring doesn't hide the sadistic grin, "Do you think /you/ can stop me, Flash?"
*
The Flash stands his ground, standing just a few steps away from Professor Zoom. His eyes watching him as yellow electricity arcs around the Flash like he's about to get moving, just like red lightning arcs around Zoom. "So that's your name huh?" when his time away is specifically mentioned, he shrugs. "Needed a break. After all, I have a life too ya know." he grins then a bit but when it turns out that Zoom's been looking for him…things get interesting.
AND he's been makin' his pals look like fools. "All that to get my attention? I'm honored." and he looks at him when he's questioned if he thinks he can stop Zoom. "I know I can."
Then it's the silence…the waiting…of two of the fastest individuals that have ever or will ever walk. this is intense…
*
"Not /all/ to get your attention… but all my work in Central City? I couldn't care less about this pisshole of a city." Zoom points to Flash, "But you do. That makes it worth tearing it down." Professor Zoom gives a malicious laugh. "What will you do to stop me from killing every last police officer at city hall, I wonder?" Professor Zoom muses aloud.
"Let's see."
Red lightning disappears down a street as Professor Zoom starts to run down one street, then the next. The next. Soon, he's running up buildings and simply /running/ across rooftops.
Faster. /Faster/.
His acceleration curve seems to perfectly match the Flash as he hits Mach 20 within seconds, starting to blow out windows as he goes. His Speed Force seems to allow him to bend the laws of physics as much as it does for the Flash.
*
Flash narrows his eyes, and the instant Zoom even takes his first step, the Flash is right on his heel, literally right next to him as both speedsters break through mach 20 within seconds, running along buildings and jumping from Rooftops. But to make this more combative since the Flash is trying to save the lives of police officers, he accelerates and attempts to punch Zoom right in the mouth.
Seems the negative speed force user finally found his match…or his superior. Flash keeps to his exact pace, though he's never faced anyone who could keep up with him to the exact microsecond. The only person who even comes close was Superman….but now it seems that Barry has found another who can challenge him in the speed department.
They go faster…and faster…and -faster-, with no signs of slowing down.
*
Professor Zoom bypasses city hall entirely, instead just going right for the city limits as the Flash tries to throw a punch. His senses are as fast as Allens, so he sees the punch coming as superspeed… simply dodging his head to the side as he pushes even faster. Mach 21. Mach 22.
Professor Zoom is keeping up with the Flashes acceleration as much as vice versa… and Professor Zoom seems content to simply match his pace as they start to head south, down the east coast. A massive red lightning trail builds behind Zoom as they race.
*
…mach 23….mach 24…
Flash noticed long ago that they passed City Hall and were starting to literally run around the world. Flash kept Zoom's pace just like he was keeping to his. Their eyes likely locked onto each other. Behind the flash was a massive yellow lightning trail as Flash really -ran-. "Not bad, for a villain."
Flash has to respect his enemy.
*
Professor Zoom shares no such sentiments, it seems. That, or at this speed the Professor can't hear the Flash. Either way, they were coming up on Florida, and about to cross into the gulf.
They were approaching the speed that starts to blur the time barrier at this point… and both of them can feel the anchoring effect start grab at them, gnaw at their feet as they start to hit the point that the universe won't allow them to cross easily.
A point that has them racing around the planet over, and over, and over. Over ten minutes of this pass, with Professor Zoom and the Flash keeping neck to neck.
Occasionally, Professor Zoom twists around to throw red lightning bolts at the Flash; an obvious test of his defenses as they keep going, with no signs of either of them stopping, so far.
*
Flash can feel it..the tug, the barrier that would stop them from going any faster…or damned well try to. Flash keeps up with zoom neck and neck, and then a lightning bolt is thrown at him! it was only lap 3 around the world! come on! Regardless of that fact, Barry's reflexes are as fast as he is, and he easily manages to back-bend and duck under the lightning bolt…before spinning in the air and chucking one back at Zoom!
Two can play at that game!
But even -still- they are neck and neck, though Barry has a plan. he assumes that Zoom will dodge the lightning bolt, and as such? He'll try and tackle zoom to the ground mid dodge!
*
Professor Zoom is just as fast as the Flash is, so he sees the tackle and the lightning bolt coming, taking them over land near western Africa when he tries it… and suddenly Zoom stops. No momentum. No Inertia. Just a dead stop as he forces Allen to adjust to the sudden change, and for the lightning bolt to miss him by mere inches to slam against a nearby hill.
Red lightning sparks, arcs, and cooks the grounds from the massive Negative Speed Force use, a small scale lightning storm built up around him at the sheer amount of energy being channeled through the malevolent speedster, waiting to see what the Flash does next.
*
Flash quickly notices how Zoom just stopped, and Flash is right in front of him, his body channeling the lightning and electricity of the Positive Speed Force, his eyes locked onto Zoom as yellow lightning arcs about him. A breath is exhaled as he stares down his greatest enemy.
A stare down of legendary proportions.
Nevertheless, he doesn't back down. "Someone got off track." he references Zoom not even attempting what he said he was going to do.
*
Professor Zoom just stares at the Flash for a solid five seconds; an eternity for Speedsters, if they're slowing down their perceptions. That blurred visage and those red glowing eyes give continue to give no real indication of the man under the yellow suit.
"I would have killed them, if you hadn't chased me. I've been doing this for a long time, Flash. I go after the police, you take the opportunity to try and distract and off balance me." He laughs lightly, sadistically. "Neither of us are idiots, and you've proven to be experienced enough to use your Speed Force to match me."
The red lightning continues to arc around his body. He's obviously drawing energy in case the Flash tries anything, "this was a test, and you checked all the boxes I thought you would." That voice continues to be distorted enough by his speed to make identifying him unreliable.
*
The Flash and Zoom have a stare down that could be perceived on the outside world as two opposing, yet equal forces moving faster than they could even comprehend. This meeting would probably last seconds and even less to those who are without The Speed Force or other kind of speed. Though unlike Zoom, it's pretty easy to identify that it -is- the Flash. for his skin and eyes are both visible, though his eyes are glowing a golden yellow because of the Speed Force.
He listens to Zoom's excuse for why he didn't kill the police, because he knows that Zoom would've been stopped and distracted, forcing zoom to have to deal with the Flash first before he wanted to even -try- that. "True. You seem to run on a similar mode. It's like the Speed Force but….it's different. Opposite, almost." but then, since Zoom is wearing the reversed colors of his own costume, he can only assume that Zoom is proving up to be the Flash's Reverse.
"A test? Well, happy to hear that I passed. I tend to do pretty good when it comes to educational work." witty humor, but not very good humor. Barry always did suck at puns.
*
He brings up his hand, looking over the lightning that arcs over the arm, before he brings it back down to his side, "You use the original Speed Force. The Positive Speed Force. You and others like you generate the energy field. I generate the Negative Speed Force." He starts to walk around the Flash, even as he talks, "For every positive, there must be a negative. I've seen what the arrogance of your kind does to their world. You think you're 'protecting' them."
Eventually, he does a full circle, if the Flash doesn't stop him, "I was created to balance all the versions of you. To keep your arrogance… your /hubris/ from ruining the multiverse. I couldn't save my world from my version of you… but I can save the rest of them from you." Professor Zoom explains.
*
The Flash, as Zoom moves around him in that slow circle, turns his body to keep track of zoom as he moves about him. Eyes narrowed, fists clenched as he listens to Zoom as he apparently seems happy enough to fulfill Flash's theory that Professor Zoom was his reverse.
"A Reverse Flash?" he questions out loud, eyes watching Zoom like a hawk. "Well, hate to break it to you pal, but just because I happened to be pretty evil in your universe, guess what? I ain't evil here. I try to -help- people here. Unlike you who seem to want to break everything to 'stop it'." he looks at Zoom. "How can you save the universe by wrecking it?"
Though Flash starts to generate more speed, as if ready to bring Zoom in. "I'm going to bring you in Zoom. Just because I haven't been the one chasing you, doesn't mean you haven't been causing illegal trouble for everyone else."
*
"You all say the same thing, yet the evidence is there every time. You'll be the first Flash I kill that's as fast as my version of you." Professor Zoom then laughs as Allen says he's going to be brought in, "You've never met anyone like me, Flash… someone who can actually match you. The rest of the Justice Fools will be deal with eventually, as will the Avengers." Then, he's visibly drawing more power as the Flash does… the negative Speed Force cooking the ground below him, "Catch me if you can, then."
ZOOM! He's off, heading northwest… back to the US east coast.
*
Zoom runs off to the US East Coast and Flash is right behind him! FOOSH! he's gone! and already he seems to be literally a microsecond away from Zoom, having raced him across at least 1/4 of the country and not even looking tired! Man, speedsters are crazy. But alas, it was more than just police officers. More than just superheroes. This man was a major threat.
and he needed to be stopped as soon as humanly possible. So Flash attempts to use his momentum and the lightning his built off to throw a lightning bolt at Zoom's back!
Or try to, anyway.
*
The thing about lightning is that while it's as superfast as they are, there's still a visible arc as the bolt is thrown. The milliseconds it takes for the Flash to conjure and toss it gives Professor Zoom just enough time to move to the side and allow it to pass. By the time they're halfway across the Atlantic ocean, the bolt strikes the water.
Firearms at this speed were less than useless to Speedsters… and Speed Force users generate their own weapon in the form of lightning. Any Speedster worth their life would learn to use it as their primary weapon in a Speedster duel… and it becomes clear that Professor Zoom has mastered it as he starts to toss lightning right back at the Flash.
Red bolts of lightning start to force the Flash to dodge as they start a duel of lightning bolts across the ocean, heading for the east coast.
*
Ah, lightning duels. The stuff of legends.
Among speedsters, aside from simple use of hands and feet, lightning is the weapon of choice. It's what you create. It's your first weapon and the last. So when the lightning skirmish officially begins? Barry simply moves alongside the lightning, the red barrage barely missing Barry as he seems to dodge with style, not out of necessity. But then a yellow lightning bolt flies at Zooms feet to try and knock him off balance!
"Surrender Zoom! I can do this all day!"
*
Hyper-sensory and bending the laws of the universe aside, there's one thing that Speedsters have a hard time dodging; each other.
When the bolt moves to his feet as they hit land, Zoom not only starts to turn around… but goes /right for the Flash/, jumping over the bolt entirely.
What follows can only be described as one of the fastest martial arts fights on the planet as Professor Zoom tries to break, subdue, or otherwise cripple the Flash. He's not afraid of trying to phase into the Flash for molecular disintegration attacks, either.
*
Flash does something Eobard maybe wasn't expecting.
He -charges- Zoom head on!
Engaging in what could only be described by the outside world as a lightning battle with Eobard, Barry lifts his hands up and engages in the fastest melee combat ever known to man with Zoom. He gets punched in the face a few times, but otherwise, Eobard isn't the only person who's been practicing. Any attempt to phase through Flash would just go right through him. Disintegration attacks sadly are met with a nigh unbreakable defense in that regard. But he goes to try and break one of Zoom's ankles with a strong kick towards his foot!
Both of them fight smart.
Both of them are excellent fighters.
Only one will win.
*
Even if the sudden appearance of two Speedsters at the Gotham dockyard and consequential lightning storm that their superspeed brawl generated didn't scare off the bystanders, the way Professor Zoom starts to toss Flash around like a ragdoll through warehouse windows and into fragile containers sends people running. Flash manages to get a few tosses of his own as the two Speedsters wreck a good portion of the dockyard with their antics and lightning duel, before Professor Zoom takes advantage of a momentary lapse and heads over to Central City.
This time, stopping right in the middle of city hall, with some sort of device in hand.
*
Barry and Eobard throw each other around for quite some time before Zoom manages to get the upper hand for a brief moment and knock Barry through a window without pursuit. Barry rushes back into the fray though, stopping just a few feet from Thawne as he appears to have something in his hand. Flash narrows his eyes.
Still rarin' to go!
"Whatcha got there?" he asks in the form of a subtle demand.
*
"Leverage."
A button is pressed, and a beeping noise can be heard from Professor Zooms gadget.
"You have one minute to find the five explosives I've planted throughout the city. Each one is as potent as the bomb that leveled the central station in Metropolis." Professor Zoom tosses it at the Flashes feet, even as security starts to realize who they're dealing with, and pull their guns. "I'll give you a hint; one is in this building. Good luck, Flash."
Red lightning trails behind him as Professor Zoom superspeeds away.
Who will Barry pick; Eobard, or the thousands caught in Zooms trap?
*
Flash looks at the device as it's tossed in front of him and he watches Zoom run off into the sunset. He looks at the device, then looks at Zoom before he 'uuuugghhhsss' in clear frustration and picks the civilians. Like he would any day of the week, no matter how you found him.
With blinding speed and just under a few seconds, he finds all the bombs and comes back to that spot to see if he could find Zoom.
But alas, he was long gone. But, the Flash was the hero this day, and he saved thousands of lives.
Feels good!
Though now he has a new enemy in Zoom…
The two speedsters would meet again.