Legends of the Flash #18

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The Multiverse Presents

Legends of

The Race and the Battle

Written by Nikolai Peter Fomich (Thefastestmanalive)

Edited by Daniel Dyer (Spider-Man Beyond)

Multiverse logo created by Tony Peterson (Starfall)

[Spider-Man Beyond]

A few months ago

The alarm blares incessantly. Two masked men jump through the broken store window, a third barely fitting because of his weight. The lead man, in a red mask, shakes his head in frustration. He decides to ignore his compatriot.

"This is a stick-up!"

"As if they didn't know..." the bigger man in the green mask mutters.

"What did you say- " Their argument is cut short by their other partner.

"We need everything you got, and we need it now!" The third man, his mask blue, fires two shots into the ceiling, to show that they're serious. He then turns to his partners in crime.

"Guys we got to do this now?" An older, thin man with bifocals shakes, as he hands them a safety deposit box. A young couple stand in the corner, the only other occupants of the jewelry store.

"This - this is all I have! Please, take it. I- "

"Gimmie that!" The man in the red mask grabs the box, cutting off the old clerk's words. He then turns to where the young couple had been standing.

"Now it's your turn to - hey, where'd they go?"

"Uh, paly?" the thief in green asks. The thief in red turns, as a red gloved hand taps him on the shoulder.

"I told you not to call me tha- Oh cra-"

BAM! He falls to the ground, unconscious. The Flash turns around to the thief in blue.

"I give up," he says, motioning up with his hands and dropping his gun. Flash smiles, but then turns to see the door swinging and the third, larger thief gone. You've got to be kidding me. The Flash heads out the door, and turns the corner - only to find the thief in green floating four feet in the air.

"Lost something?"

"What in - oh, hi. I mean thanks."

Superman slowly descends, letting the thief drop gently on the ground.

"Hello, Flash. I'm a fan of your work, and I thought it about time I dropped by to say hi." Superman extends his hand toward the Flash.

Say hi? Did I do something wrong? Flash takes his hand regardless. Wow. Strong grip. "Thanks, Superman. I'm just trying to do what I can. Metropolis has been doing fairly well too from what I hear."

Superman smiles, the most genuine expression Barry can remember seeing in his life. "We all do our best. But that's what I wanted to see you about. From what I've read, you're the genuine article. And pretty darn fast."

Darn? Not even I say that.

"The Daily Planet has been looking for an event to promote this year's annual charity in a few months, and they've asked that it be a race around the world. With you."

"A race? Around the world?"

"Naturally. And the proceeds would go to charity."

"Naturally. Well, I don't see why not. It sounds like it could be a lot of fun."

Superman begins hovering in the air, starting to take off. "Great. We'll keep in touch. You know where to find me." With that, the Man of Steel is gone.

* * *

[Spider-Man Beyond]

TODAY

"Jimmy, not now!" Lois Lane's hand motions in front of the camera, her palm captured by the cub reporter. The Central City High School Band plays, the brass trumpets taking their queue. The two Daily Planet reporters wade their way through the crowd, into the press area of Infantino Park. Both heroes were due to arrive within ten minutes.

"Miss Lane, I'm just prepping up. For the race. Besides, don't you want a picture of you out here in the Midwest?"

Lois moves quickly toward the edge of the press ropes, walking faster than anyone around her. "Pfft. More of a reason why I don't want that picture taken. You know how these Midwest types are, Jimmy. I already feel the monotony seeping in. Why Perry didn't send Smallville to cover this is beyond me..." She bumps into a light brown haired woman, her green eyes already set upon Lois. "Sorry, didn't see you there-"

"Don't worry about it. We 'Midwest types' tend to move a bit slow."

"Ha, yes, well, uh - this is Jimmy Olsen." Lois jabs Jimmy, who turns around and takes a picture of the lady as a reaction to Lois's motion.

"Oh! Hi, sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I enjoy taking pictures myself."

Lois frowns slightly, looking at her opposite's press tag.

"West? As in Iris West?"

"And you're Lois Lane." The two women turn away from Jimmy, blocking his view from the stage.

"You did that exposé on those lobbyists in Washington. That was a good piece of work. Cost me a byline."

"You've had your share of exposés yourself. Pollutants, pharmaceutical companies, superheroes... you keep busy."

"I try. Any idea when they're getting here?"

Looking away, as if she knew something others do not, Iris gives Lois a half-smile. "Let's just say I wouldn't be surprised if they arrived a little bit late."

CLICK!

"Jimmy, I said stop with the camera."

"But Lois-"

"Afraid your city pals will learn where you decided to spend the weekend?"

"Look, West, Central City is about as Midwestern as-"

CLICK!

Lois whirls. "Jimmy, I am going to take that camera and-"

"What? I'm trying to get a clear shot of the heroes." Iris and Lois turn back to see the Flash and Superman arriving on stage. The two heroes wave to the cameras, and then take turns shaking hands with the Mayor.

"So much for being late," Lois mutters.

Iris gives her a slight glare and then takes out her own camera. The music dies down.

"As Mayor of this prestigious city, it is with great honor that I welcome Superman into our fold." Mayor Carey Bates allows a moment for the claps and shouts to subdue.

"And a warm welcome, once more, to the Flash, Central City's favorite son." More cheers are heard.

"Today marks a great event in the history of our city, and I am happy to say that we have matched our partners in Metropolis, reaching our goal of five hundred thousand dollars since fundraising started!"

Lois lifts her eyebrows to Iris, impressed.

"Now - let the race begin!"

All three figures descend the platform, walking toward the track where they would begin.

"Five bucks on Superman."

"Done," Iris says.

A referee stands on the sidelines with Mayor Bates. "On your marks," he says.

The Flash leans forward, ready to run.

"Get set."

Superman tensing his muscles.

"GO!"

Dozens of cameras snap away, but all they capture is dust.

* * *

[Spider-Man Beyond]

It flies steadily past multiple gray craters, casting strange, eschewed shadows. Picking up speed, the silent creature passes the Earth's moon as it approaches its target. The creature is a grim one: a mishmash of poorly stitched body parts. The spear it holds continues into two points at the end, one slightly larger than the other. The creature's eyes are blank. Cold.

Dozens more fly with the demon towards Earth.

* * *

[Spider-Man Beyond]

"...and then you add the butter."

The Flash and Superman race through India to the Americas and are back in the same spot within seconds. They had only been warming up, running for barely thirty minutes. Superman looks down upon the Flash.

"And that's it?" Superman asks.

"That's it."

"It's so simple to make, I would have never guessed."

"It usually is. Now my wi- girlfriend, on the other hand, prefers to use olive oil. But I don't think it gets the same Midwestern taste that I love when I use butter. You know what I mean?" Barry asks, looking up.

Superman smiles. "I know exactly what you mean. My Ma used to make the very best casserole - out of this world! But on the East Coast - nothing comes close."

"Are you a Missouri man as well?"

"Kansas, myself."

'"Oh, Keystone's great. It - "

"Wait! Do you hear that?"

BOOM!

Several creatures, dressed mostly in dirty gold and dark teal, land around the two heroes. They had been stopped in the Gobi Desert. The twelve creatures circle the heroes, each with its own weapon and none too intelligible. Hal told me I'd run into aliens eventually. Was it too much to ask for the nice kind? Flash turns to see Superman's eyes, narrowing.

"Welcome to Earth. I'm Superman and this is the Flash," Superman states as he lands, gesturing toward Barry. Though his manner is polite, his tone says it all.

"Please. State your business."

One of the demons steps forward and raises his weapon. The other eleven follow suit. The heroes prepare for the attack.

"Superman?" Flash crouches, ready to spring.

"Yes, Flash?" Superman says, back-to-back with his de-facto partner.

"Letstaketheseguysout!" Flash ducks, avoiding the first blow from a swinging mace. Grabbing the weapon, he's surprised that he cannot disarm his opponent with the added force from his speed. Hitting the creature multiple times, black blood oozes out from its nose. Suddenly, Barry feels a sharp pain in his shoulder.

"Ahh!" Barry turns to see another creature biting him. Elbowing the creature three hundred times, it finally releases him, slumping to the ground. The Flash turns back toward his previous opponent, only to avoid several razor blades thrown by yet another enemy. Looking for the shooter, the creature with the mace's attack is unexpected. The sharp points of the weapon barely touch Flash's skull before he manages to move away. He grabs it again, now realizing why he could not disarm his foe before.

This mace is part of his arm! What kind of craziness have I gotten myself into?

Multiple creatures attack Superman, who flies into one, knocking into it with both fists. But the creatures begin to pile on and on, the red, blue and yellow disappearing from view. Many bite him, breaking through invulnerable skin. Bustling electric jolts fly indiscriminately from the creatures' weapons, electrocuting the hero.

"Ma..." Lifting both arms, Superman knocks two of the attackers off of him and into each other. Another blow sends one sailing into the stratosphere.

"Superman!" Flash races past him and tackles a creature about to stab at him with an electro-charged lance. Throwing as many jabs and hooks as he can, the Flash manages to subdue the creature.

"Hff...hff..." A razor blade is shot at the Flash only to be caught single-handed by Superman, who appears out of no where. It explodes in his hand, though the Man of Steel stands his ground. The Flash circles around him, swiping the firing device from one of the creatures. From the Flash's left, another creature takes flight and dives down at the Flash. At the split-second last moment, the Fastest Man Alive moves, allowing the attacking creature to fall into the one who had been firing the razor blades.

Three more creatures continue to attack Superman with brute force, one of them choking Superman with his own cape. The cape begins to tear as Superman's eyes glow. Using his heat vision, Superman fires into the demon's eyes, who goes blind. Superman knocks another creature away, though the third continues hitting him with a spiked bat. Superman takes one to the face, still trying to catch his breath after being choked. He takes another to the chin, blood coming down from his mouth. The creature swings a third time, only to have the bat's handle caught in the air. The Flash drags the creature with him around the world several times in milliseconds, finally arriving at the same spot. The creature falls down, desperate for air. Other than the time Iris had been kidnapped, it was the fastest Barry had run in his life. Both panting, they turn toward the remaining attacker. Looking at each other and then back at the creature, the heroes hammer into the monster's face, one fist each. The creature falls to the ground without ceremony.

"That - was - one of my - tougher battles," Flash says as he catches his breath.

Superman wipes sweat from his forehead, looking at the Flash with appreciation. "You - sure held your own."

The Flash smiles in response. "That's what superheroes do," he says.

Superman's gaze turns westward. Though Barry can't be sure, he believes he knows what Superman is thinking.

He's doing what I'd do - checking in on his city. I'd bet on it - not that I can do that sort of thing.

Superman frowns. "We've got to get to Metropolis."

* * *

[Spider-Man Beyond]

His black suit accents his stern demeanor, though there is no one else around to see it. Even his private driver is hidden away, a sliding panel separating the chauffeur and the passenger. The man in black looks from the window to his watch. The driver had stopped abruptly.

"I have a meeting in twenty minutes," he says, after clicking the communication switch in front of him. "Move." The driver's nervous voice cracks through.

"I - I'm sorry, sir. There's a bit of a traffic jam and- "

"I don't care about traffic jams, I care about being on time. Take a short cut."

"That's just it sir - everything is backed up."

"What do you mean ‘everything’ is backed- "

FOOM! The limo cracks in two, both pieces flying several feet from each other.

"Gotcha!"

The businessman turns his head to find himself in the arms of the Flash.

"Lex Luthor?"

"Unhand me, you simmering ingrate! What have you done to my limousine, you simplistic buffoon of a- " Luthor finds himself in Future Park's water fountain, surrounded by dozens of passersbys, who avoid the sudden splash.

"Jerk." Barry races off, catching up with Superman.

* * *

[Spider-Man Beyond]

"Lane, get out there! I don't care where you are, aliens are in Metropolis!" Perry White looks out of his office window blinds at the fires in the streets. He turns away sharply. "No I don't mean illegal aliens! You know what I mean! Get on the first flight over here now! Cancelled all flights? You're going to do what? Lois, I can't hear you! Lois - yes, you can bring Jimmy, just - Lois? Damn it, Lane!" He looks back out the window, and wonders if Clark is down there.

* * *

[Spider-Man Beyond]

"C'mon kid, hop in!" Lois Lane has to yell to be heard. Her slender hand extends toward Jimmy, wide-eyed. He turns around, finding no police in site.

"Ms. - Ms. Lane?"

Lois looks at Jimmy with a stern, yet almost whimsical manner. "Do you want those photos or not? Get in!"

Jimmy looks at his camera and jumps in. The two reporters ride away to Metropolis in the police helicopter.

* * *

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Pitiful. The stony-faced monstrosity observes the continued battle in Metropolis via his view-screen. Iron hands clamped behind him, he remains motionless when another, more savage looking powerhouse enters the chamber. The newcomer kneels as though in front of a god.

"Master." The creature says no more, hoping his earnest tone carries him further than any pleas could. His master still remains motionless, though finally speaks.

"Very well, Kalibak. Go to Earth."

Kalibak smiles a lion's smile. "Your will be done, Lord Darkseid."

* * *

[Spider-Man Beyond]

ZAP! An apartment balcony shatters from the weapon's ill-aimed assault. The Flash races beneath the crumbling terrace, grabs a hiding mother and her child, and zooms to safety yards away as it collapses. Wow, it's like I'm in Flash Gordon or something. Except these guys aren't a joke! Three creatures land in front of him, one with an energy weapon. Still carrying the bystanders, the Flash zigzags between the menaces, causing one of the attackers to miss and hit another one of the creatures. Flash turns to face the other two as a red and blue figure zips down, landing on top of the duo and thus subduing them. Flash lets the mother and child down. He smiles and opens his mouth to say something to Superman, when the sky darkens and a strange, spiraling white energy appears, as if a rip had been torn above.

A menacing gray-brown figure in a dark green tunic appears, landing in front of the heroes. His voice carries the same tone as that of a dying bull.

"Parademons, to me!" The creatures fly toward him, following behind him as soldiers would a general. Pointing toward the Flash and Superman, several more ripples open, revealing more Parademons. The two heroes look at each other, their resolve unshakable.

To Be Continued in Legends of Superman