Arriving in Santa Marta, California, the Flash heads toward the Relief Effort Center to see what can be done.
It feels good to do something productive for once, especially if it's helping rebuild what Thawne destroyed. There are more benefits to these powers than just chasing super-criminals.A screeching car suddenly appears out of nowhere, swerving past the Flash and continuing on a rampage. Smashing into a trashcan and then driving halfway on the sidewalk, the driver doesn't seem to notice the innocent pedestrians. Barry Allen in turn sighs, and begins to run.
Racing toward the vehicle, the Flash begins to dismantle the car.
This should just take a few seconds. Then I can get back to - aghh! Having to stop his deconstruction, the Flash falls flat on the road, only the back left tire in his hand. His head aches as he gets up, the feeling of dread that had invaded his thoughts still lingering.
What was that? It felt like some creature inside my mind...Rising from the ground, the Flash is off again, following the deadly driver through a small park. Reaching the driver's seat, Barry smashes the glass window with one punch - making sure to catch every piece of glass in order to avoid any more civilian injuries.
"Pull over!"
Inside, two, inhuman eyes stare back at him, uncomprehending.
"I said-"
The shade from the trees disappears, and Barry stops mid-breath at what the sun reveals. A gorilla, huge in size and angry in demeanor, was driving. Taken aback for a moment, Barry barely manages to duck a huge flying fist, though the second psychic attack gets to him. Falling in front of the car, the Flash quickly moves to the side and grabs onto the driver side window pane, unthinking.
Ouch! Damn.Barry winces, the broken glass sinking into his right hand. The car continues bouncing violently up and down as it enters a highway. The Flash, still recovering from the psychic attack, desperately holds on.
Gotta get some traction, land my feet somewhere...not to mention get my head clear...it's hard enough to concentrate...Positioning his right leg on the side of the backseat door, the Flash is about to leap into the vehicle when suddenly the car swerves to the right and crashes through a barrier separating it from the Pacific Ocean far below.
This can't be good. Freefalling as he lets go, Barry rapidly contemplates his options looking at the craggy rocks bellow. For once, his own safety is taken care of by someone else.
What on Earth? Solid green light forms underneath him, in the form of a giant hand. The same emerald energy shoots down to grab the car - but it is too late. A small explosion marks the end of its mysterious passenger.
After being set on the side of the road where the crazed ape had crashed, Barry looks up toward his unknown savior in the sky. Blocking the California sun from his eyes, the Flash makes out a man in a glowing, green, white and black uniform. On his right middle finger, an emerald ring sparkles, its energy seemingly boundless. Barry isn't quite sure what to say.
"Hi.... thanks."
Landing carefully, the masked man smiles with confidence.
"No prob. I'm Green Lantern of Sector 2814. Of Earth, I mean."
Barry offers his hand, and the two shake. "The Flash. Out of Central City."
"Right, I recognize the costume. I suppose with all the super-heroes flying around, we were both bound to run into some other hero."
Looking at the wreckage, Green Lantern's curiosity seems to pique up. "Who was that, anyway?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
The space cop's facial expression changes to that of a playful smirk.
"Try me."
The Flash takes a deep breath. "Well...it was a gorilla."
"A gorilla? You sure it wasn't an ET?"
An alien? I guess that's as normal as anything else I've seen lately. "I suppose it could be, but it looked exactly like it came out of the zoo."
"Too bad I hadn't gotten here sooner. One monkey can't be that tough. For the two of us, I mean."
Right... "Well, this wasn't any ordinary 'monkey'. He had some sort of psychic attack he used on me twice. It wasn't too pleasant. Besides...since when do gorillas drive?"
"Trust me, if there's one thing I've learned since I got this gig..."
Without warning, crazed laser fire commences, though it is dramatically blocked by an emerald shield.
"...it's that anything's possible."
Three armed apes appear, each carrying a futuristic firearm and each as deadly with the weapon as his human counterpart would be. Behind them, a small hovercraft of some sort remains partially camouflaged by foliage. Green Lantern smiles, ready for some action.
"Now watch-"
"I'vegot'em." Barry's words are a blur as the Flash manages to disarm each of the behemoths in literally one second.
"-this...?"
Glancing down, Green Lantern is taken aback at seeing each of the weapons dropped on the ground next to him. "Wow. That was fast."
"I've got a name to live up to."
The angry gorillas rush towards them. Green Lantern uses his ring to create a net around one of the apes. Tossing his attacker into a tree, the feral foe makes little of the joke as he uses a branch to swing back and hit the green knight square in the chest.
Meanwhile, the Flash keeps busy as he tires another gorilla into submission by hitting him from all sides. Barry lowers his guard for a second, distracted by seeing Green Lantern knocked back towards the highway.
In that second, the third gorilla grabs Barry, and smashes him into the ground ferociously. Moving his right fist at a rapid speed, the Flash knocks the animal in the stomach with such force that it makes the ape lose his lunch and fall unconscious.
"You all right?"
The Flash coughs up some blood, though his rapid healing factor eases the pain tremendously. "I'm good. You?"
Looking up, Barry sees his emerald ally flying toward his own opponent, knocking him out with a boxing glove made from the ring's energy. "I am now."
Landing, Green Lantern begins some sort of scan with his ring. "Well, they're alive."
A voice, inhuman in nature and decidedly evil in purpose, bellows caustically.
"Which can't be said for two of you."
Looking behind them, another gorilla, larger and more muscular than the others, glares without compassion.
"Because, my dear homo sapiens, you are both as good as dead."
The two heroes give each other looks of confidence, and then take off. The gorilla roars with anger, raising his hands and smashing them down several times in anticipation. Green Lantern uses his ring to trap the ape's legs as the Flash begins to hit the beast from all sides, all the while ducking wild punches. The talking primate screams in rage.
"Ahnn!" Green Lantern, who had been flying toward their common foe in the seconds that the Flash had been hitting the beast, falls to the ground, confused, in pain.
"GL?"
The monster grabs the Flash and begins to crush him with his large, sweaty hands. Vibrating his body fast enough for the gorilla to fear his own fur catching fire, the Flash is tossed into his emerald ally.
"You human filth! How dare you touch me! I will kill you both and use your bones as toothpicks for the human flesh between my teeth!"
The Flash stirs, rising the best he can. "Hey...GL..."
Green Lantern gets up slowly, managing to stand.
"Inside...my head...felt terrible. I know what you mean now. I-"
Two large fists interrupt his words, smashing into the place where they had been recuperating. The heroes, however, are a safe distance away, thanks to a speedy rescue.
"Uh...thanks. I'm not used to being saved." Barry lets Green Lantern out of his arms.
"Forget it. I know the feeling."
"Run from me, will you? I will show you pain as I skin you alive and use that disgusting pink flesh for rugs! I will take your eyeballs and-"
An emerald clamp of energy shuts up the beast, courtesy of Green Lantern.
"Thanks."
"No prob."
"GL?"
"Yea pal?"
"Let's take this monkey out."
Lantern smiles, encasing the gorilla in a straight jacket and flying towards him, fist first. The Flash hits him with such tremendous speeds that Green Lantern only sees a red blur. The fighting goes in their favor until, unexpectedly, both drop to the ground, dazed and confused. Then the psychic onslaught really begins. Thoughts and images of a thousand terrible nightmares plague Barry's mind, and not once does this diabolical ape let up. He sees Iris hurt, in the thralls of that terrible beast.
"Iris! No-!"
Green Lantern shakes, whispering something about his dad and death, and then speaks up.
"Flash! It- none of it is true! Fight him!"
Rising to his feet, the emerald gladiator faces their oppressor.
"It's just a matter of will-power." He aims his ring and blasts the gorilla in the eyes with such awesome force. The bellow of the monster is loud indeed.
The gorilla renews his psychic attack, but this time it is different from before. Without warning, a green bolt flies toward the Flash, as a cruel smile crawls across the gorilla's face. The Flash looks up at his attacker.
"Lantern! Wha-"
An icy chill forms around Barry's mind.
No! What's going on? My thoughts..."Flash! Look...out! He's con...con..." Green Lantern's words are cut short by a super-quick knockout blow. Then Barry's mind goes dark.
****
