Legends of the Flash #13

[spiritofvengeance]

Legends of the Flash #13
The Coming Storm

Written By: Nikolai Peter Fomich
Edited By: Mike Bowen



Weeks Ago...

WHEO...WHEOO... Police lights invade Mark Mardon's rearview mirror with their distinctive red glow. Swerving to the right, the two following vehicles keep with him, unshakable. The cop car closest begins to move to Mardon's left side. The other car closes the distance that had been left.
Damn it! The police car to his left nudges at Mardon's vehicle. Behind him, an officer can be seen sticking his head out the window with a loudspeaker.

"This is the CCPD! Pull over to the shoulder and surrender yourself!"

The amplified voice goes unheeded. Speeding faster and faster, the convict exits onto a narrow road, which winds around the one peak in Central City. The quick turn had surprised the car on Mardon's left, causing it to smash into a nearby tree while trying to follow him. The remaining car now approaches even faster.

Got to get to Clyde...

Wiping the sweat from his face, Mardon clamps down on the accelerator, ignoring the blaring sun. He tries to make out the exit sign in front of him.

That's it!

But as he begins to turn, the police car behind him bumps into him, causing an abrasive jolt. In his rearview mirror, he notices the cop who had shouted through the loudspeaker take out a shotgun, aiming at his back-right wheel.

Oh no you don't!

Panicking, he quickly swerves to the left, causing his car to face the opposite direction while remaining a good ten feet perpendicular to the police car. It drives by, attempting to turn around as Mardon had done. In the driver's haste, the car crashes into the barrier separating the narrow, two-way road from an eighty foot plummet. The front of the car becomes stuck between the meshed metal meant to protect drivers. Turning back around, Mardon wastes no time. Zipping away, he sticks his head out the window and gives the officers a mock salute with his left hand.

Thank God. Now here's hoping that wart is half as smart as he thinks he is.

After fifteen minutes of driving, Mardon feels a strange chill as he nears his destination. Rolling up his window, the convict wonders how the weather could be so chilly in April. After making a left turn, he decides to turn on the heat.

Weird... what the-! Snow had began to fall. Turning on the window wipers, he can barely see with the rapid increase of descending snow. Finally reaching a small, wooden cottage, Mardon gets out of the car, more than a little curious. Making his way to the thick door, he does not bother knocking. The small home consists mainly of the center room, a messy space filled with blueprints, equipment, and old paper coffee containers.

"Clyde! What the hell is going on?"

From behind a control panel, a small, squirmy twenty-something young man with glasses pops up. Average in weight and small in stature, he makes Mardon look in better shape than the crook actually is.

"Mark! Hey, I've done it! It's complete!"

"What are you talking about you crazy-"

"Project Weather Wizard! When Mr. Kenyon died, all his projects went to a halt, but I've been able to put the finishing touches with what I started there. I can trigger electromagnetic impulses, effectively controlling the weather!" Clyde gestures with his hand toward the window.

"See? Snow! I told you...I always wanted to make a change and using this rod-"

"Let me see that!" Mardon grabs the rod from Clyde's hand, almost jealous at his brilliance. But it was Mardon's money that had made this possible and now he was going to reap in the benefits.

"Listen, Clyde. I need this. I'm in a little bit of trouble with the police-"

"The police?"

"Yea, the police! Now listen, I'm in a little trouble and may have to get out of town for awhile..."

Grabbing the weather rod back, Clyde shakes his head in refusal. It was the first time he had ever said no to Mark Mardon.

"N- no Mark. That's- it's wrong. I built this for good, to help the world! I can't let it be used for anything else." Mardon inches closer, placing Clyde in between the crook and a weather control panel.

"You little shit! Don't act like you didn't know where the money was coming from! I embezzled other people's money into a fortune! Don't pretend you're so high and mighty...like you're better than me. At least I admit to myself what I am...at least I don't have to go through someone else to get what I need...and what I want."

"That's not true!"

"You would of starved if it wasn't for me! I gave you the support you needed and you know how I did it! Damn it Clyde, I'm a criminal. But at least I'm not a coward, too scared to face up to the world." Looking up for the first time from the ground, Clyde looks Mark Mardon straight in the eye.

"You're right, Mark. I was a coward." For a moment, Mardon feels as though he had gotten through. "But this," Clyde motions the rod in his hand, shaking Mardon's confidence with his newly self-discovered own, "this is what it's all about. This gives me hope for what I can do. Not just for myself, but for everyone else." Sirens are heard outside, fast approaching, making Mardon even more nervous.

"Listen, I don't have time for your nonsense! Give me the damn-" Reaching for the rod, Mardon finds it pulled away from him.

"No! You don't deserve it." Using more force, Mardon is surprised when Clyde does not let go. A callous look falls on Mark Mardon's face.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

As he enters the cabin, Detective Frank Curtis pulls out his service revolver. Better safe than sorry. Checking out the house first, the detective finds it devoid of any threat - or anyone else. The scene secure, he holsters his weapon and reenters the lab-turned-living room. Heading towards a smoky area, Curtis motions his partner over.

"Look at this." The smoke rises from a hole in the wall, undoubtedly part of the large crash he had heard from outside. What had caused it was something neither officer could fathom.

"Damn." The bearded cop rubs his stubble, wondering what his friend in CSI, Barry Allen, would make of this. Looking lower, Frank Curtis notices the shine of gold. Realizing it was from a cheap gold watch, Curtis also recognizes that he now has a homicide scene. Underneath bits of rubble lay the body of Clyde Mardon, former employee of Union Gold Industries and brother of criminal Mark Mardon.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

Today

"Hey Flash! Thanks for the lift!" The Fastest Man Alive waves at the school teacher who had had car trouble. All the drivers and pedestrians honk and wave to Central City's favorite son, save one. Senator Creed Phillips readjusts his rearview mirror, disgruntled by the costumed individual's reception.

It isn't the Flash who makes Central City run - it's the men and women working hard at Central City University or the Central City Police Department. They're the ones who really mattered...not some glorified half-wit in a Halloween costume. He probably does it for the glory...catching criminals is just a sort of bonus. I need to give this city what it really needs. I need to-

Senator Phillips' car bumps violently and comes to halt. Damn it! Looking into his mirror, he sees a truck sliding to a halt, blaring its horn. In the blink of an eye, his setting changes dramatically. On the side of the road, Senator Phillips observes his destroyed vehicle from the sideline.

"What happened- what-"

"Your car had a flat tire, Senator. I'd check those things more often if I were you." The words are spoken in earnest and without ego. Senator Phillips just stares, unsure how to respond. With a wave of his hand, the Flash is gone.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

Late again. Hope the Senator at least lays off even though I know Captain Frye won't. Maybe I can sneak in...

"Allen!"

Reaching Barry just before he makes it to the door, Darryl Frye ruins the crime scene investigator's hopes of an easy morning.

"Captain Frye-"

"Don't Captain Frye me, Allen. You're late. And late is late."

What else could it be?

"I'm sorry sir, it's just-"

"No excuses, Allen. Now unless you're the Flash and are too busy saving lives to work like us normal folk, you just don't have an excuse. Though if you actually were the Flash, you still wouldn't be late in the first place!"

Now there's an excuse...

"I want you on time, Allen. I know you may have had a hard time with your professor friend disappearing, but this is the Central City Police Department, not some kiddie playground."

"Yes, Captain. I'll do my best."

"See that you do." The Police Captain nods his head as a sort of acknowledgement, leaving Barry to his lab. Glad to see that little episode with Grodd hasn't shaken Frye's wonderful temperament. Looking up to the clock, Barry shakes his head. Half-an-hour late. Looks like I'm staying late tonight. But before he can even sit down, he is interrupted by a chirpy voice.

"Barry!"

"What is it, Patty?" Barry's lab assistant rushes toward him and he hopes some of her enthusiasm can wake him.

"This just in." Shoving several photos toward him, Patty Spivot retains her usual air of excitement. The photos show a bank vault, torn open by some sort of twirling motion. Situating himself in his chair, Barry find Parry leaning over the table earnestly. Glad to see she hasn't been daydreaming again.

"What am I looking at here?"

"See the impressions on the vault? Far too random to be done by some machine. So how could it have happened? Well that's what we have eyewitnesses for." Barry laughs inwardly, mildly surprised that Patty's quirky attitude could still be something to appreciate after her two years of working with him.

"And what did the eyewitnesses see, Patty?" Her blue eyes flash through her glasses, and Barry wonders if she would have tossed her blonde hair in some dramatic motion if it was not in a bun.

"It was a twister."

Barry Allen's gut turns sour. Another rogue.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

"YOU ARE NOW ENTERING CENTRAL CITY." The sign mocks her as she enters the metropolis, bringing forth memories of more pleasant times. Rita remembers her life here after college, and how quickly everything seemed to come into place. Yet her joy was taken as easily as it was given, leaving her to fend off the cold nights alone. She had left Central City, promising herself never to return. But that vow is now broken, and she can only hope that it is not too late. Despite all the insanity that had broken apart their lives, she still loves him. There is still hope.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

The prestigious Infantino Art Gallery, home to some of the finest draftsmanship in the country, could not have been a better target. With a wave of his wand, Mark Mardon raises himself into the air. For the first time since he had started this new wave of robberies, Mardon smiles. It's a hell of a experience, all of this power. He lets out a laugh, destroying a side of the well known museum with a controlled, miniature hurricane. Detaching a bag from his waist, the criminal begins looting the priceless pieces of art. "Who says science can't be fun?" A breeze enters the room.

"Certainly not me." A thunderbolt is sent directly toward the Flash who evades it easily despite his surprise.

"You'll have to do better than that." Mardon turns around, finding the Flash with his own weather rod in his hand.

"Guess you're not much without this." Mardon snickers, tapping a button upon his wrist. Electric shocks overtake the Flash, as Mardon rushes to retrieve his weapon.

"The name is Weather Wizard, Flash. And you're in for the fight of your life." Still recovering from the electric bolt, the Flash is torpedoed out of the room via an artificial whirlwind, exiting the museum from the previous hole made by the Weather Wizard. Landing hard on the street, Barry narrowly avoids a car, retaining just enough strength to dash away before it hits him. The buildings surrounding the Scarlet Speedster began to rumble as an artificial storm emerges. Window panes explode from various lightning bolts, their sharp glass threatening multiple pedestrians who run in the havoc. The Flash catches all these pieces of glass, though he cuts himself while placing the thousands of pieces upon the ground. Squinting to see through the smoke, the Flash makes out the distinctive yellow and green stripped figure emerging from the remains of the Infantino Art Gallery's front entrance. The Flash races toward his foe in no time, only to be struck by a blazing wall of white electricity. Momentarily blinded, the speedster suddenly finds that he cannot use his legs. Trapped underneath some fallen rubble courtesy of the Weather Wizard, the villain smiles wickedly despite the blaring alarms of police vehicles approaching.

"You know Flash, I haven't had this much fun since my first robbery when I was a kid. Thanks for the good time!" With a wave of his wand, the Weather Wizard lifts himself up in the air, leaving the Flash alive with the unmistakable feeling of a miserable defeat.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

Dragging up the stairs to his apartment, Barry Allen feels terrible. He had spent the previous night at Iris', not knowing where else to go after the Weather Wizard had handed him his defeat. The following morning, he had been late to work - chastised by a certain Captain Frye yet again. Now nearly home for the first time in almost 24 hours, all Barry wants is some sleep. Before he opens the door, however, an envelope left behind his knocker disrupts his feelings of weariness. Curiosity peaked, Barry does not have time to think about the letter much longer.

"Barry!" Turning around, Barry finds himself face to face with Fiona Webb, his lovely neighbor. Her light hair flows freely, adding to her easy disposition. Though working for Senator Phillips, she remains an advent supporter of the Flash, as well one of Barry's newest friends.

"Fiona, how are you?"

"Alright. Just working on something for the Senator's meeting with the state legislature."

"How is our fine Senator doing?" Fiona smiles, and Barry cannot help but feel a little guilty for noticing how dazzling her smile actually is.

"Do I detect a note of disapproval?" She laughs, heartedly.

"He's fine, as stout as ever." Suddenly her expression changes, noticing the bruises on Barry's right arm.

"Are you all right Barry? What happened?" This is the second time she's noticed injuries from my activities as the Flash...first after my fight with Captain Cold, and now this. I better come up with a good alibi.

"Oh, well, Ralph and I were practicing some martial arts, and I...well it was really more me than Ralph, see he's more into stretching, but well..." Brilliant Barry.

"That's all right Barry. Just take it easy." Again, she smiles. Saying their goodnights, the two neighbors part ways, Barry completely forgetting about the letter placed on his door.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

Hanging the painting cautiously, Mark Mardon briefly considers keeping the piece of art instead of selling it like the others he had stolen. He casts the idea off, his sense of greed overcoming any inclinations toward art. Taking another look at the painting, Mardon wonders what his brother Clyde would have thought of the piece of work. For a moment, he reminisces, remembering when they were both younger. At one point, he had had to help his more scientifically inclined younger brother complete coloring a picture. The picture had been of their house. Moving away toward his window, Mark Mardon sees his tears reflected by the thousands of raindrops outside.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

This has to pay off. Searching through thousands of mug shots, Barry Allen hopes that this "Weather Wizard" had been an established criminal before his turn toward the theatrical. Barry had sneaked a glance from underneath the Weather Wizard's domino mask unbeknownst to the crook when he had grabbed the villain's weather rod.

"Got it!" Mark Mardon, five years for armed robbery, escaped from prison last month. And guess who's assigned to the case. Exiting the dusty file room, Barry heads toward the desk of his friend Detective Curtis. There, Frank Curtis briefs Barry on the details of the case, particularly those on a certain Clyde Mardon.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

Flying through the night air at dazzling speeds, the Weather Wizard should feel like he is on top of the world. He had just completed his third robbery, this one Flash-free. I should be celebrating. Instead, here I am. Landing in Central City Cemetery, Mardon walks toward his brother's grave. Hesitant, he finally touches Clyde Mardon's headstone. Falling to his knees, a familiar voice breaks his silent mourning.

"Why'd you do it, Mardon?" The Flash's stance is respectful but wary. The Weather Wizard gets up and backs away.

"What are you talking about?" His voice is cracked, defensive compared to the Flash's steady, almost gentle tone.

"Why'd you kill your brother?" The Weather Wizard looks away, then glances back defiantly.

"That's a lie!" A bolt of lightning erupts from Mardon's rod, setting the tree behind where the Flash once soon on fire.

"Then what happened? Tell me what happened in Clyde's home, and maybe you'll be able to cut a deal. Maybe-" The Weather Wizard creates several lightning bolts, each hammering down upon different points in the cemetery.

"You don't know the truth! You can't know!" Rising swiftly in the air by means of

a whirlwind, the Weather Wizard waves his wand three times, with each motion a whirl wind appearing. The Flash tries to counteract the winds by spinning backwards before they can cause much harm.

"Mardon! Stop this! You-"

"No! Enough talking! It- it doesn't matter anymore." Raising himself even further, he invests more power into his whirlwinds. Then come the tidal waves. Using the moisture in the air, the rouge conjures the unnatural menace with more carelessness than usual. The entire cemetery becomes flooded, the unexpected, non-stop water weighing down the Flash. Grabbing hold of a headstone, Barry Allen says a silent prayer and pulls himself on top of it. The Weather Wizard sees this, and fires a bolt down toward his nemesis. The Flash uses the little space he has on the stone to pick up enough momentum and leap briefly into the air. Launching himself onto the Weather Wizard, the two plummet fiercely into the newly formed waves.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

The phone rings, but she does not answer. It rings again and again. Sitting in the corner of her room, she wonders how he could have found her. Praying that Barry Allen is alive and well, wherever he is, she hopes Barry will be able to help her.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

The Flash gets up, weakly. At his feet, Mark Mardon, AKA "The Weather Wizard" lies motionless, in defeat. In front of them, the destroyed grave of Clyde Mardon observes the former combatants in silence.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

Barry Allen walks up his apartment stairs, solemnly pondering his most recent encounter with a rouge. I knew if I checked the cemetery periodically I would find Mardon. He seemed so remorseful... or was it just sorrow? Mardon was silent when he came to. He didn't put up a fight when the police came. And he couldn't even look me in the eye. But I wonder... Barry's thoughts on the Weather Wizard stopped there. For the second time, he notices time the white envelope stuck in his door. He had been so preoccupied with the Weather Wizard, that the envelope had completely gone unnoticed.

"To An Old Friend."' Barry reads the words in a curious tone. Entering his apartment, he opens the envelope with every bit of the caution of a police scientist.

"Barry- I need your help. I knew a long time ago that my former husband and your friend was not what most would call normal, but he still remains every bit of the husband I loved. Al contacted me a month ago and I gave him no response (you know the terms we left on). He then showed up, babbling something about a "Philosopher's Stone" and other nonsense. I told him if he had anything to say to me, it should be about us. Then he showed up again, this time with strange pictures. Barry, he's been experimenting! What he's done is awful... I'm hesitant to say more, but I need your help. I think he's followed me to Central City. I still love him, and I know he's still one of your best of friends. Please come see me at the Waid Hotel. We can talk more then. ~ Rita"

Barry's thoughts blacken and he is gone in a flash.

To Be Continued...
NEXT ISSUE:
DOCTOR ALCHEMY