After School Villains Club (2)

Racing the Flash

Claire Lutre
The elevator did come out on the roof, we walked out of a giant air conditioning unit that turned out to be fake. I went up first with my grappling hook, pressed the open button and like some 70's car the door opened upwards instead of outwards.

"Garfield, you need to take the prize, get going!" Penny snapped, she was in leader mode now,

"It's too big for a bird to carry!" Ray interrupted, "I can parkour with it easy, let's play a game of keep-away!"

Looking out over the roof, police and fire trucks had already gathered along with some white vehicles. People were moving too and from the building beneath us and shocked civilians were being quarantined to one side of the building in a tent-city. People wearing hazmat suits were the main traffic entering or leaving as the normal people were pulled out, studied and would be cleared.

A fake gas attack, that would be the news.

Scanning the sea of people just beyond the lab I saw something blur. Flickering lines of yellow light, like an after trail. Like... Grabbing Penny's arm I tried to choke down panic and pulled her around. "I think, I think I see a speedster!" I squeaked, and we scanned the crowd together. A flicker, yep! Moving through the group, someone arrived with the blur and we squinted, seeing somebody had just been dropped off.

"Oh this is not good!" Penny responded, the deposited figure was rising into the air. "Two guesses as to which league members we're up against!"

Turning back around, Penny and I looked for Ray and Garfield. They were already on the run, literally playing keep away - Garfield would fly to the next roof, transform, catch a thrown conqueror orb, then Ray would dash to keep up! In moment's they had left the main roof of the Laboratory and were heading across the city roofs.

I hesitated, thinking of the best way we could move, then felt a wicked grin split my face.

"Oh, I have the perfect idea. I'm ready for this, are you?"

"Ready for wha-" Penny began as I moved in front and squatted down. "To go harass the heroes with the boys stow our prize!" I sensed the hesitation, then heard a giggle.

"This would be more welcome if it was Ray, I know he could handle the weight." Penny commented, but she complied, pressing up against my back, allowing me to grab her legs in a classic piggy-back pose and I stood.

"Can I have the static cling gloves?" I stopped for a second, these gloves were part of my 'not quite a ninja' gear. They could stick things together but were also good at letting me climb walls. Carefully I unstrapped them from my hands, I'd done a bit of sewing to make them look like paws but they were still stretchy fit.

Then the Flash appeared.

He was simply there, as if in the blink of an eye. Gold and red costume, young, handsome, dark skinned with wicked eyes he lounged on the edge of the building, casually sitting there and pretending to read a newspaper.

We ignored him and I pushed off, using the non-friction bear feet to skate across the roof away from him.

"Aww, you know your little get-away formation is cute! I remember that Blink skill you used last time I saw you, planning to get extra speed that way?" he walked alongside us. Walked, we were already clicking up to a fast run but he matched out pace.

"Are you taking us seriously yet?" Penny asked.

"Oh, he never takes anyone seriously!" I smeared my comment,

"Oh! Ow! I'm hurt, that genuinely wounded me. Just waiting to see if you had a sneek attack, looks like the boy and the animal thing have whatever you took, am I right?"