Superflash:Collison Course (Volume 1)

Chapter 8: Speedforce Showdown

Barry was back on his feet mere hours after he woke up. Kara and Caitlin were with him every step of the way through the hallways of Star Labs. While his body had healed, his mind was still in turmoil. It hadn’t been that long since Zoom and his father’s death and he could only think that now his history was repeating itself for the third time. With that in mind, he called all of his friends and family to Star Labs for a Team Flash meeting. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy, and the questions would be the worst as hearing them would make him relive the attack.

As soon as he and Kara arrived, they saw the concerned faces situated around the conference table. Joe and Jay were sitting across from the two empty seats that he and Kara took for themselves. Caitlin and Cisco were seated next to them, Iris was at the foot of the table and a surprise, Harry had come from Earth-2 as aside from Barry and Jay, Zoom had a profound effect on his life. Everyone waited for Barry to speak as Kara placed her hand on his to provide comfort.

“How you feeling kid?”

“Physically Jay, I’m fine. Emotionally, mentally, I’m not so sure.”

Barry let that sink in for those gathered around him as Kara squeezed his hand just a little bit tighter. She had heard about everything Zoom had put him through, and everything that had happened to Jay when he was held captive on Earth-2. The silence was palpable until Harry spoke.

“Well, let’s start with what it felt like, Allen. Snow told me you were in a coma for four days. I don’t think that was really what happened. Whatever this Godspeed did to you, your four day sleep was the Speed Force healing you. But what did you feel when he was attacking you?”

“Harry…!”

“We have to know; Ramon. We can’t stop this speedster if we don’t know what he’s capable of.”

“Harry’s right, Cisco. As painful as this will be to remember what was happening, I have to say it out loud. Jay, you and Harry suffered at Zoom’s hands more than I ever could have. But when I gave up my speed voluntarily to save Wally, that felt like the Speed Force was being pulled out of me. As painful as that was, what Godspeed did felt ten times worse. While I was out, my mind was taken into the Speed Force. I saw my mom, my dad, and all those who have sacrificed their lives for Central City. This experience may have been a fever dream, but they spoke to me. Zoom was able to take my speed because I gave it up. Godspeed was literally ripping my powers away from me. He was stealing my speed.”

“Allen, that shouldn’t have been possible. The lightning bolt that struck you was part of the Speed Force itself. All of that electricity combined with the chemicals in your lab altered everything about your genome. As the Flash, you don’t just tap into the Speed Force, you’re a conduit for it.”

“I know that Harry. Every test we’ve run since that day supports that conclusion. But Godspeed is just as much a conduit for it as I am. He was faster than me. I couldn’t catch him.”

“And if I hadn’t been there, Godspeed may have taken every last bit of power from Barry.”

“We’re grateful that you were there Kara. We owe you for saving Barry’s life.”

“No one owes me anything, Joe. I did what was right.”

“It felt like dying.”

Barry had taken time to think while Kara spoke, and he knew that there was only one way he could describe what Godspeed had done felt like. Everyone heard the words and immediately fell silent, everyone except the veteran speedster sitting across from Barry.

“What?”

“Harry asked what it felt like as Godspeed stole my powers. It felt like I was dying, Jay.”