Chapter 13: Semi-Legit

The Fastest Man Alive

Chapter 13

Semi-Legit

I was lost and floating.

 

I was floating in what should have been darkness. There was no feeling, weightlessness, and no self, I was just being. And just as suddenly as I was there in the darkness the sky burst alive in a crackle of lightning.

 

There was so much color so much flavor and yet they all came from the same source. From the speed force, there were yellows, blues, greens, and reds. Lightning in the shades of purple and pink so many shades that I never knew was possible.

 

WHOMP!

 

Huh!

 

WHOMP! WHOMP!

 

Where am I?

 

WHOMP! WHOMP! WHOMP!

 

Wait I was running and the bomb exploded.

 

Then I figured out how to teleport but I fell asleep.

 

WHOMP! WHOMP! WHOMP! WHOMP! WHOMP!

 

FUCK! This was no time to sleep, and with that, I bolted upright. I was currently laying down under the Statue of Liberty and on the wall before me, there was a comical shaped person sized imprint on the wall. Yet, I had to place that noise, with a turn of my head I noticed Coast Guard helicopters roaming over the bay.

As I was wondering how long I was out my com’s cheeped. “Ben please, come in please, please please come in,” That’s was Gwen’s voice.

“Ahh, LightSpeed here, how long was I out?”

“Oh thank the heavens!” and now that was Jean’s voice.

I guess it was time to get back to the warehouse, but I needed a situational update first. “Alfred help me out buddy, what happened when I left with the bomb and please update the police that I survived.”

 

“Your GPS placed you at the Statue of Liberty for twenty minutes before you came back on communications. Also, Captain Stacey and your father called on the Coast Guards to do a search and rescue In case you were unable to make it back to land. I would also recommend returning to base, the authorities have been notified of your survival; but we currently have a guest you should be aware of, and I have been informed not to say anything.”

“Who has the authority to override you, Alfred?” That worried me because even though he was new his systems should not be easy to be subverted.

“I am unable to say, sir; please get here soon.” Now that sounds like he was pleading. I had no clue Alfred could even plead for help.

With renewed vigor I took off into the sky, the girls sounded okay but Alfred sure wasn’t. That worried me a lot and I couldn’t reply back over the com’s in case he was in a compromised position.

I was already up one hundred feet above the bay heading back, I wanted to teleport again but I wasn’t sure how to pull it off. I was far too much in the moment to have remembered how that even happened. Hell, the flash was never able to teleport in the comics or in the show so this was a whole new territory for me to explore.

That thought was pushed to the back of my mind as I came upon the docks heading for my warehouse. Outside waiting on me was both Gwen and Jean and they both looked ruffled. I guess thinking I was dead could fray a few nerves. Right as I touched down in a superhero landing Gwen whacked me right across the head.

 

“Owe, what did I do wrong now?” I was not expecting to get hit upside the head after I had clearly just saved the day. That was not a reward a hero should be getting after a stressful situation.

 

“That’s what you deserve after the stunt you just pulled. This can’t keep happening Benjamin, this was pure luck. You can’t keep pulling stunts like these, you’re going to get hurt or someone will get hurt from your recklessness Ben.” Gwen was yelling my ears off but I couldn’t refute her on anything.

Yeah this was a lucky fluke and things were happening far too fast even to my taste, but I had to intervene otherwise everything would have turned out a lot worse. Yet I couldn’t tell her that. She didn’t care about the powers or the situation, she was worried about my moronic actions.

All I could do was sigh and take it all in stride,  with a step forward I pulled her into a kiss mid-speech on my lack of skills. She tasted so divine as our tongues duelled as I savored her, she tasted of honey and berries.

When we finally came up for air I noticed the look Jean was giving us, so I walked over to her while holding Gwen and pulled her into the hug also.

“No one gets left behind.” with that she kissed me on the cheek and melted into the three-way hug.

 

“Help please.” then Alfred’s plea woke me up out of my little warm bubble of comfort. Hmm, he was getting more emotion in his voice.

“Would you ladies like to tell me what’s going on with Alfred?” they both shared a look then turned away from me but it was jean that spoke up.

 

“That is all on you, please don’t drag us down with you. We are innocent and shall remain that way.”

I gave them both a squeeze for that statement but that was a clue. Someone was here and we all knew who it was. I just didn’t know who it could be on that short list.

One major possibility would be my dad but I didn’t think he had it in him to scare Alfred. With those thoughts tossed to the back of my mind, I carried the girls with me into the overwatch station of the warehouse.

When I got there though I was greeted with a giant chair facing the monitors and away from me. This piqued my interest alright, I was touched by a burning curiosity about who it was that was pulling off a James Bond-style supervillain move on me.

So I put the girls down and ignored the name calling they threw in my direction. Yet as soon as I stepped closer the chair turned around and my soul flew out of my body.

 

Oh no! my mother was here, and she was using Alfred’s Omni-drone body as if he was a cat to pet. I made a turn to run away but Allen was standing in front of a locked door, Shit I was trapped.

“So there was a Bank Robbery today, and guess who was there when I turned on the tv?” She was petting Alfred’s head like he was a cat while pinning me with her gaze.

The word trouble couldn’t describe how deep I was, so instead of defending myself, it was best to drag another down with me.

“Dad was there also in Manhattan he didn’t go to that stake out in the Bronx as he told us. Not only that but he was up on the front lines near that massive Gatling Gun.” Yeah, snitching on my old man will hopefully take her anger away from me and get it focused on him.

Just that statement caused her left eye to twitch and her grip crushed the arm on the chair she was sitting in. Shit, she was far too strong for just being a baseline human. She had already subverted all my help so I might as well face this.

 

“So what were you thinking?”

 

“That I could save everyone, that I was the only person that could make a difference.” Gosh, she was eerily silent. The only thing I was getting out of her was a raised eyebrow. I was sweating buckets and the girls were enjoying watching me squirm. Even now Alfred was silent and just letting her pet his drone body.

Yet, again I still had no understanding of how she struck such fear into him. “That’s such a subpar answer, Benjamin you’re going to get yourself and others killed. Why are you pursuing this route?”

“I either stand for something or I stand for nothing. All of you think I am being a hero just because I have the powers. This is far more than just me, there are thousands of metahumans out there in hiding afraid of discovery. They need someone to stand up and bridge the gap with the rest of the world. Yeah, my choice of being a hero might have been selfish on my end but that’s what the world will respond to. A hero saving the day just like a Saturday morning cartoon.”

Things had to change in a major way and I was extremely firm about that. Yes, I had many failings and I was steadily improving But being the first hero in New York City was going to mean something to the world when I open my mouth and spoke up about metahuman issues.

“Mom I have to do this. I can’t stop no matter what. Yes, I know there are plenty of others but no one will make this stand so I have to.”

 

She just sat there and stared at me with those hard grey eyes of ours. “So tell me what is this I hear you have acquired thirty-eight million six hundred thousand dollars.

 

“Thirty-eight million six hundred thousand and twenty-two dollars grandmother” Came Alfred’s input and that caused my eyes to widen in shock. Grandmother, when did she become a grandmother?

“Thank you! Ohh yes before I forget. Tell me, Benjamin, why wasn’t I informed when I became a grandmother?” At this point, even Allen behind me started to chuckle at my situation. Urgh, and there was no way out of this without pushing his old ass aside to make it through the door.

“That loot was liberated from some very unsavory types. So I helped it along into my pockets as a seed to help my company grow.”

“You Liberated more than thirty million is what you’re going with?”

 

“YES!” With that answer, I snapped to attention because there is no way I am going to turn any of my hard earned loot.

With a raised eyebrow she crushed my hopes, “And what about my cyber grandchild? Do we need to have the talk about the birds and the bees Benjamin?”

Oh no the dreaded talk I have been avoiding that for as long as I could remember. “Oh for the love of all that is good in the world please I beg you not in front of the girls.”

“Then how about we talk about your baby photos. Alfred, photos please.”

And with that, all of my baby photos that we had taken over the years popped up on the screen, that little traitor. Right, the middle was me in my duck suit for Halloween when I was six.

 

The photo that looked like I peed myself when I was four, all the embarrassing photos over the years were up on display for all to see. I just wanted to crawl myself into a hole in the ground.

Everyone was laughing at my expense and she didn’t even crack a smile. She just sat there patting Alfred’s drone body pinning me with her stare. Then she dug the knife deeper.

 

“You’re grounded for a month to reflect on your actions. Your liberated loot as you called it will be used to fix up the warehouse and then you can start your company. I will also call in a favor from my old work days to get someone to come train you.”

That brought me up short as long as I have been alive in this new life she or my dad has never mentioned what she used to do and anytime I asked she would deflect.

“I understand there is no way I can tell you not to use your powers but you’re going to need training. Yes am upset about the bomb situation and yes I don’t have all the facts to know if it could have been avoided or not but be that as it may your actions have been unacceptable. So one month and you will get no compromise with me.”

That upset me, I just saved the day and all I was going to get for all my troubles was more trouble and getting grounded, fucking hell man.

 

I was a Grey and she knew it because as soon as I gritted my teeth she smiled at me and I knew I fell right into her trap. She was already looking for a reason to lock me up in the house and my playing hero today gave her just that.

 

Now I am going to be stuck cleaning out the garage and whatever Menial task she can come up with. I fell right into her trap, with no way of escaping.

“What you think you would just come back here and receive accolades and grand applause for your deeds?”

 

With my head down I could help but feel a little shame yeah I wanted some praises I just saved the freaking day.

 

“Be humble or the world will humble you Ben” spoke my mom as she got up from her seat.”

“Yeah I understand mom”

“Well let’s go home, girls let’s go” and with that, she strode right out the warehouse-like she owned the place and Alfred trailed right alone behind her. He stopped took a look at me and when he headed her call out for him he scuttled right after her.

 

Damn traitors all of them. With my mom’s declaration, I changed clothes and headed out with the rest.

———-

It had been a few weeks since the bomb accident had happened, my father came home one day to tell me the police commissioner wanted to give me an award and the mayor’s office and governors wanted to do a whole ceremony about It. I was super ecstatic.

 

Then it turns out that officer Murphy I rescued was the son of New York’s police commissioner. That was when my enthusiasm went out of the window, this wasn’t because I was doing my share to help this city. The dreaded elected officials wanted to make this a political play.

Yet I was stuck inside, but I could scheme and make plans. With Alfred traitors help I could make them possible. I asked my mother about why he was following her around and taking her orders and all she said to me was the creator of his creator. Bloody mom logic, I still don’t see how he can just jump ship so easily.

Lucky for me she relented when she heard I was going to be rewarded by the city so I was now perched upon a rooftop overlooking the parade grounds in Central Park.

 

“We are here today to give the key to the city because a citizen chose to stand up for good and use his abilities to accomplish great feats in service to our great city. Join me in a round of applause to welcome our city’s hero LIGHTSPEED!”

That was my queue to appear, ohh this was going to be good it was just too bad I was grounded. Urgh, some hero I am fucking grounded and can’t even enjoy my own ceremony.

 

With a leap, I was clear of the building I was standing on, with my body charged up with lightning cracklings around me I came down in a classic three-point hero landing. Yeah, it was shit owe my knees but I was going to milk this for all I could before my mom decided it was time to cut me off at the knees.

 

Soon as I landed the city went wild, and oh boy was I feeling the moment. Upfront was the mayor, the governor, and the police commissioner. Next to them was the police captain and then the other multimillionaire businessman of the city, but unfortunately for me though Norman Fucking Osborn was front and center with one Wilson Fisk the kingpin himself.

And now my big day was ruined, but I had to keep up the smile for the cameras. There was no way I was going to mess up this moment.

I accepted my award gave a little speech then moved on to kissing babies and taking pictures with the politicians. When I looked over to my parent’s location my mother was giving me the third-degree eye-laser and I knew it was time to go.

 

Lucky this was New York and crime was always happening. Norman and Fisk were trying hard to get my attention and have a chat with me but I was in no way a savvy politician so I had to avoid them like the plague.

 

With my warning and awards in hand, I gave the excuse of having to stop crime and took off towards the nearest sounds of sirens. If the car thief was turned over to the cops with a few broken ribs well that’s just too bad for him.

With everything, all taken care of I went back to my warehouse to change and wait on the family. Gwen was the first to give me a hug and a kiss, though she was still mad at me but was happy I made it in time to save her father and the rest.

With a hug from Jean, I noticed my mother giving me the prison guard look tapping at her watch. Sigh, I hate this whole grounded bullshit, I saved the day I shouldn’t have to suffer like this. We had purchased the whole block and we were renovating the whole warehouse to encompass everything. Underground walkways were being added in and so we’re living quarters. I had ideas to make Star Industries its own entity within New York. Any earthquake, flooding, alien invasion, atlantis attacks this building is going to be able to survive everything once I finish making all my upgrades.

 

Alfred’s systems had been moved to the house as per my mother’s orders and my dad didn’t even fight her on the subject. I guess that was my fault for throwing him to the wolves like that, although the look on his face when he walked through the door and seen the look on her face was priceless.

He turned around to run away and she moved so swiftly I almost thought she had the speed force also, with one yank he was dragged right into the house.

With my good bye’s in order, it was time to head home to my prison, I had completed everything from raking the yard to cleaning the garage and shingles. Yet, I still had to suffer through being trapped in the house. The only small reprieves I had was when Gwen, Jean or Peter and the rest comes to visit.

 

We pulled up to the house and the lights were on, this was strange because I distinctly remember turning everything off when we left.

 

“That’s strange do you see any cars around Benjamin.” my mother asked me while looking around. With a swift look, all I was able to place was all the neighbor’s cars that are normally there this time of day.

We all piled out and my dad went for his bat out the trunk since he was in full dress today for the ceremony he chooses not to bring his service pistol. Which in hindsight now was not a great choice.

 

Yet, what really freaked me out was when he closed the trunk and hefted his bat in his hand my mom had a massive ass 38 in her hands. Holy fuck, where did she have that monster cannon stashed at? Wait why does she even have a gun?

 

I knew that gun really well and I had always thought it was my dads. There was custom porting along the front barrel and she even had a suppressor connected with custom sights sitting on top. Am just happy she didn’t have an extended mag attached also. Whoever was in our house was about to have one very bad day.

They lined up against the side of the door in preparation to breach like we were going to face some type of terrorist, my dad held up his hands to sign for me to take off and smash whoever it was inside and they would follow up behind me.

That was a plan I could get behind, he helped up his hands and I got ready.

 

1, 2, 3.

 

The door flew open and I took off for the perp. I was going to enjoy smashing in this home intruder. I took off in a Flash all puns intended. The door was in my way and there was no way I was going to smash it open and end up in even more trouble for my efforts.

Layering my speed force aura onto my left hand I pushed it forward that way when I made contact with the door the aura would wrap around the door and her hinges keeping it from breaking down on my entry.

When I got into the house I found him standing in the hallway with his back turned to me. He was tall easily six feet and inches. He was examining the portraits on the wall with his back wide open. It was strange though he was wearing a trench coat, no one wears a trench coat anymore except that pirate.

 

No, it couldn’t be him.

 

How?