by Hitman 44077
Kid Flash made his way back to Blue Valley with his super-speed and arrived at Frances Kane’s home. Knocking at the front door, he waited for the door to be answered. I should have let Fran know I was all right after I saw Mom and Dad, but the grief I’m feeling from Barry’s death blinded me to that, he thought. She’s always been there for me. I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving her.
Within a few seconds, Fran answered the door wearing a robe and a towel over her hair, fresh from a shower. “Wally?” she said, surprised and overjoyed. She smiled and lunged forward to him, hugging him and kissing him. Yet Fran felt something wrong; he seemed more distant than normal. “Wally… are you okay?” she asked him. The distressed look reappeared on the speedster’s face, and Fran grew concerned.
“No… no, I’m not,” Kid Flash said, fighting to keep himself composed.
“Come on in, Wally,” Fran said. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
Kid Flash walked inside Fran’s residence, and she locked the door behind her. The two walked to her living room and sat down on her couch. “I’ve been worried, but I hadn’t heard anything on the news about you. To some extent, that helped me, but I didn’t stop thinking of you. I’m just glad you’re safe,” Fran said.
“I should have told you a few hours ago, but I needed to do a few things. After I left the house when I told Mom and Dad about the disease, I joined several heroes in the fight against the monster that engineered this Crisis. Our travel took us to an antimatter universe, and it was there that I learned the most tragic thing I’ve ever dealt with in my life. In the course of being there, I found Barry’s Flash costume… and his Flash ring. He gave his life to save our world, and he’ll always be remembered for that sacrifice,” Kid Flash said solemnly.
“Oh, no… oh, Wally,” Fran said, saddened. Though she didn’t know the Flash that well, tears began dropping from her eyes as she felt the pain Wally was carrying. “Oh, Wally… I’m so sorry,” she said between heartbreaking sobs.
Kid Flash pulled his mask off and hugged Fran as his tears began to flow once again. The hurt surrounding Barry’s death continued to pull at his very being. “I know, Fran, I know,” Wally whispered. He kissed her forehead. “After my visit at STAR Labs–” he began to say.
Fran interrupted. “You were at STAR Labs? What happened? Are you all right?” she asked with concern, wiping the tears from her face.
“That may be the only good to come out of this, Fran,” Wally said, wiping his tears away with his hand. “While I was in the antimatter universe, I received a blast of antimatter energy. Somehow, it’s interacted with my body chemistry. The doctors at the lab did some blood work and were able to determine that the disease is in remission. I’m not cured, but the pain is gone. It seems that the antimatter is keeping the disease in check. I still need to undergo a few tests, but that can wait.”
Fran smiled at the news. “Oh, my gosh. I can’t believe it!” she said.
“I seem slower. I’m not sure if it’s from the antimatter or my grief. I’ll find out after Barry’s funeral,” Wally said. “It’s been a busy day so far. I told my folks I was okay, and told them what I needed to do. I gave Barry’s remains to his parents so they can give him the proper burial he richly deserves. I visited Captain Frye at the CCPD. He’s going to take care of any questions surrounding Barry’s autopsy, and he’s assembling a crew to carry out a police officer’s funeral for Barry. I saw several members of the JLA and told them of the Allens’ wishes. It’s going to be a private affair. Barry’s parents want all of Barry’s closest friends to attend, civilian and hero, as they say goodbye to their son. Henry, that’s Barry’s father, he wants to reveal that Barry was the Flash at a memorial service dedicated to the Flash after the funeral is over. I feel that’s the best route for all involved.”
“Wally, you know no matter what, I’ll be there for you. It’s so hard to believe,” said Fran.
“I know. Aside from the innocent people that were killed, several other heroes died, including Wonder Woman and an old Titans teammate, Dove.” Wally confided, “In all my years, I’ve never seen something that could cause such mass carnage… and I hope I never see something like this ever again.”
“When is the funeral?” Fran asked him.
“I’m guessing in a day or two,” he replied. “I’m going to head back to Central City and talk to the Allens. I’ll see if they need any more help. I want to do all I can for them during this time. It’s odd. I love my grandpa, but I think I have the same love for the Allens as I do for him.”
“I’ll help you any way I can, Wally,” assured Fran. “Just please… don’t run yourself ragged, not until you have the tests at STAR Labs.”
“I promise. Now,” said Wally, pulling his mask back on and standing up, “I’d better get back to what I’m doing. I’ll be back later.”
Fran stood up and placed her hands on his shoulders. She looked him in the eyes. “I’m always here for you,” she said, reaching forward and kissing him. “Always.”
“I love you, Fran. I’ll see you later,” said Kid Flash as he opened the front door and sped off toward Central City.
***
In Central City, Kid Flash stopped at the Allens’ home. He knocked on the door, and Henry answered. “Wally! I’m glad you’re back,” Henry said.
“I figured I needed to stop by. How are you two holding up?” Kid Flash asked.
“We’re doing as well as can be expected,” replied Henry. “Nora’s resting right now, and that’s probably the best thing for her. We’ve made the arrangements and contacted several friends of Barry’s.”
“That’s good to hear,” Kid Flash said. “I spoke with Captain Frye after I left earlier. It was an emotional affair. I’m sorry, but I needed to guarantee that there would be no questions asked in regards to a body. That said, I told Frye that Barry was the Flash. He swore to keep the information confidential and to take care of the coroner’s report. He’s also giving Barry the funeral of a police officer, with full honors.”
“Wally, I understand. Darryl Frye’s a good man, and you can trust him,” Henry said.
“I’m glad you’re not mad,” said Kid Flash, relieved. “I also contacted Ralph and several founding members of the JLA. They agreed to contact other heroes that were close to Barry, like the Atom and Zatanna. I told them of your wishes, how you wanted to bury Barry before publicly revealing that he was the Flash. They all agreed it would be the best thing to do, as they felt it was right to respect their privacy.”
“I can see why Barry felt close to them,” said Henry. “The League was very good to Barry, and I’m so glad he meant that much to them.”
“I am, too,” Kid Flash replied. “There are two others that should be there. I can contact one of them, but unfortunately, I can’t reach the other.”
“If you’re referring to Dexter Myles, I wanted to reach him myself, but I haven’t been able to find the words to say to him. Could you invite him?” Henry asked.
“Yeah… I’ll head over to the Flash Museum to see him. I just wish Jay Garrick could be there. He was Barry’s inspiration — the reason he called himself the Flash was a tribute to the comics he read as a boy. Unfortunately, it seems that while there are still five Earths, no one can cross over like they did in the past,” Kid Flash said sadly.
“That is a shame,” said Henry. “Jay’s a good man and a good role model. The only thing that relieves me is that he felt the same way about Barry that Barry felt about him. Whatever Jay does, I’m sure he’ll remember Barry the best way he can under these circumstances.”
“Henry, I said it earlier, and I’ll say it again: You need anything, I’ll help in any way I can,” Kid Flash said.
“Wally, you’ve helped so much already. Nora and I can’t thank you enough. I often wondered if Barry and Iris would have had children had she not been murdered. I’d like to think if they had, that their child would have turned out just like you,” Henry confided.
“Henry, that means so much to me,” said Wally. “We all had some good times, coming over here on Christmas Eve, sharing stories and just having a good time. I’m going to miss Barry… as much as I miss Iris.”
“I know, Wally. I know,” Henry said, walking over and hugging Kid Flash. “I don’t know if I said it earlier, but we’ll be having calling hours tomorrow… before we lay him to rest.”
“All right. I’ll alert Dexter, Frye, and Ralph and tell them of the plans. I’d better do that right now,” Kid Flash said.
“All right, Wally. Thank you again for all your help,” Henry said with genuine gratitude.
“Henry, I’ll always help you and Nora. I love both of you,” Kid Flash said. “When I get done, I’ll call you and let you know everything that’s happening.”
“You take care, okay?” Henry asked.
“I will,” Kid Flash said as he waved to Henry and opened the door. He walked outside, closed the door, and took off for the Flash Museum. Arriving moments later, he entered the building.