Beyond

Flash

Rhino was a menace.

He just didn't know when to quit.

And then things got worse.

"What are you doing here?!" Lance demanded blasing the large rock thrown towards them.

"I live around the corner." Flash snapped back. "I was coming home."

Lance pushed him to the side and activated his jet pack allowing him to momentarily blind Rhino.

"Yeah but it's not safe here." Lance pointed out as he landed. "You could get hurt."

"I know how to box." Flash offered.

Lance gave him a deadpan look. "He's a literal rhino."

Flash frowned. "Right, I didn't think of that."

With a chuckle Lance patted him on the back. "Come on, let's get you out of here."

"You know, you being a chilled out superhero is awesome." Flash admitted as Lance pushed him towards the nearest fire escape.

"I'm not a superhero." Lance smiled gesturing up. "I haven't got super powers, I'm just Lance."

"We'll just Lance, you're a hero." Flash grinned then it fell slightly. "I honestly can't believe that for a while I was against you. I should have broken ties with Gordon a long time ago."

"We all make bad decisions." Lance shrugged. "I know I have."

"You?"

"Yeah, I'm very trusting, a little too trusting really." Lance admitted shaking his head. "I forget that in war enemies come from everywhere. You can't always trust people on face value."

"That's why you were so weird." Flash noted. "So quiet and watchful."

Lance rolled his eyes. "I wasn't always that way. Now get out of here before you get yourself hurt."

"What about you? You haven't got super powers."

"I've battled Galran's double my size before." Lance grinned. "This is a piece fo cake."

"Can I watch from up here?" Flash asked curiously.

"Um..."

"Please?"

"Yeah, alright, fine. But if it gets too dangerous go." Lance ordered.

"Yeah, yeah whatever." He said waving of Lance's worry.

Lance turned back to the battle and ran towards it.

Gwen almost had Rhino down when Flash had arrived. Seeing someone vunerable Rhino had sparked back to life and charged.

It had been a very terrifying few seconds in which Red had appeared and tackled Rhino to the ground.

As Lance ran he noticed a truck turning up. It stopped reversing and threw the doors open.

A black goo like substance rolled across the floor.

That couldn't be good.

Lance's eyes snapped up to the driver and he recognised her. Viper.

She offered him a bright smile before driving away.

"Don't touch the goo!" Lance instructed as it drifted toward Miles.

"Where did that comes from?"

"HYDRA." Lance answered blasting at it, as he did tendrils of black ink reached out of it as it hissed in pain.

"Could you boys stay focused for more than three seconds? We're here to deal with Rhino!" Gwen snapped.

"Right coming!" Lance nodded moving around the black goo with a wide birth. "It just seems weird for HYDRA to do a drop and run with the goo. Like what is the purpose?"

"Don't know, currently don't care." Gwen replied as she kicked Rhino across the face. "Would you just stay down? I don't want to hurt you."

"Well I want to hurt you!" Rhino roared as he wiped the blood away.

Red growled and launched onto Rhino's back, but she then jumped away to stalk around Lance.

Then he realised the black goo was attempting to surround him.

Red's hissing and growling seemed to scare it off.

This creature is hungry.

"I'm sorry, what?" Lance asked frowning at his lion.

Flash leaned over the edge watching the black ink like goo started to climb the ladder. "Um guys!" He called anxiously. "What is this stuff?"

The metal of the fire escape began to give way with the goo still climbing it.

Flash gripped the metal as best he could, then, when he had the right grip, he jumped.

"I will always win!" Rhino yelled as he threw a broken shard of metal.

"No!" Miles shouted firing a web after it.

"Flash!" Lance felt his heart leap into his throat.

The shard went clean through Flash just seconds before he was going to land.

He crashed into the floor and collapsed.

"No!" Gwen screamed running towards him.

Lance caught her arm but she tore free.

The earth was spinning beneath him, he felt dizzy. What had just happened?

"Flash, easy buddy." Miles said as he lifted Flash up slightly.

"Now I kill you all." Rhino chuckled.

Lance felt the rage of five lionesses claw it's way through his mind. He screamed as all of them blasted their attacks at Rhino.

Slowly Lance collapsed to his knees struggling to breathe.

Rhino lay unconscious on the floor behind him as Lance's head pounded.

A tongue was licking his face clearing the few stray tears that escaped. He was shaking.

His eyes opened to see Gwen and Miles trying to stop Flash from bleeding out.

Now wasn't the time for self pity.

He pushed himself up and stumbled to their side.

Flash had gone grey and his eyes were open staring at nothing.

Lance felt a chill fall down his spine.

Gwen pulled her mask off and looked up at Lance. "Can't you help him?"

Lance reached down and took ahold of Flash's wrist. There was no pulse.

He shook his head. "He's gone."

"No, no this is all our fault, no." Miles muttered dropping his head into Flash's shoulder. "No."

Lance sank back down and closed his eyes. This wasn't right, this wasn't fair.

This wasn't how the story should end.

"No." He uttered as he felt the black lion form above them.

Her giant metal form casting a dark shadow before she let out a roar that probably caused a minor earthquake.

Gwen tugged Miles back, Lance wanted to ask her why when he noticed the black ink-goo-stuff was crawling towards Flash.

Then Red's words flashed through his mind.

"No." He growled as his Bayard came to his hand, but it vanished before he could use it. "No."

"Lance-"

"Do something!" Lance snapped up at the black lion.

A silence in his mind made him feel weak. He stumbled back and Gwen barely managed to catch him.

The black goo smothered Flash and then the metal shard was pulled free. The black ink shrunk down and vanished and laying there was Flash.

"What just happened?" Lance breathed.