PRESENTS

#3
FEATURING

"Shadow Dancing"
by Kell Carpenter
barchettaboy@yahoo.com

Jay Garrick was NOT having a nice day.

He grabbed a young woman as she fell toward the pavement from a fifth-story office. Her shrieking stopped as Jay caught her, and she opened her eyes in bewilderment.

"Say, you're-" She didn't have time for more than that. Jay was off and running to save someone else. He saved 50-plus other people from the building, then breathed a sigh of relief as the police and fire personnel arrived.

"What's the situation, Flash?" the police officer in charge asked.

Jay pushed his helmet back on his head and wiped his brow. "Well, Lieutenant…Hatfield, is it? I think I've got the place cleared out, but I can't be completely sure. You might want to place some of the firemen on each side with their safety nets just in case I missed some and they come falling out of the building…"

Hatfield's mouth was open and his eyes conveyed pure confusion. "Huh? Can you give me a bit more than that, Flash? I'm still in the dark here..."

Jay laughed, much to the officer's consternation. "That's a good one, Lieutenant - 'in the dark' - HAH!" He wiped his eyes then explained. "The Shade has decided to resume his antics here in Keystone City*. He filled this building with his shadow-stuff and the people were panicking and general chaos has ensued."

*It started last issue- Recappin' Kell

"You mean to tell me that the whole building is blacked out? That we can't go in there to make sure everyone's cleared out?" Hatfield jerked a thumb toward the building, whose outer surface was covered with the Shade's black shadow-substance.

Jay nodded, pulling his helmet back into place. "Yes, but don't worry - I plan to have this under control in a VERY short time..." He tapped his helmet and was suddenly gone, a blue-and-red blur that left leaves and trash swirling around Lieutenant Hatfield.

He sighed, then called through his bullhorn: "Anyone got a doughnut? And some coffee?"

Jay had combed the city three times since leaving Hatfield. There was still no sign of the Shade, and he was becoming impatient. As he scoured the city, he reflected on recent events.

His wife Joan had revealed to him that Molly Scott, the wife of his best friend Alan (Sentinel) Scott, had cancer*. He was still having a hard time with that one. It was one thing to go into battle and never come back; it had happened on more than one occasion to his friends and, he supposed, might eventually happen to him. It was quite another thing for a close friend to die a slow death and not be able to save them.

*Molly told Joan last issue - Gossip-monger Kell

Jay shook off his troubling thoughts as he came to another building that was filled to overflowing with the Shade's shadow substance. Jay chided himself for his wool-gathering and set about rescuing the building's occupants.

"...but you HAVE to tell him, Molly! He's your husband, for God's sake...!" Joan Garrick let out a breath, exasperated. This had not been her usual pleasant phone conversation with Molly Scott.

"Joan, I'm not angry at you for telling Jay; I completely understand and probably would've done the same thing if it had been me." She took a breath. "However, that doesn't change anything; I still don't want you OR Jay to tell Alan about the cancer. You've got to trust me, all right?"

Joan sighed heavily. "Molly, why can't you tell Alan? Why is it so important?"

Molly was silent for several moments. "Oh, Joan. Alan has been through so much. His first wife, Rose, ended their marriage before it ever really got the chance to start. The fact that she left him so soon after their marriage was bad enough, but trying to kill not only him but also Jenny and Todd in her mad other personality was a nightmare*. There are nights he wakes in a cold sweat after a horridly vivid dream in which he relives her death. Joan, I can't be another wife who gives him heartache. I just CAN'T..." Molly broke down and sobbed on the other end of the phone line.

*It happened in Infinity Inc. Annual #2 - Tyin'-It-All-Together Kell

"Oh, Molly..." Joan wiped her own eyes. "I know you'd like to save Alan from having to deal with this. The only problem is that he WILL have to deal with it, sooner or later." She paused, carefully selecting her words. "If you don't tell him now, it can only lead to more pain and heartache for him later. With Rose, he had no chance to prepare for her leaving him EITHER time. Don't make him deal with that sudden loss again, Molly. Give him the chance to help you fight this. If both of you aren't fighting it, you're only that much more likely to lose the fight. Let him be a part of this; it's what he promised to do when he married you..."

Molly sobbed harder. "What you say makes sense, Joan, but I'm so AFRAID. I don't want to die, not now, with all the time we have to make up. I loved Alan for so long, and then when I had him he was suddenly gone*. Now that we're both here, together, I don't want his lasting memory of me to be a wasted old crone withering and breaking his heart..."

*Alan, Jay and the rest of the "old" JSA were trapped in another dimension for a time, as detailed in the Last Days of the JSA special - Archivist Kell

"Molly, nobody's going to try to tell you that this won't be hard or scary. What I want you to know is this: Your best chance to fight this is with lots of support. You know that you have mine and Jay's, but think of how much more you'll get with Alan's added in. It's the ONLY way to go, Molly..." Joan waited for a reply from her friend.

Molly's voice was small, like a frightened child's. "A-All right, Joan. I'll tell him."

Joan let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. "I'm so glad you're going to tell him. Molly, we'll do anything we can to help. Say the word and we're there."

"Thank you, Joan. You're a good friend..."

Elsewhere:

The mists swirled, as they always did. They had parted to reveal images from other planes of reality, and the entity that lived there watched intently the images in its "viewscreens".

It watched Jay Garrick searching Keystone City for the Shade, and the mists swirled in a most unusual manner. The mists started to move in small vortexes, coming together to form one larger shape. The shape began to take on human form, its rough-formed body becoming clearer by the moment.

The mist-creature looked down upon itself and moved its arms and legs, flexing its fingers. As it took in its new body, it shook with silent laughter.

Soon, very soon, Jay Garrick would pay...

Keystone City:

Jay was even more perturbed than he'd been earlier. This foolishness with the Shade would have to stop; he and Joan had plans for later, and at the rate this was going, he'd never be able to make their date.

As he rescued people and touched base with police officers, he began to feel depressed. The older he got, the more things stayed the same...or became worse. He thought the Shade really had turned things around. He was supremely protective of Opal City, and had even been civil - no, pleasant! - with Jay in their more recent chance encounters.

He sighed and shook his head. "You're getting old, son, really old..." He sped on, trying to find the Shade.

Gotham City:

"Alan? It's Joan - Jay needs your help over in Keystone City!" Molly Scott held the phone out to her husband Alan. "She says the Shade is running rampant in the city..."

Alan spoke to Joan for a moment and then hung up the phone. "I'm heading to Keystone, Molly. I'll be back later..."

Molly grabbed his arm. "Be careful, Alan. There's something I need to talk to you about when you get home..."

He cocked his head, curious. "What's wrong, Moll? Do you need to tell me now? I probably have time..."

She shook her head. "No, you need to help Jay. This can wait till you get home...but hurry back, okay?" She hugged him tightly and kissed him.

"Okay...I'll see you soon, love." He pecked her cheek and flew towards Keystone City.

Molly stood, wringing her hands. Oh, why did this have to be so DIFFICULT...?

Keystone City:

Jay leaned against a lamppost. He was sweating and breathing hard. He noticed a green glow and looked up to see his oldest friend, Alan Scott (a.k.a. Sentinel) descending toward him.

"What brings you to the fair city of Keystone, Alan?" Jay asked.

Alan smiled. "A little bird that lives here told a little bird in Gotham that you were too old to capture the Shade. I figured I'd come over and show the geezers here how it's done in Gotham..."

"Aw, shut up, you old coot..." Jay laughed with his friend. "I appreciate the help. I just don't get it - the Shade's actions are more mischievous than anything. What's he doing?"

Just then, the entire city blacked out. Alan lit up the gloom with his green flame. "Has he killed the power to the city?"

Jay shook his head. "No, I think this is a watered-down display of his shadow powers; it's only late afternoon..."

The two veteran heroes were puzzled. Why would the Shade lead Jay on a merry chase around the city and then black it out?

"Let's go to each of the sites of his mischief and see what we can find..." Jay suggested. Alan nodded and the two heroes took off.

Somewhere in Keystone City:

The Shade was delighted.

"Oh, splendid - now I have TWO heroes to play with!" He sipped on brilliant green absinthe and shook his head. "How predictable those two are..."

His smile grew wider than ever.

Alan and Jay had gone to each of the first group of crime scenes and examined them. The shadow substance was still there, which puzzled Jay.

"Usually the Shade's goop just fizzles out once he's done. I wonder why it's still hanging around?" He pushed back his helmet and scratched his head.

Alan snapped his fingers. "Why don't I light a beacon on the top of each building in the first wave with my green flame? Then we can look at them from the air to see if there's a pattern..."

"Say, that's a good idea! Let's go..." Jay and Alan took off.

When they'd set the beacons in place, Alan grabbed Jay on a green platform and they took to the skies over the darkened Keystone City.

At first they couldn't see any pattern, but the higher they got, the more they realized there WAS something there. Soon, the picture became clear.

Jay's jaw dropped and he smacked his forehead.

Alan covered his mouth and then burst out laughing.

Looking down over Keystone, the Shade's mischief read:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAY

Adding to it, each of the buildings with flares from Alan made up a series of candles.

Jay shook his head and began to chuckle. Alan was doubled over in mid-air with laughter. Soon they were both howling, tears streaming down their cheeks.

The Shade took the telescope away from his eye. He grinned mischievously at his two old foes' laughter. "Happy birthday, indeed, Jay..." He donned his top hat and grabbed his cane. "...until next year...!"

He disappeared in a swirl of shadow, along with his city-sized greeting.

Joan and Molly both were amused when they heard about the Shade's prank. They all shared a laugh at Jay and Joan's house while they had birthday cake.

The Shade had left a cake with black icing on Jay's kitchen table. Alan checked it out with his green flame, but it was just a harmless, calorie-laden cake. As the cake disappeared, the four friends sat around the table laughing and talking.

Alan suddenly looked at Molly. "Say, what did you want to tell me? I almost forgot..."

Joan, Jay, and Molly all became serious. Molly began nervously. "A-Alan, I have something important to tell you..." She twisted her hands in her lap. "...but I don't know how to."

He smiled. "Just tell me, Moll. That's all. What is it?"

"I-I have cancer, Alan..." She began to cry.

Alan looked from her to Jay and Joan. Their faces confirmed the news. He stood and took her in his arms and they cried together.

Later, after Alan and Molly had left, Joan and Jay were getting ready for bed.

"I'm so glad Molly told him. It's for the best." Joan said.

Jay agreed. "You're right. I think they'll find a way to beat it." He saw Joan looking at him. "What? What's going on in that devious mind of yours?"

She grinned. "Oh, I was just thinking, that's all..."

"About?"

She smiled even wider. "That you loved it."

"Loved it? I don't follow you..." Jay scratched his head.

She sighed in exasperation. "The Shade's little birthday gift. Admit it, you haven't had that much fun in years, have you?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I've had MUCH more fun, and recently, too."

"What are you talking about?" Joan wore a puzzled expression.

He smiled impishly. "Oh, just this..." Before Joan knew it, the lights were out.

"JAY...!"

He laughed devilishly in the dark.

"Well, it IS your birthday..."

NEXT ISSUE:
It's the first installment of the monumental Flash/JESSE & JADE crossover! Drop in on J & J #6 at All-Star 2000 for the prologue, then back here for Flash #4. Don't miss it!

Fast Talk:

Hello again!

Here we are again with another dose of everyone's favorite Golden Age speedster. Life's been hectic with me, but you don't want to talk about that, soooo....

I thought a bit of the Shade's history might be helpful for those out there who might not be familiar with him. Here's what I can tell you off the top of my head:

The Shade was one of Jay's foes back in the Golden Age. He has the ability to create and control a shadow substance. He was always portrayed as villainous, even into the 60s, 70s, and 80s when he clashed several times with Jay and/or Barry Allen. James Robinson pulled a bit of a retcon and gave the Shade a noble side when his STARMAN series debuted for DC. Robinson's spin has it that in Opal City, the Shade is an almost model citizen, due to his odd love for the city. Elsewhere, he's a scoundrel and sometimes ruthless villain. Another new spin is his seeming immortal status, with some other arcane twists added in.

Hope that helps...

That's all for this issue. See you next time!