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#2
DEC 11 |
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“The Sound of Silence”
The guard tilted his hat back. “I hate this job sometimes.”
“Why?” his partner asked. “Just prisoner transfer.”
“This guy creeps me out,” the first guard said. “You hear how he killed them? He’d cut their tongues out and let them bleed out. I’ve heard rumors they even found some bug he was trying to make in his lab that would turn the inside of your throat to water.” The guard shivered. “Just sick stuff.”
“Don’t worry too much,” his partner said. “He’s strapped down to a gurney so you don’t even have to touch him.” A flashbulb went off that dazzled the guards. “Just keep these vultures back.”
The paparazzi pressed in as the prisoner was wheeled out. A female reporter introduced herself and began her report. “Dr. Michael Amar is being brought out behind me. As you recall, Dr. Amar was convicted of six murders last year and was given the nickname of Murmur after his MO. Following his arrest, Dr. Amar confessed to each crime and then cut his own tongue out before sewing his mouth shut to keep from incriminating himself any further.”
As Amar was wheeled past the crowd, something was pressed into his hand. He smiled as he accepted the knife and looked up to see his benefactor, who nodded once and retreated.
Amar was loaded into a transport and the door closed behind him. With only one guard watching him, Amar started sawing through the straps that held him down.
The guard was almost dozing, lulled to sleep by the movement of the transport when he heard a snap. He jerked upright to see Amar standing in front of him, knife in hand. “Shhh,” Amar whistled as he raised the knife.
The driver heard a muffled noise from behind him. “Everything okay back there?” he called. In response, a knife came from the back and stabbed him through the back of his neck. The dying driver started quivering and the transport veered through traffic before crashing into a tree.
Amar’s benefactor was there to open the back door and help him into a car. The benefactor, thoughtfully, kept the radio off. “You remember your part,” the benefactor said. Amar nodded. “Excellent. I believe this is your stop.” The benefactor pulled over and let Amar out before driving away. Amar smiled and vanished into the underbrush.
Cody Wyatt woke to discover that his dorm room was empty. Apparently Bart Allen was already out on his morning run. Cody sat up and saw the note he’d stuck to his lamp, the one he'd left for Bart in the hopes that he'd read it before he took off for the morning...
He flopped back onto the bed. Today was his dental appointment. Groaning, Cody threw back the covers and started gathering what he’d need to get ready. There was no sense trying to escape it.
Bart was on his morning run and was already halfway through London when he remembered that he forgot what he was supposed to remember...but forgot. As he passed by the royal palace, he started concentrating before several thoughts ran through his head. He instantly started thinking back to conversations with Cody.
Bart, I'm making my dentist appointment for two weeks from today.
Next week's my dentist appointment, Bart. Think you can remember to pick me afterward so I don't have to walk home?
Tomorrow's my dentist appointment, Bart. You have to be there at noon because I'll too groggy to drive home.
Then Bart's mind flashed to a recent conversation with Jimmy Olsen at the Daily Planet...
Mmmm! Damn, Jimmy! This is some serious gourmet stuff! Usually me and Superboy would be happy with some freeze-dried Taster's Choice, right, but he springs this serious GOURMET stuff on us! What flavor is this?
Knock it off, Impulse.
What?
I don't need you to tell me how freakin' good my coffee is, okay? I'm the one who buys it. I know how good it is. When Chloe goes shopping she buys CRAP! I buy the gourmet expensive stuff because when I drink it I want to taste it. But you know what's on my mind right now? It AIN'T the coffee in the break room, it's the dead Playstation 3 in my cubicle.
Oh, Jimmy, don't even worry about that...
No, No, No, No, let me ask you a question. When you came running in here, did you notice a sign out in front of my cubicle that said “Dead Playstation Storage”?
Jimmy, you know I ain't seen no...
Did you notice a sign out in front of my cubicle that said “Dead Playstation Storage”?
No. I didn't.
You know WHY you didn't see that sign?
Why?
'Cause it ain't there, 'cause storing dead Playstations ain't my freakin' business, that's why! Now get out of here, your friend Cody's got a dentist appointment in the morning!
“That's what I forgot to do today!” said Bart as he snapped his fingers as he rushed off. Minutes later, he was on a street corner in Venezuela, wearing a sombrero as he danced with a group of orphans who were wearing panda bear costumes.
Marty Pink was leaning back in his chair at the Daily Tattler office when his phone rang. He took another bite of donut and answered it. “Yeah?” he asked.
“Do you recognize my voice?” the benefactor asked.
“Yeah,” Pink said as he dropped his chair back to the floor.
“Good,” the benefactor said before giving Pink a time and address. “Be there at that time and you’ll have your cover story.”
Pink started to ask questions but the phone was dead. He shrugged and stood, pulling his coat on with the donut clenched in his teeth. It looked like he had an urgent appointment.
Cody climbed off the bus and was walking toward his dentist’s office when he heard a sound down an alley. Despite his knowing better, he found himself drawn down to investigate. “Hello?” he called as he walked down the alley. He heard a rustling behind a trash can and walked nearer.
He let out a cry as a cat jumped out from hiding and flew behind him. He laughed softly and turned, but Cody froze when he saw the dead cat lying on the ground with blood pooling below it. He closed his eyes as he felt cold steel pressed against his throat.
“Shhhh…” was whispered in his ear.
Bart Allen returned to the dorm room and opened the fridge. “Cody?” he called. “We got any of that lasagna left?” When he got no answer he looked around to discover that he was alone.
“Hmmm.” Bart picked up the note from the lamp and read it. “Ooh,” he said. “Today was that dentist’s appointment. Wonder why he waited until the last second to remind me, though.” Bart grinned as he knew exactly what he wanted to do.
A split second later he was in his underwear drinking milk from the carton. He had a good five minutes before he had to go meet Cody at the dentist office, plenty of time for some fun before that.
Cody fought back tears as he dragged himself into the room he now considered his cell. Blood flowed down his face and behind him. Murmur would cut him and then cut him again to punish him when he cried out. He sniffed as he reached the loose board and pulled it up. He reached into the hole and pulled out his cell phone. He held one hand over the speaker and dialed carefully with the other. He knew he’d probably only have one chance.
Bart was playing air guitar to Old Time Rock and Roll when his phone rang. He zipped over and answered it. “Hello?” he asked.
“Bart?” Cody whispered. “Help me.”
“Where are you?” Bart asked, already pressing the hidden stud on his ring. In an instant, his costume had jumped from the ring and onto his body.
Cody gave him the address of the alley. “I think I’m still here. There’s an old door at the end of the alley.” Cody looked up as his door started to open. “He’s here.” Fear filled his voice as the door opened to reveal Murmur standing there, wagging a finger on a hand that held the knife.
Bart’s phone was already falling to the ground as Impulse ran out of the room.
As he ran, Impulse mentally reviewed everything he knew about Murmur. He was one of the Rogues that Wally had hoped and prayed that he'd never have to go up against. As he ran, a calculating smile crossed his face as he realized the villain’s weakness. He just hoped he wasn't too late.
Murmur held his knife against Cody’s throat again as Impulse appeared at the end of the alley. Murmur shook his head and pressed the blade harder against Cody’s throat.
“He wants you to leave,” Cody whispered. “Or he’ll kill me.”
Murmur nodded.
Impulse stepped forward. “Don’t worry,” he said loudly. Cody’s eyes went wide as sweat began beading up on his forehead. “I’ll be happy to let him go. Just want to tell him a little story first.” Impulse pulled out a leather-bound copy of War and Peace that he’d appropriated from a library on his way over.
Impulse he licked his finger and turned to the first page. “Chapter 1,” he began confidently, knowing Murmur’s hatred of hearing voices.
It didn’t take long. Murmur threw Cody aside and let loose a wordless scream as he charged Impulse with the knife upheld. Impulse grinned and threw the book at Murmur’s hand, knocking the knife free. A few dozen punches followed to ensure that the madman went down and stayed down.
Murmur had barely hit the ground before Impulse was grabbing Cody. “Are you all right?” he asked. Seeing all the cuts on Cody's face was making him want to wake Murmur up just to put him down again.
“I think so,” Cody said as Impulse wiped blood off his forehead. “He didn’t seem to want to kill me yet. I think he wanted me to suffer. H-He cut me...” Cody’s voice broke as the tears arrived. Impulse held him as Cody cried. He'd forgotten that he was even wearing his costume, just wanting to be with the one person in the world who understood him.
“Don't worry, I read all the medical journals in the library on the way here in case you were hurt. I'll have you fixed up in no time,” said Impulse with a smile. “You'll be as good as new before dinner.”
Cody looked up and the two kissed.
Down the alley, a camera shutter clicked and Marty Pink smiled. That guy had been right. This was front page for sure. Pink was going to make a place on his wall for the journalism award this would net him, right next to the one he got for snagging that picture of Matthew Broderick making out with that policeman's horse before he realized that it wasn't his wife.
As Impulse and Cody's lips parted, the hero smiled wickedly. “I have got such a naughty idea--”
Moments later, as Impulse rushed Cody out of the alley leaving Murmur for the police, both had a good laugh at having left Murmur with a set of headphones around his head, leading to a CD player playing a Spice Girls album at full blast.
Later that night, Amar found himself back on the streets. Thanks to his benefactor, he’d managed to slip through the cracks in the penal system. An 'accidental' assignment to a minimum security facility has ensured his escape.
Amar entered the room where his benefactor waited, sitting facing a fire. Amar pulled a knife and slipped forward before slitting the benefactor’s throat.
The head fell and bounced onto the ground. Amar looked and saw a dummy sitting in the chair. A table beside it held an envelope and a flask of liquid.
Amar opened the envelope and read
“My dear Doctor, forgive me for not staying to allow you to kill me. By way of thanks for your expert performance, the flask contains a perfected version of your Frenzy virus. Have fun.”
Amar smiled as he picked up the flask. Inside he saw a vision of silence. A tear trickled from his eye as he took the flask and slipped out of the room.
The next morning Bart was preparing breakfast when the door opened and Cody walked in, right off his morning run. “How are you doing?” Bart asked. “Eggs’ll be ready in a minute, but bacon's going to be a little late, though. Had to run all the way to France for the brand you like. And don't get me started on the orange juice--”
Cody flipped a newspaper onto the table. Bart looked and dropped the frying pan as his eyes went wide.
Above a picture of the two kissing was the headline “Impulse Runs Out of the Closet.”
“Oh my God,” said Bart as he looked at the paper. “Best Buy's having a special on PS3 games!”
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Next Issue: In Impulse #3: The fallout of the unexpected revelation of Bart’s secret.
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