#mr element

Flash Vol. 2 Annual #8 (1995): "Growing Up Fast" [Alvin Desmond]

Blue Beetle Vol. 2 #1 (June 1986): "Out from the Ashes!" [Alvin Desmond]

Blue Beetle Vol. 2 #2 (July 1986): "This City's Not for Burning!" [Alvin Desmond]

Blue Beetle Vol. 2 #3 (August 1986): "If This Be Madness...!" [Alvin Desmond]

Blue Beetle Vol. 2 #4 (September 1986): "The Answer Is Alchemy!" [Alvin Desmond]

Flash Vol. 2 #19 (December 1988): "A Meeting of Rogues" [Alvin Desmond]

Manhunter Vol. 1 #7 (winter 1988): [No Title] [Alvin Desmond]

DC Retro-Active: The Flash: 1980s (Oct 2011): "The Path Of True Love"

Flash Vol. 2 #40 (July 1990): "Philosopher's Stone" [Albert and Alvin Desmond]

Flash Vol. 2 #41 (August 1990): "Elemental Conflict" [Albert and Alvin Desmond]

Underworld Unleashed #1 (November 1995): "Underworld Unleashed"

JLA 80-Page Giant #1 (1998): "The Secret Society of Super-Villains"

Flash Vol. 2 #152 (September 1999): "New Kid in Town"

JLA #33 (September 1999): "Altered Egos"

Flash Secret Files & Origins #2 (November 1999): "Twenty-First Century Rogue"

Flash: Iron Heights (2001): [Iron Heights]

Flash Vol. 2 #192 (January 2003): "Run Riot, Part One: Awakened"

Flash Vol. 2 #193 (February 2003): "Run Riot, Part Two: On the Run"

Flash Vol. 2 #207 (April 2004): "Rush Hour!"

Flash Vol. 2 #217 (February 2005): "Post-Crisis"

Gotham Central #28 (April 2005): "Keystone Kops Part One" [behind the scenes - a cop is burned in one of his old labs]

Gotham Central #29 (May 2005): "Keystone Kops Part Two"

Gotham Central #30 (June 2005): "Keystone Kops Part Three"

Gotham Central #31 (July 2005): "Keystone Kops Part Four"

Flash Vol. 2 #223 (August 2005): "Rogue War Chapter 4"

Flash Vol. 2 #224 (September 2005): "Rogue War Chapter 5"

Teen Titans: Cold Case (February 2011): "Father's Day Part 1"

All New Atom #5 (January 2007): "My Life in Miniature, Part Five: Redline Shift"

Brave and the Bold Vol. 3 #7 (December 2007): "Scalpels and Chainsaws"

Flash: Rebirth #1 (June 2009): "Lightning Strikes Twice"

Flash: Rebirth #6 (April 2010): "Fastest Man Alive" [behind the scenes - he escapes from Iron Heights off-panel]

Chronology Uncertain

It is uncertain where these stories fit into his chronology.

Flash: Rebirth #2 (July 2009): "Dead Run" [Flashback of uncertain placement, as it's a significant retcon]

Flash: Rebirth #5 (January 2010): "Mother, May I" [Flashback of uncertain placement, as it's a significant retcon]

He read the same sentence repeatedly until the words blurred together, and slowly his eyes fluttered shut.  Suddenly they were wide open again, but it was dark and he could see very little of the room around him…though he heard faint scratching sounds nearby, which were becoming louder.

“Who…who’s there?” he stammered, sitting up quickly in his chair.

The scratching grew even louder.  It was coming closer.

Albert desperately groped around for the Stone, which rarely left his side even when he wanted it to, but couldn’t find it anywhere.

“I…I’ve got the Philosopher’s Stone!  Stay back if you value your life!” he fibbed, his voice rising in fear.

The scratching continued to grow louder, and this time there was a low chuckle in the dark.

“We both know that’s a falsehood, dear brother.  I am the Stone, and you’re completely unarmed.”

“Why won’t you stay away, Alvin?” Albert wailed, exhausted by the never-ending cycle which continued between them.  “I banished you forever, I know I did.”

The voice was now very close, and Albert swore he could feel hot breath on his neck.

“It’s Halloween, brother, and the veil between worlds is so thin tonight.  I thought you were an alchemist, adept in the esoteric sciences and their mysteries.”

Albert closed his eyes and breathed deeply, willing himself to remain calm.  “You aren’t real, you truly aren’t real.”

“Does that fiction make you feel more at ease, Albert?  Does it absolve you of the dark experiments you undertook in a search for immortality?”

“I just wanted to help people!” Albert shouted, lashing out with an open hand in the hope of catching something unaware.  He struck only empty air.

“All you did was anchor me to you, and ensure I can return whenever I wish,” the voice told him silkily, slowly circling around his chair.  Did he see a pair of reptilian eyes in the dark?

“No…” Albert said softly, hitting the arms of his chair with his clenched fists.  It’d do him no good to cry, but he’d shed tears over his dark twin’s regular reappearance before.

However, a thought suddenly struck him: Alvin had said he was here because it was Halloween, and he’d also said he could return whenever he wanted.  Which was true?

If Alvin’s tie to him wasn’t very strong, perhaps he could be sent away again, at least temporarily.

Albert’s ancient Greek was rustier than it should have been, but he’d spent many hours studying old treatises on exorcising evil spirits because of the ongoing problems with his twin.  “Ἐκβάλλω σε,” he said loudly in Greek.  I expel you.  His words were halting at first, but he began to gain confidence as he remembered his research. “Οὐκέτι εἶ.”  You are no more.

The disembodied voice cried out like a wounded animal, a shriek which grew shriller as it keened.

“You cannot!  I’m your brother!” Alvin howled, and suddenly there was a welcome silence accompanied by the stench of something burning.

Albert opened his eyes and could now see his surroundings; he was back in his typically disorganized library, and nothing looked notably out of place.  Had he simply dreamed about this encounter?

He heard the gentle tinkle of Rita’s voice talking and laughing with the children at the door and got up to clear his head.  A group of children having fun would be an excellent palate cleanser after the terrifying dream he’d just had, so he got up with a smile and went over to see the cheery kids.