Rush Hour

Rush Hour

Speedster Experiment Star Struck Newcomer Needs Recharge Indebted to Villain Number: 4

Nocolette "Nikki" Duquense grew up in the supers world. Her parents were Blur and the Streak, speedsters both, and Nikki had every expectation of following in their super fast footsteps. But as she entered her teen years, there was no breakthrough, no lightning, just one day after another, plodding along. Her parents made comforting noises of course. There was absolutely nothing wrong with living a normal life after all.

Nikki didn't agree. Her parents were special. They helped people. They saved the day. And more than anything, Nikki wanted to do the same.

So she went to Doctor Optimus for help. The "good" doctor was reluctant. While she was a villain, she was on reasonably good terms with Nikki's parents, and really didn't relish the notion of telling them that she had killed their daughter in a mad science experiment. The chances of them reacting well to such a thing were remote indeed. But, while she was reluctant, she was also intrigued by the possibilities. Not to mention helpless before Nikki's weaponized puppy dog eyes.

Unfortunately, the experiment appeared to be a failure. While Nikki emerged from the doctor's machinery with the correct number of body parts in the correct places, she also emerged apparently unchanged in any other way as well. Nikki swallowed her disappointment, thanked Doctor Optimus, and left for home.

It was while waiting for the traffic light to change, that Nikki discovered that she had changed. A child darted into the street, not seeing the large truck bearing down on him. Nikki ran, and the world slowed to a stop! She grabbed the boy, and pulled him from harm's way! She had her parent's speed!

Except that she didn't. She couldn't do many of the things they could, like run up the sides of buildings or cross town in the blink of an eye. Nikki was no faster than she had been before. What she could do, was stop the flow of time in her immediate vicinity. Further experiment revealed that she could extend her temporal field to an area approximately the size of a large house, and that her powers would only work for a cumulative hour in every twenty four.

But after all, a person could get a lot done during Rush Hour.