A/N: I can't just make John evil now. AU because I want to up the ante with John's monstrous-ness and maybe the Rogues to avoid very sympathetic villains.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Flash's Rogues, DC's Justice League, etc.

Flash's Torment

After the Rogues left, Multiplex prepared food for the Flash. There was plenty of food for all his prisoners to have three square meals a day but he wanted Flash broken. He wanted Flash to beg for mercy that would never come, he wanted the man who left him alone with his carelessness to suffer worse than he could imagine then he wanted the hero to die as he was dying.

Multiplex brought Flash food, he asked "How is everybody's favorite killer?"

Flash asked "Why don't you just kill me? You've proven you can."

"Are you ready to meet your maker? Or your foster parents' maker? Speed Force? What is that? Is that some alien faith? Like Jedi force?" Multiplex said, "I did give you the chance to be a legendary hero, to sacrifice yourself to save the world. You had that option."

Flash put on a bold face, ignoring John's words he focused on the food "Is it feeding time?"

"It can be for one person." Multiplex focused on every hero's weakness, "I have one extra meal and I have your friends. I can give it to you, they've had more food than you. But if you sacrifice for them, I'll require compensation for wasting my time. How about a genuine scream?"

Flash acted the part of the strong hero perfectly, "Give it to Batman, he's human. Do what you will to me but don't hurt them."

Multiplex set the tray down and pulled a knife out of his pocket. He cut himself first with the tip of the blade, the point where it's sharpest, drawing blood. Then he let himself bleed while he dug into the Flash with the duller edges. He placed a small device in the Flash's side before bleeding into the Flash to trigger healing. "I wonder what Caitlin would think seeing you choose this instead of accepting food."

Flash said "Don't you touch her. Leave them out of this." Multiplex put the knife away and picked up the food. As he left, the Flash shifted against his wound and screamed.

Multiplex walked away, bagged the food and walked into the cell block. He retracted Batman's chains as Superman asked "What did you do to the Flash?"

"Just talked, he cut himself a few times trying to attack me against his restraints. He's just making it worse now."

Superman's anger surged "You're a monster! You turned that boy by twisting the truth, now you're torturing the Flash."

Multiplex hit a button to release Batman's chains before he could enter the conversation, "No denying that, better a monster than a weapon." He turned to Batman, "I know you have exactly zero superpowers and on a normal day Flash is a speedster but this still surprises me. Flash hasn't eaten since I got him which is hours more than you but he wanted you to have this. I'm not going to help you escape, give me your utility belt and put the chains back on or Mirror Master will feed Flash to one of his monsters."

"You were just a kid when Danton died. Matt is older now than you were then," Batman said as he gave up his belt, obeying Multiplex for Flash's sake.

Multiplex said "I know. I don't remember either of them but murder is murder, blood is blood." He dumped the soda out in front of the cell and tossed the bag just inside before raising the barrier. "Don't challenge me, it won't end well. I wonder how Alfred would fair in Flash's place. How would Lois do? Or Steve? Or Silas?" He froze on his way out and turned around.

He pulled out a gun and quoted a soldier from the black-site "Just think about Matt you little," he fired at Superman's cell, the barrier caught the bullet and made it disappear. "I never believed in you people and I grew up pretty fast." He left.

The damage was done, Superman was broken, "That could've just as easily been me."

Multiplex enjoyed watching the CCTV feed. But the small part of him that was still John, the protective brother that hid the darkness, the shred of innocence left behind after years of torture couldn't stand it. He returned to the Flash's lockup, "Superman believes he can relate to my pain, he thinks he might've become me if the tables were turned. Honestly the difference between Smallville and Central City is miniscule from space so he could easily be right about location. Should I tell him he couldn't be the hero he is growing up like I did? Should I let him know I heard his heart break? Or would it just help his fight against me? What do you think?"

Flash said "Don't hurt them, please." His body slowly pieced itself together, just fast enough to spare his life without sparing him pain.

"I'll be honest with you. You weren't all wrong about me. There's this little part of me that can't stand to see Superman suffer from these thoughts but most of me gave up believing in men like you when you let them torture me for science or for war. It's that same part of me that's desperately clinging to two ideas the rest of me lost faith in or wants to crush. One, I'm not a monster. My pain made me this way, it's not my nature. Two, this is the one I want to crush, the Justice League is a team of heroes." He emphasized his words as he said "Imagine this Flash: you're rescued by the Justice League, gods among us and your captors, the people who tortured you for years," He lost the emphasis on his words, "Are out of jail in less than a week."

His emphasis returned with the fire in his story, "Because, get this, the monsters who tortured you for years are somehow the good guys. As far as anyone cares justice was done, that just leaves you with your pain and three things: Justice League, Multiplex and the division that tortured you. You can't take it anymore so you let your darkness reign once and for all because those justice monsters that the heroes rescued you from took things. They took your childhood, your innocence and your life. As long as you were breathing you were fine for more suffering. You put on a brave face for your little brother, who you protected in the last minutes of your childhood and tell him it's you two against the world because that's the closest thing you can muster to the innocence a child should have. Flash as I told your friends it's better to be a monster than a weapon. I want your honest opinion now you've gotten perspective. What do I do with Superman?"

It's so much easier when you can tell yourself the villain is lying. Flash choked on his tears, "Share your pain, give God perspective. Don't hurt them, don't beat them. Talk."

"Alright. First I gotta take a nap. We've all been up for over 30 hours."

Multiplex laid on his own big bed. He'd found the lair abandoned, clearly built for imprisoning the Justice League. Though technically his Rogues were more responsible for the find than he was, it was all his because he lead the Rogues. He scored the best stuff for planning the crimes so their success and vengeance was assured. As he drifted asleep the true Multiplex came out, unhindered by the little part of John that clung to life. Unfortunately for Multiplex, he was hindered by the body's limits. Multiplex pulled all of his replicas to himself as the criminals the Rogues gained from their growing empire took over laboring. Multiplex informed the Rogues through his replicas their next mission was securing his tormentors and he put Mirror Master in charge to secure them alive then he called the messengers into himself.