A Flash by Any Other Name

[shankie]

(If you've already read all this and want to skip to the story, click here.)

* * * Introduction * * *

Diniverse canon, with a sprinkling of comic continuity to fill in a few gaps. Slash: Batman and The Flash.

This story can be entirely blamed on the episode of JLU, Flash & Substance. Throughout the episode, Orion continually marvels at how anyone can respect Flash, and finally tells Batman he "can't understand" how Central City can "build statues to this fool!" and Batman merely replies, "No, you don't." The episode highlighted the unique relationship between Batman & Flash that I just couldn't ignore.

And thusly, I began to write my first piece of slashy fanfic.

If you're looking for smut, well... there's certainly sex and all that, but really, not a whole lot, in comparison to pretty much every other Bat/Flash slash I've ever looked at. Which isn't to say there aren't scenes that have made my readers all hot and bothered. Because there definitely are NC17 bits. My inner psychologist just couldn't see these two having an intensely sexual relationship, at least not right away. They've both got way too many issues. Which is also why I think they're perfect for each other. ;)

There are many, many references to specific episodes of Batman:TAS, Superman, Justice League/JLU, and Batman Beyond; if you haven't seen them, you should be ok. But if you're lost, Wiki it.

Teen Titans also happened in this continuity, to a lesser extent: here, Dick Grayson was Robin, Wally West was Kid Flash. But pretty much all my Titans references are about things that never happened onscreen, and meshing it's canon with the rest of the series involved is a nightmare, so having seen any of it isn't important. In my world presented here, the Teen Titans dissolved after the members of the animated series grew older and went their separate ways. Cyborg gave up being a superhero to pursue a normal life, Starfire returned to her home planet to fight for freedom, and both Beast Boy & Raven disappeared. They were never replaced.

This story takes place about a year after the events of the series finale of JLU, Destroyer. As best I could, I stuck to the Diniverse continuity, with the noted exceptions: The Metro Tower is not so much an outpost as an emergency base and consulate, J'onn never got married or whatever he was doing, just took some time off, Supergirl is still in the present time, and I've explained away Wally's blue eyes in the Teen Titan's episode Lightspeed. Wally has green eyes, this is something I'm very firm about. Also, the idea presented in Question Authority that the episode A Better World took place in the future is just ignored; here, it was an alternate reality.

Any other errors are accidental, generally fixed when I notice them, and readers are welcome to point them out. Liberal use of comic stuff, but being familiar with them isn't necessary, and actually might be better for your reading experience. The only comic canon I try to stick to is the Justice League Adventures run, #1-34. It has errors of continuity with Justice League, for instance, they know each other's secret identities and hang out without the masks pre-Starcrossed, but whateva. I haven't read hardly any of the other animated books, besides Gotham Adventures, which also has some influence, so they're not taken into account.

The only thing I do add in is the Adventures in the DCU #2 page outlining Wally's origin as the Flash. But without the Crisis reference; here, Barry vanished without explaination into the future, prompting Wally to take on Barry's mantle. Jay Garrick dosen't exist here. More about Wally's childhood and career, as well as what happened to Barry in the future, are in the fic!

My references to places in Gotham City, apart from the renaming of Blackgate Prison to Stonegate, are based on the comics map of the city, linked for your reference. Details on the layout of Central City are from Hyperborea.org, and I've hosted their map from The Atlas of the DC Universe for posterity, because the Internet can be a tenuous thing.

Although Bart Allen never appeared in the Diniverse, he was originally going to be a member of the Justice League in place of Wally, as Impulse. DVD extras have so much fun trivia; a promo for the Kids WB that was never used actually animated him in a test sequence. Screenshots from the test footage are here, from worldsfinestonline.com. So he counts enough for me to put him here. Apart from his basic history, I've taken considerable liberties with his story and his relationship with Wally. A couple other Justice League members that were never part of the animated universe are also mentioned, but not featured.

The Scarlet Pimpernel, if you've never read it (and you really should) is considered the first fictional superhero; a man that lives both a life of an extravagantly wealthy British fop and a cunning, brilliant strategist who rescued aristocrats from the French Revolution through disguises, intelligence-gathering, and a network of allies. Remind you of anyone?

This story is a long start to a universe that's become something of an obsession, an ended on page 426 in my text file. Fanart by various wonderful artists is, when applicable, linked at the bottom of the chapters. Here's a list of fanart done for this, and other stories.

I love love love comments and feedback! :D

* * * * * * * * *



* * * The Cast of Characters * * *

Members of the Justice League

Wallace "Wally" Rudolph West: A forensic scientist that became The Fastest Man Alive in a lab accident, Wally fights crime in the guise of the Flash in his hometown of Central City, Missouri, as well as with the Justice League, and is known for his carefree demeanor & wisecracking even in the face of conflict.

Bruce Wayne: Orphaned by a mugger at the age of 8, he is the Prince of Gotham City, New Jersey, a billionaire industrialist and philanthropist who has overcome the pain of his parents' murder by secretly becoming the Batman, the world's greatest detective and master of martial arts and technology. His dedication to his mission and emotional reserve have given him the reputation of a paranoid loner to all but those few who know him intimately.

J'onn J'onzz: Last surviving member of the Martian race, J'onn has a wide variety of fantastic abilities, including shape-shifting and telepathy. His greatest contribution to his peers in the Justice League, however, is his ability to keep them together as a team, despite bearing the pain of his wife and children who perished with the rest of Mars. He occasionally takes the form of his human alter-ego, John Jones, a retired detective from Denver, Colorado.

Clark Joseph Kent: A mild-mannered reporter living in Metropolis, New York, he is also Kal-El, the last son of the planet Krypton, given fantastic powers by the rays of the sun, which he uses to protect Truth & Justice as the iconic hero Superman. His great power and leadership ability often put him in the position of directing the League and representing it as a public figure. Raised in Smallville, Kansas, by Jonathan & Martha Kent, Clark has strong traditional morals.

Diana of Themyscira: Sculpted from clay by the Queen of the Amazons, Diana left her homeland of Paradise Island to fight for freedom in Man's World, against the wishes of her mother Hippolyta. She wields many of Superman's powers, as well as the Lasso of Truth forged by Zeus himself. She has long harbored feelings for Batman, which she has expressed only through small gestures.

John Stewart: A former marine living in Detroit, Michigan, he is the Green Lantern of Sector 2814, wielder of the most powerful weapon in the Universe, the Green Lantern ring, operating independently as a guardian of Earth, but ultimately answering to the council of Oa that govern the Lantern Corps. He is a stern but compassionate man with a talent for military strategy.

Shayera Hol: A detective from the planet Thanagar, she is Hawkgirl. She betrayed her own people to save the people of Earth, an event she is still coping with, and is the former lover of John Stewart. Notably hot-tempered, she often rushes into battle or is at odds with other League members. She is currently living in Midway City, Illinois, and since reclaiming membership with the League has become a self-appointed guardian of it.

John Henry Irons: A talented engineer from Metropolis, Steel designed a suit for combat that would replace Superman in the event of his inability to protect Metropolis and the world. After saving Superman from an attack from Metallo, he took on the name of Steel. His prowess with weapons technology is unrivaled and he has developed a friendship with Superman.

Oliver "Ollie" Jonas Queen: A wealthy playboy of Star City, California, who became stranded on a deserted island for an extended period of time, Ollie returned to the world as a defender of the rights of the common man as the Green Arrow, the greatest archer alive and staunch socialist. He is often accused of being brash and tactless, especially with women, but will defend his fellow man (or alien) to the death.

Charles Victor Szasz, alias Vic Sage: A paranoid conspiracy theorist and anti-establishmentarianist, he investigates a myriad of plausible and implausible phenomena as The Question. It is unknown as to if his appearance as "a kook" is merely a facade, but his talent for uncovering the truth is undisputed. He lives in Hub City, Illinois, but often works out of Gotham City due to his intimate relationship with The Huntress.

Kara Kent: Also known as Kara In-Ze, rescued by Superman from Krypton's sister-world of Argo and came to live with Clark's adoptive parents, the Kents. Like Clark, she is the last survivor of her world. Close friends with Barbara Gordon, the Batgirl, she shares Superman's powers from the sun, but is younger and more reckless. She is currently living in Smallville with the Kents.

Kent Nelson: Son of an American archaeologist in the 20's, Kent's father uncovered the tomb of the wizard Nabu and killed for the violation. Taking pity on the newly-orphaned boy, he raised him as his own and taught him the ways of magic and mysticism, finally giving him Nabu's mystical helm and the Amulet of Anubis, which grant him a vast extension of power; thusly, he became Doctor Fate. His full abilities are unknown, and his participation with the League is on his own terms, often causing tension and miscommunication. He is married to Inza Kramer Nelson, a magician in her own right.

Allies & Enemies of the League

Richard "Dick" John Grayson: The adoptive son of Bruce Wayne, Dick became the first Robin as a young boy after his parents, acrobats in the circus, were murdered. His acrobatic skill and being trained by the Batman have given him nearly unmatched ability in crimefighting and detective work. After graduating from college, he had a falling out with Bruce and became Nightwing, guardian of the city of Bludhaven, New Jersey, but has since repaired his relationship with his adoptive father.

Timothy "Tim" Drake: Son of a criminal who worked for the villain Two-Face, Tim was rescued from Two-Face by Batman. After learning of his father's death, he donned a Robin suit to help Batman & Batgirl stop Two-Face from destroying Gotham, and soonafter became the second Robin, with Dick Grayson's blessing. He's notably cheeky and curious, but was able to hold his own even before being trained by Batman.

Barbara "Babs" Gordon: With the unofficial blessing of her father, Jim Gordon, Barbara operates out of Gotham City as Batgirl, an ally of Batman that often operates independently; but not to the extent of Nightwing. Dick and Barbara have long had romantic feelings for one another, in an on-again off-again relationship. Currently, they are just friends. Right now, both her and Bruce are dealing with their own romantic encounters.

James "Jim" Worthington Gordon: Commissioner of Police for the Gotham City, Jim often calls upon Batman's aid in dealing with the extraordinary criminal element, and over the years has become something of a friend, despite having no knowledge of who Batman is; by his own choice.

Bartholemew "Bart" Henry Allen, the Second: Born in the year 2980, Bart is the grandson of Barry Allen, the first Flash, who disappeared along with Wally's aunt Iris when Wally was 16. Raised in an artificial virtual reality environment due to his accelerated metabolism, that caused him to age at over five times normal speed, he was rescued by his grandmother Iris West Allen at the age of 12 and reunited with his parents Meloni & Don Allen. He inherited the gift of speed from his grandfather Barry, and his power may even rival Wally's.

The Joker (real name unknown): A hitman with the mafia with the pseudonym of Jack Napier, he became The Joker when he fell in a vat at the Ace Chemical Plant; Batman had been present, but unable to save him. Along with altering his appearance, the chemicals made him maniacally insane. He is a murderer many times over, and obsessed with Batman.

Jonathan Crane: A former professor of psychology & expert on the study of fear, Crane was fired from his job at Gotham university for unethical experiments. In response, he became The Scarecrow, using a fear toxin of his own design to exact his revenge on the University, Gotham City, and Batman.

Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor: Former industrialist with an empire rivaling even Bruce Wayne's, Lex's hatred of Superman and his thirst for power eventually ripped open his facade of a caring philanthropist by the League and further with his association with known super-villians. He was the leader of the Legion of Doom, the largest group of super-villians in the world, and his whereabouts are currently unknown.

Harvey Dent: A charismatic Gotham City district attorney, and Bruce Wayne's best friend, nicknamed "Apollo" by the media due to his good looks, Harvey had a secret; since childhood, he'd been repressing his rage to the point that an alternate personality, "Big Bad Harv" was formed. While he was campaigning for re-election as DA, the mobster Rupert Thorne discovered his psychological records and threatened him with blackmail. His alternate personality emerged, going on a rampage that resulted in an explosion, covering half his body with highly reactive bases. Since then, he'd been the criminal Two-Face, deciding his moves with the flip of a silver dollar, one side scarred. Batman has attempted many times to save his friend, to no avail, leaving Bruce with the guilt of yet another person he was powerless to help.

Without further ado, onto the story!

* * * * * * * * *


Wally recieves a very unexpected visitor on a lunch break.


Part One: Cookies at Casa Soria

Wally clenched his fist in a futile attempt to make it stop vibrating. If the old woman watching him from over her bifocals had decided to ask what was wrong with him, he wasn't sure he could answer. Normal speed was a ball and chain today, his usually sunny freckled face was dark and tense.

He sighed, and sat down at a table of Casa Soria, a little sidewalk cafe` he knew to have the best buffalo burgers in town. He ordered a plate of four to stay halfway inconspicuous; he really wanted ten, but he went out of his way to avoid the invisible Bat-glare he always got for being imprudent with the whole 'secret identity' thing. Even if he was fairly certain Bats wasn't around right now.

"At least my city has enforced littering laws." He said with a laugh.

"What?" His waitress had arrived with a carafe of coffee and a singsongy voice Wally thought he could listen to all day.

"Nothin', dollface." He grinned and got a friendly smirk before she continued her rounds, which he took as permission to watch her curvy rear end as she walked away. He felt a lot better.

Wally made it through the burgers then gave into his still-rumbling stomach by asking his singsongy distraction for four more. She'd rolled her eyes through his flirtations but returned shortly with plate full red-meat goodness and another bottle of Guinness that she'd been sure to card him for. But by then he was pretty sure she wasn't about to be paying him much attention anymore, and he was reading through a battered copy of The Scarlet Pimpernel that J'onn had insisted he read.

"Is this seat taken?" An unfamiliar voice made him look up. Someone he couldn't quite place was already pulling out the other chair, a tall guy wearing black sunglasses, a linen shirt, and grey slacks. 'Alright, so, what would Bats do here?' Wally thought, and his brain went into super-drive, comparing the black hair and lazy grin to every face he could remember seeing.

"Do I know you?"

The other guy laughed, and a thought on the tip of Wally's brain refused to surface. He had pushed back the chair, and crossed one leg over his knee, waving the waitress over with one hand and resting the other on a brand-new pair of loafers. 'Who is this guy?'

Wally's apparent frustration amused the guy to no end. He let out a belly-laugh, then turned to give sing-song-voice-girl with a million-watt smile and a request for coffee and a dozen of their chocolate chip cookies in a to-go bag. When Mr. Mystery returned Wally's perplexed gaze again, he noticed a tense flicker in his jaw.

"B...Bruce?" He half-whispered it and leaned in a bit closer, as if imparting a grave secret. The Bat could smile like that? The only other time he'd met Bruce Wayne he might as well have been wearing the cape & cowl. Bruce thanked the waitress and grinned through a sip of coffee.

"I had a feeling you might not remember me too well, the last time we met was a bit... hectic." Then Wally laughed at himself for not having realized right away who it was. Especially since he'd just been thinking both about Bats and secret identities. Even through the black glasses, he could feel the Bat analyzing the situation and recording every detail, but then the moment was gone and it was just a lazy-grinned playboy in the opposite chair. Wally closed his book and set it on the table, marking the spot with a clean paper napkin.

"The guy in this book reminds me a lot of you. Funny we should happen to bump into each other like this." He tapped the cover with his finger, and could have sworn Bruce was now staring at his hand. Damn glasses.

"Really?" Bruce tipped his head a bit to one side and absently ran his hand through his black hair. "I've never really been much of a reader, but Alfred gives me the gist of them so I can pretend." Wally was certain the feared Dark Knight of Gotham City had just winked at him. "You know, the important ones."

"Must be handy." Wally tried his best not to finish his burgers at super-speed and vanish, then realized his hand had started to vibrate again. He clenched it under the table and tried not to make anything start rattling conspicuously. "So uh, what brings you to Central City?"

"Oh you know, business." Wally raised his eyebrow before he remembered who Bruce Wayne actually was. Prolly owned something in every city in the world. Or maybe it was the other kind of business. "Plus, the cookies they make here are great."

Wally nodded slowly. "You know West, you couldn't look more spooked than if I'd shown up in a Bat costume and landed in the middle of your table." Bruce laughed again and Wally couldn't help but be infected by it. His sides started to ache before he stopped and he wiped a tear out of his eye.

"Call me Wally."

Of course, Bats called him 'Wally' all the time. But this was anyone but Bats. He pulled himself together and realized he'd just been staring at Bruce with a dopey grin. Then he wondered what Batman would do if he did that in a Justice League meeting. He studied what he could see of Bruce's face, clean-shaven with only hints of scars under his chin and one over his left eye. His black hair was combed back but ruffled a little in the breeze. It was longer than Wally could remember it, starting to curl out slightly at the back in a way that made him look almost like a teenager.

Bruce took off his sunglasses and folded them on the table, pulling out his wallet and palming the waitress a bill without even looking at the check. His eyes were deep blue, with a sparkle he'd never thought to see in a gaze that had looked upon unspeakable horrors. Of course, the same thing had been said about him; but he reminded himself that he wasn't acting, and Bruce was.

"Well Wally, I've got to run." Bruce stood up and extended his hand. It took a second for Wally to register he was supposed to shake it, and stood up. His hand was still vibrating a little, and he knew Bruce must have noticed it. "I'll see you around."

Wally watched Bruce leave, focusing mainly on how nice he looked walking away. There weren't many opportunities to really admire Batman's ass, with the cape and all. A black Rolls Royce pulled up and the billionaire ducked in before it sped away like a cat. Wally blinked and looked around.

"Oh man, did that really just happen?"

He felt his gut twist oddly, but he finished off his burgers and realized that the bag of cookies was still sitting on the table. He picked it up, revealing a note scrawled on a napkin underneath.

Keep them. You need the energy.

-B

Wally crumpled the napkin in his fist and shoved it in his pocket bemusedly.

"Flash, this is the Watchtower." The communicator in his ear came to life with Diana's voice and shook him back to something closer to reality. Kinda. He ducked out of the cafe` and onto the sidewalk before responding.

"I read you."

"We have a situation, transport up immediately. We're meeting in the conference room in 5 minutes"

"Ten-four Di."

He gripped his hands on the bag of cookies a little tighter and hurried towards the nearest alley. He took off his red jacket and wrapped it around the bag, throwing it under his arm and he began moving at speed, changing as he went.

"Alright, beam me up."

* * *

Wally hit the transporter and moved at speed to his room on the Watchtower to stash the cookies. He grabbed one out of the bag and tossed the rest on his table, next to a plush Flash doll that Diana gave him for Christmas. He finished the chocolate chip cookie and stepped out into the hall, right into chest covered in kevlar.

He'd only been on the tower for seconds and somehow the Bat had appeared out of nowhere.

"How are the cookies?"

Wally had to remind himself that the stern figure before him was the same guy who'd also appeared out of nowhere earlier and found himself at a loss for how to respond.

"Uh, good. Great. I only had one so far, really." Batman said nothing, but the edge of his mouth twitched a little. "I mean, they're really good. I just didn't want to eat them all in a flash, you know. Flash." 'Wally!' he yelled at himself, 'stop stuttering like a twit!'

"You have crumbs on your lip."

It was said in a voice usually reserved for when Bats was taunting the enemy. Wally licked his lips and realized his hands were vibrating. He shoved them behind his back at speed and his cheeks got warm.

"Uh, yeah, thanks..."

With that, Batman turned around and stalked down the hall, his cape billowing behind him like a receding shadow. Wally licked his lips again nervously and broke into a run in the other direction, taking a few laps around the tower to relax before he headed into the conference room and sat down in the chair with his own logo on it.

Shayera and John Stewart were leaning against the window and pouring over a file together, while J'onn and Diana walked in, appearing to be communicating telepathically. Wonder Woman always tilted her head to one side just a bit when they were, as if straining to hear better.

Wally drummed his fingers against the table until Superman looked up from his own conversation with Supergirl, who looked uncharacteristically serious, and shot him a look. He sat on his hands and gave a mumbled apology.

Everyone sat down, and a moment later Batman walked in and unceremoniously sat down, looking straight forward.

"Alright, now that we're all here." Superman spoke up, "let's begin. 11 minutes ago, the Watchtower received a distress call from the government of Qurac."

"You mean, country full of terrorists that keep trying to take us out Qurac?" Flash jumped in.

"Yes." Superman clicked on a display in the center of the table that showed a map of the country, with a red highlighted portion near the Iraqi border. "We'd only just picked up a problem when the President called us to ask for help with removing the civilian population from the oil field, which have somehow been ignited. Right now there's no danger, but within a half-hour we'll need to mobilize." He zoomed in on the area and pointed out a green highlighted section. "Those are the populated areas."

"They've never asked for our help before. Why now?" John said skeptically.

"Well, that's the problem. We can't tell how the fields may have been ignited. He cited terrorist activity, however..."

"It might be a trap." John finished curtly.

"Yes. Which is why I've called so many of you here. Supergirl, Lantern, and I will move in to try and quell the fire, while Hawkgirl, Diana, and Flash will work on aiding the evacuation." Superman began pointing out key sections and highlighted the areas far enough away to be safe. "Batman, I want you to monitor their communications and keep an eye on the situation to see if it is actually a trap. We won't refuse a call for help, but we're not going to rush into this unprepared."

Everyone took a moment to quickly clarify positions. Wally snuck a look at Batman, and swore he caught his eye under the cowl for a moment.

"Alright everyone, let's move out."

* * *

Qurac was just as desolate as ever, with the addition of a black haze growing in the air that reeked like a pile of burning cars. Diana and Shayera flew out to guide the groups of people clutching bags and guided them into an ordered escape from the hellish glow in the distance. Wally watched them for a second, then blazed through the villages and across the dusty roads looking for stragglers. He found a few kids hiding behind a warehouse and a some people in houses that were still packing things together, all of which he threw under his arms and brought over to Diana before they ever saw him, then looped around a few more times, passing the clouds of dust he kicked up in a whirlwind.

"Alright, I got everyone I could find that wasn't on their way yet." He said into his coms.

"A hot area has just appeared on the surface south of your location, Flash." Batman's stoic baritone came in over the earpiece, causing him to start.

"I'm on it."

He raced south down the road, kicking up another line of dust clouds as, sure enough, he could see flames coming up through the sand. At speed, they appeared to be standing still, and he wasted no time creating a proper whirlwind around it by running in a circle. Running at speed over sand was like running over water, and he felt his feet giving into the sand only millimeters. In no time, a hurricane of wind had engulfed the fire, and sent it up into the air to swirl around and die in the flying sand.

When he stopped, the wind carried away the dust and smoke and left only a field of sand caked and blackened with burnt oil. Off in the distance, Wally could see several such pillars of wind coming up then blowing away as Superman did the same thing.

"The army has arrived with transports for the civilians." Hawkgirl said breathlessly over the coms, "I see more coming in the distance."

"Flash." It was Batman again, making his stomach repeat the weird tight feeling in response to his voice. "Find out what's in that second wave of transports."

Wally glanced up in the sky, trying to spot the black plane he knew was up there, but the dark clouds of smoke were hiding it. He didn't respond, but set off back past where Diana was helping some children into a covered truck. Ahead on the road, he could see the second line of trucks blowing up a torrent behind them. He let out a quick breath and circled them, peeking under the flaps and keeping track of how many soldiers and guns there were, relating it all back to Batman so he wouldn't forget. He'd yet to be spotted as he came up to the eleventh truck in the fleet.

"Woah."

His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he noticed what was unmistakably a nuclear bomb, propped up on it's crate. Two Quraqi officers were leaning over it with laptops, and hadn't noticed him yet. Wally took stock of what he could see, then jumped back out.

"Bats, dude, paranoia is so the way to go. They've got a nuke in the eleventh truck from the front of the column."

"I'm coming on your position. How many men in the truck?"

"Just two guys in uniforms." Wally replied breathlessly.

"Disable the engines in the column and get them out of there, now."

Wally jumped back to speed, the world returning to a standstill as he used his knowledge of engines to make them come to a sputtering halt all at once. Half a second later, the officers were under each arm and found themselves lying in the middle of the desert a mile away from their convoy. The black wing was now visible in the air, descending over the trucks that were now coming to a stop. He ran through the scenarios in his head in his fraction of a second pause and decided that it was too soon for the army guys to know what was going on. He'd been destroying their radios as he went, and now blew through the trucks disabling all of them.

When he was finished he returned to truck eleven, now sitting on the road with the rest, a puff of smoke coming out of the hood. The wing had ascended again and he found Batman leaning over the device in the green light of the equipment in the truck.

"It's under control." Bruce said quietly. Wally decided that it was definitely Bruce talking, and reasoned Batman was too busy figuring out how to save everyone. He let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, and nodded. Batman's gauntlets were hooked into his belt, and had been replaced by latex gloves as he examined the wires and the plate over the keypad with a penlight gripped in his teeth.

Wally went over scenarios in his head again, this time figuring out how many people he could save from the blast if something went wrong, and each time came up with only two; him, and Bruce. He imagined a world where everyone else was gone, where Superman and Supergirl were recovering, if they managed to survive, while Batman tied up the fractured ends of the League to maintain order as the world went to hell. He shuddered.

"I told you," Bruce said quietly, "I've got it."

Wally nodded and vanished back to where the Diana had just caught up the most senior officer she could find in the lasso and was questioning him. He didn't hear what he was saying, but he expected it was what she wanted to know, because she wasn't looking as if she wanted to kill him. Much.

"Fires on the surface are almost out." John said over the coms, "We're doing what we can to kill the heat in the ground, but it'll take time."

A cloud of smoke lifted, and he saw Shayera was holding a little girl dressed in rags that was shaking and crying in her arms. Country full of terrorists trying to kill us. Wally watched the little girl, and all the huddled masses that were peeking out from the trucks or looking around in fear. He felt anger bubbling up inside him and started to vibrate.

* * *

Hours later, they were sitting around the conference table again. Wally was still trembling with anger, remembering the eyes of that terrified little girl in Shayera's arms. The voices around him were distant as they expressed their own anger and frustration in the debrief.

"What it comes down to is this; the President says that the officers involved had gone rogue, and there's nothing we can do to prove otherwise." Superman's tired but weighty voice made him finally look up. He looked like anything but a boy scout, his mouth pressed in a hard angry line and a flicker of red in his blue eyes. "He's already made a public statement commending our efforts and asking for further patience in the world community to let the military clean house internally."

"So that was his game all along, to gamble with his own people's lives in order to put off military action against their terrorist activities? Trying to prove that there's just as much violence against them as anyone else? Andheusedusforit?" Wally spoke before he even knew it, and began to vibrate again.

"Yes." Batman boomed. His voice was it's usual dispassionate timbre, but Wally could hear the anger underneath that. He took a deep breath and tried to relax, and looked up to find that the white cowl eyes were looking at him again. Wally gripped the hand rest and stopped vibrating, with effort.

Superman sighed deeply, and the table was silent.

* * *

Wally slept fitfully that night. Tossing and turning at speed tore up his Bugs Bunny sheets, which were soaked in sweat. He kept waking up to nightmares he couldn't remember, taking a sweep around the city, occasionally stopping a purse-snatching or a robbery without bothering to come out of speed, and returning to his bed to sleep. By early dawn, he'd managed a few straight hours.

He woke up again, this time free of the previous tension. He looked at the Spongebob alarm clock by the bed, a gift from J'onn, and squinted. It read 4:23. Wally looked around for what woke him up, but the fading night was quiet, for the city.

Pushing aside his tatted sheets, he jumped to the floor and walked into his living room. The bag of Casa Soria cookies was sitting on his kitchen counter, rumpled from being toted around. He'd usually go through junk food in a matter of seconds, but he only took out two to munch on.

He felt a breeze against the back of his boxer shorts and realized his living room window was wide open. Wally didn't remember leaving it open.

"Huh."

Wally walked over and peeked out into the dim pre-dawn light, and saw nothing.

"I smell a Bat." He said loudly, tapping his fingers against the chipping sill. The idea made his stomach tighten up in a way he was becoming more familiar with, but he didn't get a reply from the shadows. Wally could have sworn he heard a chuckle but reasoned he must have been hearing things and went back to bed with his chocolate chip cookies.

They were really good cookies.

* * *

Art from this chapter by wachey

Comments

[senmut]

I like this. And you've given me a plot bunny, by the way.

while J'onn and Diana walked in, appearing to be communicating telepathically. Wonder Woman always tilted her head to one side just a bit when they were, as if straining to hear better.


I'll have to see if it hops around enough for me to get the gist of it.

[paulasj.livejournal.com]

Loved your characterizations of both Bruce and Wally. Can't wait to dig up the rest. :-)

[batfan-sarah.livejournal.com]

EEEEEEEEEE!

*runs to read next part*

[victoria-wayne.livejournal.com]

Hee!

When I first looked at what part you were talking about, I went "Woah! Old school!"

Why? The world may never know.

[sp-kathrine.livejournal.com]

I'm in love. I can't wait to read the next part. Intricate and very well developed. You have Wally perfectly. I can tell because I giggle like a schoolgirl just reading this. Yep, only THE Wally does that to me. You've got it down.

Oh, and I read artciles that said that the creators of Teen Titans actually set up Kid Flash to be Bart Allen, so no problems about the blue eyes. Wally's eyes are GREEN no matter what!

*off to read next part*

[tmelange.livejournal.com]

Whoa! Excellent! Your Wally is so lovable.:) Outstanding characterizations. Very consistent. Of course, I particularly liked the scene in the cafe. You conveyed Wally's surprise and confusion quite well, while laying out his unique personality. You also do great action. The best part of this chapter, however, was the ending. The expectant feel of the open window was marvelous.

Kudos.

[victoria-wayne.livejournal.com]

Yeah; I think, after all 400 pages of this thing, that might still be one of my favourite scenes; the very first. Heh.

I'm glad you're liking so far. ;)

[tmelange.livejournal.com]

I tend to like the first and last scenes of anything I write. It's the stuff in the middle that always goes blah. :)

[naughty--pixie.livejournal.com]

oh i love this fic already!

He ordered a plate of four to stay halfway inconspicuous; he really wanted ten, but he went out of his way to avoid the invisible Bat-glare he always got for being imprudent with the whole 'secret identity' thing. Even if he was fairly certain Bats wasn't around right now.

I love the fact that even in times like these the Bat has imprinted himself on Wally so much that he totally *can't* ignore him at all.

'Alright, so, what would Bats do here?' Wally thought, and his brain went into super-drive, comparing the black hair and lazy grin to every face he could remember seeing.

Eeeee!!!! most people would have been "what would superman want me to do here" but wally deferred to Batman immediately. I am totally seeing all levels of porn here that is totally none existent. but then, i can't really help it with lines like these *grins* just ask jen_in_japan

he could feel the Bat analyzing the situation and recording every detail, but then the moment was gone and it was just a lazy-grinned playboy in the opposite chair.

Oooo and wally is *so* gonna have fantasies about playboy Bruce one of these days!

Keep them. You need the energy.

-B

LOL!!! pre-me-di-ta-tion anyone? *of course* he planned it.

"How are the cookies?"

Wally had to remind himself that the stern figure before him was the same guy who'd also appeared out of nowhere earlier and found himself at a loss for how to respond.

oh god, you are totally not pulling any punches are you? i've been wanting to squee since the third line and the impulse is only getting stronger by the minute.


"You have crumbs on your lip."

It was said in a voice usually reserved for when Bats was taunting the enemy. Wally licked his lips and realized his hands were vibrating. He shoved them behind his back at speed and his cheeks got warm.

alright going from mid squee to HOT!!
i can do hot.
i can do hot a lot.

this time figuring out how many people he could save from the blast if something went wrong, and each time came up with only two; him, and Bruce.

...i always knew it was possible to melt and feel horrified at the same time. gee.

"I told you," Bruce said quietly, "I've got it."

and batman can read him just that well with his eyes on a bomb and with vision behind his head. *grins* it so totally is love.

"I smell a Bat." He said loudly, tapping his fingers against the chipping sill.

SQUEEEEEE!!

ok so my comments are totally unhelpful but i really *am* loving this just that much!

[victoria-wayne.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! :)

I am totally seeing all levels of porn here that is totally none existent.

My work here is done. XD

...i always knew it was possible to melt and feel horrified at the same time. gee.

Yeah, sorry about that, haha. I've got a habit of mixing those together now and then. You know, the sort of sick person that interrupts smut for angst. ::laughs::

I'm glad you're enjoying this. :)

[naughty--pixie.livejournal.com]

My work here is done. XD

lol!!! yes i would say so tho i would not mind more of it.

Yeah, sorry about that, haha. I've got a habit of mixing those together now and then. You know, the sort of sick person that interrupts smut for angst. ::laughs::

I don't *mind* per say. i love mind fucking so it all works out for me. *grins*

[elvenknight16.livejournal.com]

I totally loved this!!
Its amazing.