A Flash by Any Other Name
Apr. 12th, 2006 09:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shankieWally finds a way to thank Bruce... like only the Flash can
Part Eight: Faster Living Through Nanotechnology
"Mmmph. Bruce...?" Wally rubbed his head and looked up to find Superman and Batman peering down at him from either side. And he was definitely not at Wayne Manor. "Why am I in the Watchtower?"
The pair of faces moved back, and Wally wiggled his way into a sitting position against the back the stark medical bed. He looked around at the small room he was in... a containment unit with glowy walls?
"You've been busy, Flash." Clark said. "We're going to have to put a security system on that brain of yours."
Wally frowned and looked at Bruce.
"Um, what?"
Wally looked down at himself and realized he was wearing an evil black version of his costume, then looked up and sighed dramatically.
"Alright, I'm asking this one more time, because last time I didn't get much of an answer from ya Bats. What in freaking heck is going on?"
"Well, it sounds like him." Clark said, stepping aside so J'onn could reach over and touch his forehead.
"It's him. Flash's mind has been restored."
"Riiiight... about that forthcoming explanation...?" Wally looked back to Batman, who still made no comment.
"Do you remember when the Joker gassed you?" Superman asked.
"No, that little event totally slipped my mind." He replied sarcastically, but the humour must have been lost on them. "Ok, yes, I remember that. Jeeze."
Wally's expression went from surprised, to shocked, to horrified, to exhaustedly resigned as Clark summed up how he'd blown the hell out of the Batcave and spent the next week charging around robbing places before kicking the crap out his friends in the streets of Gotham.
"I didn't... hurt anyone, did I?" He asked hesitantly. "I mean, last time someone messed around in my head I definitely tried to kill everyone on the Watchtower while taking the place apart the hard way..."
Clark put his hand on Wally's shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze.
"It wasn't you, Wally. Not that time, not this time."
Wally sighed. He knew that. He also knew he'd be spending a good chunk of his savings on gift baskets. Again.
"So the Joker was controlling my brain?"
"No," Superman replied, "Batman is convinced that the nano-tech we took out of your nervous system is far beyond his resources."
"Nano-tech?"
"Yeah. Batman hadn't been able to identify a compound that'd been left in your bloodstream. Turned out to be dormant nano-tech that got switched on remotely. We still haven't been able to identify it much beyond that, yet"
"Greeeeaat." Wally looked at Bruce again, puzzling at his silence. He was just standing there, arms crossed over his chest, looking at him expressionlessly. It made him feel like he was under a million-watt spotlight, and he shifted uncomfortably. "So, I'm ok now? Clean bill of mental health? Well, maybe not... but you know."
"By all appearances." J'onn opened up a door on the far side of the little room and turned off the glowyness on the walls.
"Just stay on the Watchtower for a few hours. Then you can go home. And REST." Always playing everyone's dad, that's Superman.
"Yes, sir!" Wally saluted and hopped off the table. He stood next to the Batman statue and gave him a glance before he headed out of the room. "I'm going to go make a big round of big fat apologies. Anyone in particular I should bring a peace offering?"
"Flash..." Clark put a hand on his shoulder. "Nobody's blaming you."
"That's not what I asked, man."
"I think Kara might appreciate a visit." He gave a little smile with a sad look in his eyes.
"Ok."
* * *
Wally went to his room and stripped off the weird black costume, throwing it over a chair with no small amount of spite. He felt all dirty, in a way that the shower didn't help. He snuck around to the lockers and back to his room again, trying to avoid running into anyone. 'I just need a few minutes, that's all.'
He washed the black suit and neatly folded it into a box that he labeled "EVIL" and shoved it in a corner, then flopped on the bed and stared at it. He was still naked, just Wally, and he wanted it to stay that way for a while.
"I really, really, really hate it when people steal my brain." He sighed. "I wish they'd get a clue and I dunno, not do that."
Wally flipped onto his stomach and flipped on the little TV he kept in his room, pressing 'Play' and didn't watch the DVD of The Fifth Element that was already in the player. He just stared at the movement on the screen and thought about... Bruce.
Silent Bruce that was always watching over him like some demonic angel.
The first time he saw Batman, he'd still been wearing the yellow costume and blue contact lenses (that he'd thought were terribly clever, at the time) and called himself Kid Flash (which he'd also thought was terribly clever). Just a kid that had gotten into the superhero gig to give him a reason to get away from the his parent's fighting as much as to kick badguy butt. It was very cathartic. Still was.
Like every other kid, he was fascinated by stories of the great and terrible Dark Knight of Gotham City, and one day he had decided to go find him.
Batman hadn't been all that hard to find that night; he just made a beeline for an explosion and followed the van full of robbers or whatever they'd been until the Batmobile came roaring out of the darkness, all sleek black muscle and blue jet flames.
Hiding behind a support beam on the Sprang Bridge, Wally had watched the amazingly long car overtake and block off the van's escape, then slide open and... he'd jumped out, swooping on the thugs with his cape flying behind him like black wings, leaving them in a pile on the ground save for one, which he'd hung off the side of the bridge and terrorized a dizzying amount of confession out of. Wally could still remember the awe of it, so caught up in watching that he almost forgot to take off when Batman had looked in his direction and started stalking towards him fearsomely.
If he had recognized him, he never said anything later on, after he'd become The Flash and Superman introduced them long before forming the Justice League. The sense of awe in watching Bruce work had never been lost, and came back with every new battle.
And then there was the first time he'd seen Bruce's face, in a second-hand shop, while they were all busy running for their lives. Sure, everyone had seen pictures of Bruce Wayne; he was on TV and stuff all the time. But he'd never really paid attention, never saw what he did when Batman had pulled off his mask and looked at him with those soul-piercing blue eyes.
Whatever he'd imagined Batman to look like, it hadn't been that.
Wally flipped over, went through his routine of deep stretches on the bed, then walked up to the full-length mirror bolted to the wall.
He looked at his feet, which John had often teased him for; "How can you run all the time with those dainty things?" He looked at his calves and the way they arched up with lean muscle to knees traced with the faintest of scars. He healed fast, and well, but he wasn't immune to some traces of all too human fallibility. Wide thighs, the familiar curly bright-red hair below his navel, small hips that curved up with the muscles along his torso; there was another scar there, along his side, pale white and hardly visible, that Mirror Master had given him.
He ran his fingers along the muscles of his left arm; he was no body-builder, but runners never were. It was counter-productive. He lifted weights, of course; one never knows what you need to haul around during a fight, and the small amount of extra strength his powers gave him wouldn't be enough without work. Wally pressed his hands on either side of the reflection of his face looking back at him.
"Is this all that you are? Wallace Rudolph West, forensic scientist, super-hero extraordinaire, and the butt of the joke?" He paused. "The man who rides the lightning." He grinned. "Well, I suppose that's quite a bit, actually. You're doing ok for yourself so far Wally. Aside from the multiple brain-snatchings."
He pulled on his costume and gave himself a last look before putting on the mask. He'd make his apologies, then go back to his apartment in Lawrence Hills, change into normal clothes, watch TV, order out some pizza, and get some sleep in his own bed... alone.
Ever since Raven had used that spell on him to make him fall in love with her in a ploy to get him to join the Teen Titans... he hadn't really been much for romance. He'd fallen head over heels, showering her with everything he could give until he'd thought his little Kid Flash heart would burst. And then it was all gone, in an instant. Even his super-speed didn't work quite as well after that, until the League. Then it'd all come back, gloriously.
Suffice it to say, Wally never really joined the Titans. You don't just up and forgive someone for something like that. He had later, of course, but by then Raven had vanished off the radar. He couldn't honestly say that had made him lose any sleep. Wally didn't think he'd be able to pull of a professional rapport with her if she'd joined the League.
He still secretly thought of her as 'that evil witch'. But he'd always had a thing for the... dark ones.
The halls of the Watchtower were mostly empty, and the only person he passed along the way was a chipper Captain Atom that gave him a firm slap on the back and his relief that Wally was alright.
"I'm glad I didn't have to try and get in your way again, Flash. Last time you gave me quite a blow to the jaw."
Captain Atom rubbed the spot musingly, then gave him another firm slap and continued along his way. Wally wondered if energy beings got sore jaws after a fight, but he didn't ask.
He took the long, roundabout route up to the medical bay, stopping by the window overlooking the hanger. Batman's black plane wasn't there, which made him feel a twinge of sadness before he moved on.
The doors to the medical bay were open, and he could hear Green Arrow's voice drifting out into the hall.
"I knew the kid was good, but damn."
"Well, I knew what was coming. You've never had to try and stop him before. When Luthor's brain was inside him I ended up covered in half the cafeteria's dessert bar and then some." Green Lantern's voice was laden with amusement and the two of them laughed.
Wally let out a sigh of relief.
"Are you going to go speak to them, or just eavesdrop?" J'onn's deep voice sounded over his shoulder.
"I wasn't really eavesdropping..."
"Go talk to them, Flash. Let them know that their battle was ultimately won, what all warriors are best comforted by."
"You don't usually talk about us like warriors, J'onn."
The Martian nodded sagely.
"I don't like think of us that way. But it is the truth."
* * *
Bruce got back from the office at a little after 5 o'clock, took a quick dinner, then went to his room to meditate. He pulled himself into a handstand and let the focus on his muscles fill his entire mind until he was blank, and the passage of time became distant and irrelevant. This was one of his favourite simple pleasures.
When Alfred tapped politely on his door, he couldn't help but be annoyed.
"Master Bruce, pardon the interruption, but you have a guest."
The door swung open as Bruce lowered himself to the ground and pulled on a black t-shirt.
"Who is it?"
"Master Wally, sir." Bruce gave Alfred a long, puzzled look. "You do recall Master Wally, do you not?"
"Yes, yes, of course."
He was waiting at the base of the stairs in a pair of worn denim jeans and a red hooded sweatshirt, fidgeting with the frayed edge of the sleeves. The shirt had Strapping Young Lad emblazoned across the front, which made Bruce chuckle. Wally looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.
"What brings you to Gotham?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
They stared at each other for a long moment; Bruce didn't think it was obvious at all. When he'd left the Watchtower, he'd found himself trying to find a reason to bring Wally back to the Manor, but couldn't think of a single logical excuse. That'd he had even been looking for an excuse had... bothered him.
"I wanted to thank you. For everything you've done. I know we're in the business of saving each other's lives all the time but..." He ran his hand through that magnificent red hair of his. "Just letting you know I'm grateful didn't seem like enough. But you're the man who has everything, right? Even like, a space station."
"The Watchtower doesn't belong to me."
"Well, you know what I mean. So I got to thinking, and I realized there is something I could give you that you don't have."
Bruce's heart skipped a beat and he felt an unexpected flutter in his stomach.
"And what would that be?"
Wally held out his hand.
"Let me show you."
In an instant, Bruce found himself in Wally's arms being carried faster than any jet-powered car or any plane he'd ever flown through the atmosphere. The scenery passed in tunneling blur until they emerged into a flat, empty field that stretched on for miles with nothing but a covering of grass and wildflowers.
"So you're giving me a ride?"
"Not exactly." Wally took either of his hands, then closed his eyes in concentration. "This isn't something I've really done before... it's not much use to League work. But I can give someone else some of my speed, for a time." Wally opened his eyes again, gazing deeply into Bruce's. "If you want it."
Bruce was... nervous. It was an unfamiliar sensation he didn't know quite how to shake off in this moment. Wally had such an intense focus on him in a way few people ever had; his invitation felt like a proposal.
"Yes."
Wally smiled brightly, and he couldn't help but return it.
"Ok. Just... be careful. You won't have my same protective aura."
Bruce nodded, and Wally closed his eyes again. His hands began to vibrate inside Bruce's, and he began to feel an electric sensation coursing through his veins and over his skin. He closed his own eyes, and let the feeling overwhelm him until Wally took his hands away and was looking at him expectantly.
"Race ya."
Bruce watched in amazement as the world slowed down, and he could see Wally moving at speed and taking off across the field. In a moment, which was more likely only a fraction of a second, he took off after him. The force of the air against his skin cut like a gale and he was struggling to keep his eyes open, but the feeling was incredible. The ground below his feet seemed to flow beneath him and each step was like floating over the grass.
It was freedom, a joy he was now lost in as he chased Wally, who was now running backwards and grinning at him. They looped around the field, covering miles of open ground in a game of tag that neither were particularly worried about winning or losing.
When Bruce's lungs began to protest and his muscles turned weak with exertion, he hated to stop. He bent over, hands on his knees, taking long deep breaths and waiting for his heart to stop pumping quite so frantically in his chest. The electric sparks over his skin were fading, and he knew that this was all he'd be able to push out.
God, it'd been wonderful.
"You ok?"
Wally appeared and put his hand on his shoulder. The world had sped back up, the wildflowers again swaying in the gentle breeze.
"Wally... how fast were we going?" He asked breathlessly.
"About 150, I think."
Bruce looked up at him and positively beamed.
"So that is what it feels like?"
"Every time."
He felt like he'd been given a window into Wally's soul, and understood him in a way that words couldn't express. That in a way very unlike any of the other metahumans he'd known, Wally's power was... freedom.
"Wally..."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
Part Eight: Faster Living Through Nanotechnology
"Mmmph. Bruce...?" Wally rubbed his head and looked up to find Superman and Batman peering down at him from either side. And he was definitely not at Wayne Manor. "Why am I in the Watchtower?"
The pair of faces moved back, and Wally wiggled his way into a sitting position against the back the stark medical bed. He looked around at the small room he was in... a containment unit with glowy walls?
"You've been busy, Flash." Clark said. "We're going to have to put a security system on that brain of yours."
Wally frowned and looked at Bruce.
"Um, what?"
Wally looked down at himself and realized he was wearing an evil black version of his costume, then looked up and sighed dramatically.
"Alright, I'm asking this one more time, because last time I didn't get much of an answer from ya Bats. What in freaking heck is going on?"
"Well, it sounds like him." Clark said, stepping aside so J'onn could reach over and touch his forehead.
"It's him. Flash's mind has been restored."
"Riiiight... about that forthcoming explanation...?" Wally looked back to Batman, who still made no comment.
"Do you remember when the Joker gassed you?" Superman asked.
"No, that little event totally slipped my mind." He replied sarcastically, but the humour must have been lost on them. "Ok, yes, I remember that. Jeeze."
Wally's expression went from surprised, to shocked, to horrified, to exhaustedly resigned as Clark summed up how he'd blown the hell out of the Batcave and spent the next week charging around robbing places before kicking the crap out his friends in the streets of Gotham.
"I didn't... hurt anyone, did I?" He asked hesitantly. "I mean, last time someone messed around in my head I definitely tried to kill everyone on the Watchtower while taking the place apart the hard way..."
Clark put his hand on Wally's shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze.
"It wasn't you, Wally. Not that time, not this time."
Wally sighed. He knew that. He also knew he'd be spending a good chunk of his savings on gift baskets. Again.
"So the Joker was controlling my brain?"
"No," Superman replied, "Batman is convinced that the nano-tech we took out of your nervous system is far beyond his resources."
"Nano-tech?"
"Yeah. Batman hadn't been able to identify a compound that'd been left in your bloodstream. Turned out to be dormant nano-tech that got switched on remotely. We still haven't been able to identify it much beyond that, yet"
"Greeeeaat." Wally looked at Bruce again, puzzling at his silence. He was just standing there, arms crossed over his chest, looking at him expressionlessly. It made him feel like he was under a million-watt spotlight, and he shifted uncomfortably. "So, I'm ok now? Clean bill of mental health? Well, maybe not... but you know."
"By all appearances." J'onn opened up a door on the far side of the little room and turned off the glowyness on the walls.
"Just stay on the Watchtower for a few hours. Then you can go home. And REST." Always playing everyone's dad, that's Superman.
"Yes, sir!" Wally saluted and hopped off the table. He stood next to the Batman statue and gave him a glance before he headed out of the room. "I'm going to go make a big round of big fat apologies. Anyone in particular I should bring a peace offering?"
"Flash..." Clark put a hand on his shoulder. "Nobody's blaming you."
"That's not what I asked, man."
"I think Kara might appreciate a visit." He gave a little smile with a sad look in his eyes.
"Ok."
* * *
Wally went to his room and stripped off the weird black costume, throwing it over a chair with no small amount of spite. He felt all dirty, in a way that the shower didn't help. He snuck around to the lockers and back to his room again, trying to avoid running into anyone. 'I just need a few minutes, that's all.'
He washed the black suit and neatly folded it into a box that he labeled "EVIL" and shoved it in a corner, then flopped on the bed and stared at it. He was still naked, just Wally, and he wanted it to stay that way for a while.
"I really, really, really hate it when people steal my brain." He sighed. "I wish they'd get a clue and I dunno, not do that."
Wally flipped onto his stomach and flipped on the little TV he kept in his room, pressing 'Play' and didn't watch the DVD of The Fifth Element that was already in the player. He just stared at the movement on the screen and thought about... Bruce.
Silent Bruce that was always watching over him like some demonic angel.
The first time he saw Batman, he'd still been wearing the yellow costume and blue contact lenses (that he'd thought were terribly clever, at the time) and called himself Kid Flash (which he'd also thought was terribly clever). Just a kid that had gotten into the superhero gig to give him a reason to get away from the his parent's fighting as much as to kick badguy butt. It was very cathartic. Still was.
Like every other kid, he was fascinated by stories of the great and terrible Dark Knight of Gotham City, and one day he had decided to go find him.
Batman hadn't been all that hard to find that night; he just made a beeline for an explosion and followed the van full of robbers or whatever they'd been until the Batmobile came roaring out of the darkness, all sleek black muscle and blue jet flames.
Hiding behind a support beam on the Sprang Bridge, Wally had watched the amazingly long car overtake and block off the van's escape, then slide open and... he'd jumped out, swooping on the thugs with his cape flying behind him like black wings, leaving them in a pile on the ground save for one, which he'd hung off the side of the bridge and terrorized a dizzying amount of confession out of. Wally could still remember the awe of it, so caught up in watching that he almost forgot to take off when Batman had looked in his direction and started stalking towards him fearsomely.
If he had recognized him, he never said anything later on, after he'd become The Flash and Superman introduced them long before forming the Justice League. The sense of awe in watching Bruce work had never been lost, and came back with every new battle.
And then there was the first time he'd seen Bruce's face, in a second-hand shop, while they were all busy running for their lives. Sure, everyone had seen pictures of Bruce Wayne; he was on TV and stuff all the time. But he'd never really paid attention, never saw what he did when Batman had pulled off his mask and looked at him with those soul-piercing blue eyes.
Whatever he'd imagined Batman to look like, it hadn't been that.
Wally flipped over, went through his routine of deep stretches on the bed, then walked up to the full-length mirror bolted to the wall.
He looked at his feet, which John had often teased him for; "How can you run all the time with those dainty things?" He looked at his calves and the way they arched up with lean muscle to knees traced with the faintest of scars. He healed fast, and well, but he wasn't immune to some traces of all too human fallibility. Wide thighs, the familiar curly bright-red hair below his navel, small hips that curved up with the muscles along his torso; there was another scar there, along his side, pale white and hardly visible, that Mirror Master had given him.
He ran his fingers along the muscles of his left arm; he was no body-builder, but runners never were. It was counter-productive. He lifted weights, of course; one never knows what you need to haul around during a fight, and the small amount of extra strength his powers gave him wouldn't be enough without work. Wally pressed his hands on either side of the reflection of his face looking back at him.
"Is this all that you are? Wallace Rudolph West, forensic scientist, super-hero extraordinaire, and the butt of the joke?" He paused. "The man who rides the lightning." He grinned. "Well, I suppose that's quite a bit, actually. You're doing ok for yourself so far Wally. Aside from the multiple brain-snatchings."
He pulled on his costume and gave himself a last look before putting on the mask. He'd make his apologies, then go back to his apartment in Lawrence Hills, change into normal clothes, watch TV, order out some pizza, and get some sleep in his own bed... alone.
Ever since Raven had used that spell on him to make him fall in love with her in a ploy to get him to join the Teen Titans... he hadn't really been much for romance. He'd fallen head over heels, showering her with everything he could give until he'd thought his little Kid Flash heart would burst. And then it was all gone, in an instant. Even his super-speed didn't work quite as well after that, until the League. Then it'd all come back, gloriously.
Suffice it to say, Wally never really joined the Titans. You don't just up and forgive someone for something like that. He had later, of course, but by then Raven had vanished off the radar. He couldn't honestly say that had made him lose any sleep. Wally didn't think he'd be able to pull of a professional rapport with her if she'd joined the League.
He still secretly thought of her as 'that evil witch'. But he'd always had a thing for the... dark ones.
The halls of the Watchtower were mostly empty, and the only person he passed along the way was a chipper Captain Atom that gave him a firm slap on the back and his relief that Wally was alright.
"I'm glad I didn't have to try and get in your way again, Flash. Last time you gave me quite a blow to the jaw."
Captain Atom rubbed the spot musingly, then gave him another firm slap and continued along his way. Wally wondered if energy beings got sore jaws after a fight, but he didn't ask.
He took the long, roundabout route up to the medical bay, stopping by the window overlooking the hanger. Batman's black plane wasn't there, which made him feel a twinge of sadness before he moved on.
The doors to the medical bay were open, and he could hear Green Arrow's voice drifting out into the hall.
"I knew the kid was good, but damn."
"Well, I knew what was coming. You've never had to try and stop him before. When Luthor's brain was inside him I ended up covered in half the cafeteria's dessert bar and then some." Green Lantern's voice was laden with amusement and the two of them laughed.
Wally let out a sigh of relief.
"Are you going to go speak to them, or just eavesdrop?" J'onn's deep voice sounded over his shoulder.
"I wasn't really eavesdropping..."
"Go talk to them, Flash. Let them know that their battle was ultimately won, what all warriors are best comforted by."
"You don't usually talk about us like warriors, J'onn."
The Martian nodded sagely.
"I don't like think of us that way. But it is the truth."
* * *
Bruce got back from the office at a little after 5 o'clock, took a quick dinner, then went to his room to meditate. He pulled himself into a handstand and let the focus on his muscles fill his entire mind until he was blank, and the passage of time became distant and irrelevant. This was one of his favourite simple pleasures.
When Alfred tapped politely on his door, he couldn't help but be annoyed.
"Master Bruce, pardon the interruption, but you have a guest."
The door swung open as Bruce lowered himself to the ground and pulled on a black t-shirt.
"Who is it?"
"Master Wally, sir." Bruce gave Alfred a long, puzzled look. "You do recall Master Wally, do you not?"
"Yes, yes, of course."
He was waiting at the base of the stairs in a pair of worn denim jeans and a red hooded sweatshirt, fidgeting with the frayed edge of the sleeves. The shirt had Strapping Young Lad emblazoned across the front, which made Bruce chuckle. Wally looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.
"What brings you to Gotham?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
They stared at each other for a long moment; Bruce didn't think it was obvious at all. When he'd left the Watchtower, he'd found himself trying to find a reason to bring Wally back to the Manor, but couldn't think of a single logical excuse. That'd he had even been looking for an excuse had... bothered him.
"I wanted to thank you. For everything you've done. I know we're in the business of saving each other's lives all the time but..." He ran his hand through that magnificent red hair of his. "Just letting you know I'm grateful didn't seem like enough. But you're the man who has everything, right? Even like, a space station."
"The Watchtower doesn't belong to me."
"Well, you know what I mean. So I got to thinking, and I realized there is something I could give you that you don't have."
Bruce's heart skipped a beat and he felt an unexpected flutter in his stomach.
"And what would that be?"
Wally held out his hand.
"Let me show you."
In an instant, Bruce found himself in Wally's arms being carried faster than any jet-powered car or any plane he'd ever flown through the atmosphere. The scenery passed in tunneling blur until they emerged into a flat, empty field that stretched on for miles with nothing but a covering of grass and wildflowers.
"So you're giving me a ride?"
"Not exactly." Wally took either of his hands, then closed his eyes in concentration. "This isn't something I've really done before... it's not much use to League work. But I can give someone else some of my speed, for a time." Wally opened his eyes again, gazing deeply into Bruce's. "If you want it."
Bruce was... nervous. It was an unfamiliar sensation he didn't know quite how to shake off in this moment. Wally had such an intense focus on him in a way few people ever had; his invitation felt like a proposal.
"Yes."
Wally smiled brightly, and he couldn't help but return it.
"Ok. Just... be careful. You won't have my same protective aura."
Bruce nodded, and Wally closed his eyes again. His hands began to vibrate inside Bruce's, and he began to feel an electric sensation coursing through his veins and over his skin. He closed his own eyes, and let the feeling overwhelm him until Wally took his hands away and was looking at him expectantly.
"Race ya."
Bruce watched in amazement as the world slowed down, and he could see Wally moving at speed and taking off across the field. In a moment, which was more likely only a fraction of a second, he took off after him. The force of the air against his skin cut like a gale and he was struggling to keep his eyes open, but the feeling was incredible. The ground below his feet seemed to flow beneath him and each step was like floating over the grass.
It was freedom, a joy he was now lost in as he chased Wally, who was now running backwards and grinning at him. They looped around the field, covering miles of open ground in a game of tag that neither were particularly worried about winning or losing.
When Bruce's lungs began to protest and his muscles turned weak with exertion, he hated to stop. He bent over, hands on his knees, taking long deep breaths and waiting for his heart to stop pumping quite so frantically in his chest. The electric sparks over his skin were fading, and he knew that this was all he'd be able to push out.
God, it'd been wonderful.
"You ok?"
Wally appeared and put his hand on his shoulder. The world had sped back up, the wildflowers again swaying in the gentle breeze.
"Wally... how fast were we going?" He asked breathlessly.
"About 150, I think."
Bruce looked up at him and positively beamed.
"So that is what it feels like?"
"Every time."
He felt like he'd been given a window into Wally's soul, and understood him in a way that words couldn't express. That in a way very unlike any of the other metahumans he'd known, Wally's power was... freedom.
"Wally..."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
no subject
on 2006-04-13 02:36 pm (UTC)Please tell me there is moe to come :D
no subject
on 2006-04-13 10:16 pm (UTC)I'm glad you liked it!
no subject
on 2006-04-13 04:55 pm (UTC)Oh yes, more please!
This is such a wonderful story, and my favourite pairing too!
*sits eagerly before monitor waiting for more*
no subject
on 2006-04-14 01:19 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-05-29 10:37 am (UTC)In short: if you can make a rabid S/B fan feel the love, you're damn good.
no subject
on 2006-05-29 01:40 pm (UTC)It's awesome to hear that, totally. I was careful to make it so that their relationship is, above all, believabe. So that's been where much of teh mojo has been.
Now we'll just have to see what you think of their first kiss... ;)
no subject
on 2006-06-12 08:25 am (UTC)The way you wrote Wally's feelings...wonderful.
At least I;m not the only one who notices how often Wally is brain-napped. Now I must go to the next chapter. *clicks back button as fast as she can*
no subject
on 2006-07-01 11:52 pm (UTC)>The sense of awe in watching Bruce work had never been lost, and came back with every new battle.
And the sharing of his speed--adorable. Kudos.
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on 2006-08-07 07:35 pm (UTC)*snort* So very Wally...