Brave and The Bold Part 2
This story takes place right after the episode "The Brave and The Bold." They never really showed how Flash and John's friendship developed and I wanted to cover that.
P.S. This is strictly a buddy-buddy, brotherly pairing only. No slashes!
Chapter 1- What a Nuisance
"No no! Pull up! Pull up!" shouts John Stewart the Green Lantern as a reckless Flash speeds the Javelin 7 towards a skyscraper. Confused and aggravated by John's nagging orders, Flash pulls up, but more towards the left, and comes just inches of clipping the skyscraper with the ship's wing.
Every member of the just Justice League, with the exception of Batman, have been taking turns trying to teach Flash how to fly the Javelin 7. The lessons haven't been going to well, and each member is grateful to get out with their lives after each lesson. Today, it is John's turn on the unfortunate job. This is Flash's tenth flying lesson, and while Flash is having fun with his reckless flying, his comrades are considering the whole thing hopeless and calling it quits.
"See, you had nothing to worry about'" grins a rather proud Flash.
"Are you kidding me?" replies a ticked off John, "Move back. I'm taking the controls."
"No way!" Flash disagrees, "I'm having too much fun. Now, how do you speed this thing up again?"
Flash reaches for a button. "Flash! Don't!" Too late, Flash presses a button that spins the ship around hectically, and the ship starts to spin out of control. Fortunately, John is able to retain enough focus to take the controls. Once the ship is right side up again, Flash has one hand over his mouth and one on his stomach, looking a little green.
"I think maybe that's enough fun for right now."
"Oh really?"
John flies the ship back to the Watchtower. After landing the ship in the Javelin bay, Flash has recovered and his goofy attitude returns.
"No that wasn't so bad."
John bangs his head on the control panel, "You've got to be kidding."
Later, that afternoon, John is in the observation chair taking his turn on watch. Actually, he's pretty much doing watch all by himself, sense his partner tends to slack on his duties. He's on monitor duty with the Flash, a.k.a Wally West (though John doesn't know his real name.) John would rather be on duty with 'anybody' other than Flash.
Flash enters the interior deck with his boom box, dancing and singing loudly (and badly), to Snoop Dogg. John cover his ears and yells down from the Observation deck, "Turn that racket down!"
Flash looks up at John, "Hah? What did you say?"
John activates his ring, flies down, and turns off the boom box.
"Hey!" yells Flash, "I was listening to that."
John gives a Batman-like glare at him. "I said, TURN THAT RACKET DOWN! How can you even listen to that garbage?"
Flash is offended, "It's not garbage! It's Snoop Dogg's first album, 'Doggystyle', a real classic, dude." Flash give the thumbs up.
John shakes his head and rolls his eyes, "Classic indeed. How can you even like somebody like Snoop Dogg?"
"I didn't say I liked Snoop Dogg," defenses Flash, "I just like his music."
"Same thing," argues John.
"Is not!"
John shakes his head again, "I don't have time for this. Go someplace where I can't hear that, music."
Flash gives a mock bow, "Yes your highness."
John's face turns red and Flash zooms away.
Green Lantern and the Flash almost never do anything else besides bicker. John doesn't understand why Flash is even in the Justice League. The young, well-meaning; but extremely amateur scarlet speedster is so brash, cocky, flamboyant, implosive, undisciplined, and childish amount other things. Flash would much rather stuff his face and goof around making bad jokes all the time then be serious about anything, except trying to impress the ladies. He's a lot better at getting himself and the league "into" trouble then getting them out. He almost never uses his head and doesn't have the slightest understanding of duty, at least by John's standard. He loves being a hero and "just loves" the attention he gets with it.
Still, John did have his moments when was fond of the "kid". Like when Flash totally ignored appropriate procedures and put his life on the line to defend John at his trail a few months ago. When he stood up for Wonder Woman being banished from Themyscira (John wasn't present for that, but heard about it later). Then just a few days ago when Flash "outsmarted" (sort of) evil genius Gorilla Grodd, that is only after Flash got them into whirlwinds of trouble. John doesn't understand Flash's never ending optimism and why he can't just accept things the way they are and deal with them, although it is a trait that has helped the league out on occasion.
Flash, on the other hand, thinks that the Green Lantern is stuffy, strict, bossy, insensitive, inflexible, and "WAY" to serious. John likes to plan everything down to the very, very last detail and go strictly by the book, while Flash loves to ditch plans and just go with the flow. Flash thinks that John really should loosen up, laugh, and have fun once in a while, not to mention be more sensitive and friendly to others. John really needs to work on his people skills as well. Despite these traits, Wally also has a lot of respect and fondness for John and really looks up to him. Wally sees John as somewhat of a mentor, as well as somebody who really needs a friend, and believes there's an inner child within him that's just screaming to get out.
Flash returns a little while later, this time on the observation deck behind John. Flash is eating something from a cardboard snack carton and drinking a Pepsi. Johns doesn't know that he's behind him.
Flash creeps up and yells into John's ear, "What'cha doing GL?"
"AWW!" screams a startled John. He jumps up and shots Flash an angry glare, "Don't ever do that again!"
"Aw lighten up GL," says Flash, grinning; "Can't a guy a have a little fun?"
"We're on monitor duty," John sternly reminds Flash.
"Yea and it's boring." Flash turns his attention back to his food.
John's eyes widen, "Flash! What are you eating?"
Flash licks his lips, belches, and then shows John the contents of the carton. "Sour cream and onion pringles with ketch-up. Want some?"
John gets a disgusted look on his face, "NO thank you."
Flash then offers John an unopened can of Pepsi, "How about a soda?"
John shakes his head, "I'm on a diet."
Flash zooms off and returns before John can blink with a diet Pepsi, "Here you go."
That wasn't exactly what John had in mind, but he accepts the diet soda. One thing about Flash is that it's hard to stay mad at him for long, even for John, although it aggravates the stew out of him.
"Would you like to watch some movies, buddy?" asks Flash, "They're doing a marathon of The Twilight Saga with no commercials."
John is startled. This isn't the first time Flash has called him buddy. While John has some respect for Flash as comrade, he doesn't really see him as a friend or anything. "No thank you. You watch way too many movies anyway."
"Ah come on GL," begs Flash, "You and the other guys 'NEVER' have any fun. All you ever do is work. Too much work isn't good for you, you know, especially boring work like monitor duty."
Flash's statement did sort of make sense; much to John's surprise, but now isn't the time to play. "Later Flash. I'm on duty and I can't leave my post. You are too, might I remind you.
Flash sags like a child, "John Stewart, you need to get a life."
Flash zooms off again. John rolls his eyes and looks back at the Earth. As much as he tries to push it out of his mind, Flash was right. John didn't have a life. After more than ten years as a Green Lantern in deep space proceeded by four years in the Marines, John feels so far removed from humanity. He really doesn't feel he even belongs among them anymore.
Unlike John, Flash is right at home among the people of society, especially in his home of Central City. He is out and about mingling with the citizens constantly, and really connects with them. The ladies aren't usually charmed by his sometimes super ego and his reputation as a slip-up and goof ball is well known, but the public generally likes the speedster, especially children.
While John won't admit it, that's one quality of the Flash's he really envies.
A little while later, Flash reappears on the deck with a plate of raisons and an apple. "Hey GL. I'm raiding what's left in the kitchen and thought you might like a snack before I eat it all." (J'onn is supposed to return to the tower later to restock with kitchen.) He rest the plate next to the observation chair, "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."
John stares at Flash as he leaves. He doesn't understand it. He always yells at Flash, yet the kid continues to be nice to him. While Flash might be trying to bond with John, the serious and hard-noise Green Lantern just doesn't see how he could ever really be friends with the laid-back and childish Scarlet Speedster.