First Friends Club
A DC Comic's Fan Fiction by Jacob McDonald
Opening Notes: I'm so deeply disturbed by the events in Flash #13 that I had to write a story about it. Note that if you have no Young Justice background, and if you don't know much about the history of Bart Allen, then you'll be totally lost.
Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own any of the characters mention here, and I don't have any ownership in the DC Comics Universe.
First Friends Club
Tim Drake had only been at Titans Tower for ten minutes when his com started vibrating. He sighed, wondering why Bruce would be calling already, since he'd just been dropped off minutes before. Maybe it was to tell him to remember to brush his teeth. Bruce had been trying to develop a sense of humor recently, and the jokes he made seemed to run in that kind of goofy, fatherly joke vein.
Still, when Batman called, Robin answered. Tim flipped open his com and spoke, "Yeah, Bruce? Couldn't stand being away from my smiling face for more than a few minutes?"
"Tim…" Bruce frowned, "I just got a report in, and I knew you'd want to be the first to know." He looked dead serious.
"What?" Tim felt all the blood drain from his face as he went pale. This was Bruce's breaking bad news tone. And when Bruce had bad news, it was really bad news.
"An hour ago in L.A., while fighting all of the Rouges at once… the Flash…" he trailed off, then shook his head. In the back of his mind, Tim registered that Bruce must have the Batplane on auto-pilot, "Tim, Bart Allen was killed. He's… he's gone."
Tim stared at the com for a moment, taking in Bruce's face. This was no sick joke. This was the truth. Bart was… was…
"Tim, I'm sorry… I know it's hard right now, so soon after Conner…" he trailed off again, then spoke in a more gentle tone, "Do you want me to come back and pick you up?"
Robin shook his head numbly. Plans were already forming, but his brain was shutting down. He just shook his head, dropped the com, and fell to the floor. Scooting back, he propped himself against the wall of his room in the Tower and stared at his door.
Two hours later, the door to Tim's room slid open and a head of long white hair poked in, "Tim?" Rose called, "Hey, we're having dinner in a minute, and Joey cooked his famous… Tim, what's wrong?" Rose had finally spotted him, sitting against the wall of his room, his arms lying limp at his sides, and an open com unit on the floor next to him. She took a few steps into the room, and squinted through the darkness, "Tim?"
He finally looked up, and she saw that his mask was half falling off because of the tear tracks down his face. She sucked in a breath and quickly stepped forward. She was wearing tight jeans that swished together as she walked, and a blue t-shirt that hugged her curves nicely. Her bare feet whispered across the floor as she made it to her team leader and dropped into a crouch next to him. She shook his shoulder lightly, "Tim? Robin! What's going on?"
"Bart…" he said, and Rose looked confused.
"What about Bart? He's down in LA, right? If we call him he can be here in three seconds-"
Robin cut her off, "He's dead."
Rose stared for a second, then blurted out, "What?"
"He was killed by the Rouges… few hours ago…" Tim was finally starting to regain his senses now that he was talking to someone, "Rose… I know the two of you had a bit of a history a few years back…"
"We did… yeah…" Rose sat back on her heals and shook her head, "Whoa… this is… holy shit… I feel sick."
"Me too… Rose… do me a favor?"
"Sure… what?"
"Tell the others… I have to do some stuff."
"Yeah, yeah… sure…" she gulped back tears, "Um… are we going to have another Titan funeral?"
"Probably." Robin nodded and wiped the tears from his face. He'd had his cry, now he had to be strong for the rest of his friends. He stood up and pulled Rose with, then smiled weakly, "Right now though, I think I need to round up some of his older team…"
Victor let Tim borrow the T-Jet, and he was in New York an hour later. He landed the jet at a designated touch down spot, then made his way into the city. Once there, he changed his clothes into civies, and hailed a cab.
After paying the driver when he was dropped off, he quickly jogged up the steps of the apartment building he had been brought to. He stopped at the third floor, apartment 3B, and knocked. A few moments later, the door was answered by a blonde girl a little shorter than himself, since her feet were bare.
"Come in, Tim." Kara Zor-El said with a sad smile, "I was wondering if you were gonna show or just call."
"Couldn't call… not for Bart…" he stepped in and was surprised when she reached up and hugged him gently.
"He was a great guy… I wish I could have known him better."
Tim's voice was a little rough as he spoke, "Yeah… I wish I hadn't been out of touch so much…" After a moment, they separated, and Tim asked, "Where is she?"
"In her room… she pretty much lives here now, so she has her own." Kara's joke fell a little flat, and she motioned down a hallway in the apartment. "I'll be out here if you guys need me."
"Thanks, Kara." Tim patted her arm one more time, then walked down the hall to the door marked with twin golden W's, cut out of construction paper. An 'S' shield decorated the one across from in. Bracing himself, Tim pushed open the door and stepped in.
Inside, another beautiful blonde girl was curled up on a bed, wearing jeans and a tank top with a golden eagle emblazoned on the front of it. She'd kicked off her black boots, which lay on the floor in front of the bed, and curled her legs under herself. In one hand she clutched a pair of goggles with amber lenses, and in the other, a black t-shirt with the same 'S' on it that decorated the door across the hall. She seemed to be drawing strength from the shirt, and weeping over the goggles.
Tim didn't waste any time kicking off his shoes and stepping forward. He crawled up onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her without a word. The girl, Cassie Sandsmark fell into his embrace and let out an anguished sob.
Several minutes past before she spoke, "It's not fair… first Conner, now Bart… Tim where is it going to end?"
"It doesn't." he replied in a voice shaken by tears of his own, "They both gave their lives saving people. Like they would have wanted."
"But… we're only seventeen! We're too young to say that half of our best friends have been killed trying to do good!"
"I know… Cassie… I know…"
They sat in silence again for several more minutes before Tim spoke again, "Do you still have Cissie's number?"
Another hour later (it was a little past midnight) Tim and Cassie were knocking on the door of an upscale apartment in Boston. The door was answered in short order by yet another blonde, this one taller and leggy, wearing a white skirt that fell to her ankles, and a brown tank top. Behind her, looking sad and withdrawn was a shorter brunet girl, this one wearing jeans and a black t-shirt.
Tim and Cassie stepped into the apartment and embraced their friends. After hugs all around, the two girls spoke.
"Greta and I were talking earlier, and we decided not to go to Keystone for the memorial… it's kind of a trip, and we just…" Cissie King-Jones trailed off.
Greta finished for her, "We don't feel up to it." She lowered her face to the ground, "Still… we can remember Bart in our own way."
They stood in silence for a few moments, then Cissie spoke up once more, "Wow… the orrigonal Young Justice line up… well, what's left of us any way…"
"Cissie!" Greta scolded, "Try being a bit more sensitive!"
"It's okay…" Tim held up a hand, "It wouldn't be a real YJ reunion if Arrowette didn't make a brash joke."
Cassie spoke up, "Or if Wonder Girl didn't giggle at it." And she smiled.
Tim put in, "Or if Robin didn't frown disapprovingly…" but he smiled.
Greta looked at all of them, then smiled a little herself, "And I guess The Secret has to stand around and look clueless because she doesn't understand normal human interaction."
They all burst out laughing for a few minutes, and when they finally calmed down, Cissie motioned them to the living room of the apartment she and Greta shared, "Come on in… I made popcorn and we have tons of junk food and soda."
It was 2:00am and the four young people were still awake and laughing. Cassie was waving her hands, "And… and remember that time he ran up behind Conner and stuck his wet fingers in his ears?"
Tim almost fell off the love seat he was sitting on with Cassie, "Oh yeah! Superboy almost clocked him! Bart was lucky he was so fast!"
"Fastest boy alive!" Greta piped in.
"Fastest man alive." Cissie corrected all of them, "He was aged several years, remember?"
"Fastest man alive…" Cassie muttered, "I guess that's Jay Garrick now…"
Tim spoke up, "Technically, Superman and Supergirl are both faster than Jay, and any of the Green Lanterns can move faster than him if they really want to."
"So…" Greta's face fell, "I guess… the legacy of the Flash really is over, huh?"
They were all silent for a time, then Tim spoke again, "The legacy will always be alive with us…"
"Yeah…" Cissie suddenly palmed a fist, "Hey! What'daya say we ditch Greta here and I'll gear up and go with you guys to pummel the Rouges into the ground tomorrow!" Greta slapped her arm.
Tim and Cassie both threw her glares. Cassie was the one who spoke, "You're retired, Cissie. Arrowette doesn't need to help out anymore."
"Bah. You say that like I'm useless…"
"Well, we do have another Speedy now…" Tim replied with a hint of a laugh in his voice.
"Oh yes…" Cissie fumed, "That perfect little girl who can shoot sooo well. I bet she can't even outshoot Harper."
"Cissie, you can't outshoor Roy." Cassie rolled her eyes.
Tim shook his head with a laugh, "Mia is very dedicated to the cause, Cissie. She's the perfect girl to carry on your legacy…"
After a moment of silence, Greta spoke up, "Why do I have to be the only one not part of a legacy?"
The other three teens groaned and threw pillows at her.
A little while latter, Cassie stepped out onto the balcony of the third floor apartment and shut the sliding door behind her. She arched an eyebrow at Cissie who stood off to one side, smoking.
"When did you start?" she asked in a scolding tone.
"Last year." Cissie replied, "I only do it when I'm having a really bad day, and I only smoke Cloves… I'm a wimp like that."
"Don't let Tim see you."
"He'll smell it on my as soon as I step back into the apartment." Cissie rolled her eyes.
"Yeah… greatest teen detective in the world and all that…" Cassie leaned on the railing, and sighed as she stared out at the city of Boston. Cissie leaned back on the railing and looked at her sideways.
"So… how are you?"
Cassie sighed, "Okay, I guess… I still hurt pretty bad over… Conner."
"It hurt all of us, but you… you have a right to claim mourning privileges for years."
"No…" Cassie shook her head, "I should move on with my life… Conner wouldn't have wanted me to dwell on him too much."
Cissie snorted, "Are you kidding? He'd want you to pine away for him for the rest of your life!"
Cassie giggled a little, "Yeah, he was kind of a jerk like that, wasn't he?"
"Not like Bart…" Cissie sighed, "That kid didn't have time to think about himself with his brain cells bouncing around like they always did…"
"He was so much more serious in the past two years…" Cassie muttered, "Getting shot really changed him."
"So I heard. I didn't see him much."
"Yeah… it's hard to keep in touch when you're saving the world every few minutes."
"Heh. Yeah." Cissie nudged her, "So… you seem like you're moving on from Conner fairly easy…"
"What?!?"
"You were holding Tim's hand earlier…"
"He's my best friend!"
"Mmhmm." Cissie grinned, "Have you kissed him yet?"
Cassie paled a little, then blushed suddenly, "Just once." She said in a small voice.
"Oh ho!" Cissie snubbed out her Clove and tossed it in a bucket off to one side, "Not moving on, huh?"
"It was a heat of the moment kind of thing! I'm pretty sure Ravager has kissed him more than I have!"
"Right… I hear she's a horny wench any way."
"She is." Cassie lifted her nose.
"Whatever. You like Tim."
"I don't!"
Cissie just laughed and led the way back inside.
At 4:00am, Cissie stumbled into the living room of her apartment and yawned hugely. Cassie and Greta were sleeping in the brunet girl's room, and Tim was supposed to be crashing on the couch. She found him up and typing away on his laptop.
"Hey…" she muttered as she went for a glass of water, "How'd you access our secured network?"
Tim just threw her a withering glance.
She chuckled, "Right… Boy Wonder." Walking over with her water, she plopped down right next to him on the couch. She had changed into a loose tank top and short flannel sleep shorts, so her long, bare legs brushed against him. She leaned her head over on his shoulder and looked at the screen, "What're you doing?"
"Writing an e-mail to Anita." He muttered, "She came along after you quit, but she still knew Bart fairly well… she couldn't make it here tonight."
"Right… the kids… her parents the kids…" Cissie winced.
"It's no picnic for a seventeen year old girl to have to raise her own parents. They're four now you know…"
"I still don't get that whole situation."
"I try not to think about it too hard." Tim hit the send button, logged off, and shut his laptop. He looked down at Cissie's head resting on his shoulder, and sighed, "Um… Cissie? You know I'm not really looking for a relationship right now…"
"Hmm? Oh, I just thought this was what you did with your friends… since you and Cassie seemed so cozy earlier…" she grinned and sat up off of him, "And she insisted the two of you were just friends, so…"
"We are just friends." He replied in a pained tone, "I suppose she told you I kissed her…"
"Yep." Cissie pointed at him, "Not interested in a relationship, huh?"
"I've been trying to date a girl in Gotham." Tim deadpanned, and Cissie's smile fled, "Look, Cissie, Cassie and I… it's complicated. We both miss Conner so much… and now with Bart gone…" he paused and wiped at some tears in his eyes, "I'm afraid we might be getting too close… relying on each other's comfort too much…"
"Tim, that's what you do in a relationship…" Cissie spoke softly, "If you like her…"
"I do, it's just… I don't think we should… because of what happened to Conner. And to Bart." He shook his head, "I don't want to get too close. It just… hurts all that much more…"
Cissie frowned and sighed, "Oh Tim… you're more like Batman every day, aren't you?"
"Yeah… like father like son…" he muttered. Cissie sighed again and hugged him, pulling his head down to rest on her shoulder.
"Just shut up and comfort me for a little while… I need it right now."
"Okay, Cissie… okay…"
The next morning, Cissie and Greta saw their two friends off from the rooftop. Both of the other two teens were in full uniform.
Tim spoke in a strong voice, "We'll see you two again soon, I'm sure. We should have a full YJ reunion. Get everyone in the whole gang back together."
"Sounds like fun." Greta waved, "You two light a candle for both of us at the vigil, okay?" she sniffed and smiled a water smile at the two of them.
"Sure thing." Cassie nodded with her own tear soaked smile.
"Be careful out there." Cissie nodded, "Don't be strangers."
"We wont." Tim waved as Cassie floated up off the rooftop and took one of his hands. Flying up, she pulled him with her, "Bye!" he called down.
"See ya!" Cissie and Greta intoned together.
They watched for a long time, until they couldn't see Wonder Girl flying away with Robin any more. Turning back to the roof hatch, they both plodded back to their apartment, lost in their own thoughts about their old friend, Bart Allen.
Flying back to the T-Jet, Cassie looked down at the young man she was toting, "Tim?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think he'll come back?" she voiced the one small shred of hope that no one had seemed to have the guts to voice the night before.
Tim shook his head, "Unfortunately, Flashes don't have too good a track record with coming back from the dead." He sighed, "Bart's gone, Cassie."
She looked back up and Robin looked down. They both started to cry again, and the rest of the flight was made in silence.
Upon arriving at the small field they'd touched down in the night before, the two of them stepped into the T-Jet. Before strapping in, they shared one last silent hug, then put on their game faces. The public would see sad, but determined young heroes when they got to Keystone. It was part of the job. Part of the life.
And it was the way Bart would have wanted it.
He had been the fastest man alive. At the end of the day, there was only two things you needed to know about him…
He ran fast, and he helped people.
Tim stared straight ahead as he flew the ship. Cassie had dozed off, having not gotten much sleep the night before. He stared down at Keystone City, and sighed when he saw the huge crowd of people outside of the Flash museum. As he started to circle the city looking for a good spot to put down, he muttered, "Rest easy now, Bart. You earned it, buddy. You earned it."
Closing Notes: RIP Bart Allen. Impulse. Kid Flash. Flash. Your time came too soon.