A/N: I know, I know, I should be working on To the Dark Side, and I am (among other things), but GG came up to me and began to bother me. All day. She said she wouldn't stop until I wrote this. Something about a thank you? I dunno. Anyway, to preserve my sanity, I wrote this. Because I had no time to plan, I wrote a bunch if drabbles. Yay me. :/ Curse you, GG!
Fast
He knew he would never be as fast as they were. He knew he hadn't gotten it quite right, that they could lap him repeatedly with relative ease. And it hadn't really bothered him when it was just his uncle. Sure, he had a hard time keeping up, but he was happy with the fact that, hey, he might not be the fastest, but he was faster than pretty much everyone else. He was the fastest boy alive. Then his cousin came. He wasn't the fastest boy alive any more. Suddenly his uncle had a new favorite, and he was left in the dust. Again. It hurt, but he could still pride himself on the fact he was still his uncle's sidekick, right?
...right?
Static
It reminded him of his days in the pod. No matter how strange everyone else thought it was, it comforted him, and that was all that mattered. It brought back memories of simplicity, when he would just lie there and let knowledge soak into his brain, before he was thrust into a world full of emotion, pain, and choices. It helped, and that mattered more than the weird looks or offers to change the channel.
Tardy
The teacher turned away from the board and gave him a hard look.
"Wally, why are you late for class?"
Wally knew it would be the right thing to to if he told the truth. But he very well couldn't say 'The Rogues attacked and I had to stop them. Oh, by the way, I'm Kid Flash.' So he just said, "I dunno."
When he got his tardy slip signed by his uncle, Barry burst out laughing.
Because Wally West was late on occasion, but Kid Flash is never, /ever/, late.
Never Ask
"Rob?"
"Yeah, KF?"
"Where'd that come from?"
"My utility belt."
"How do you fit a motorcycle in your utility belt?!"
"...I actually have no idea. Batman gave it to me."
Fudgesicle
She usually never remembered; it was too hard. But when she did, it was always about him. She remembered the great times they had, when her dad dumped her with him when he and his dad were out and they were too young to come along. They would plan an escape but, of course, it never happened. It was fun, though.
One of the best memories she had was when they made fudgesicles. She made popsicle-shaped clumps of dirt, stuck popsicle sticks in them, and then he used his ice powers to freeze them. They must have made thirty. When their dads came back, they proudly presented their creations to the pair. She almost laughed as she remembered the men biting into them, thinking they were real.
It wasn't as nice to remember the aftermath. She was never allowed to see him again, and it hurt her in ways she'd never imagined. It was what prompted her to make the choice once and for all, to change sides. An she never regretted it, even seeing him in prison as she gripped the hand of her boyfriend.
Mary-Sue
Wally was watching TV with the team, minding his own business, when a rift in space and time opened up above him and a girl fell out of it onto him.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" she gasped, jumping off him. She was unnaturally pretty, with long golden hair and large blue eyes. She seemed to sparkle and radiate so much sweetness it was sickening. She wore a purple cloak and held a long wooden staff.
Wally rubbed his head where he'd hit it on the ground and glared at the girl. She screeched with joy when she saw his face.
"Wally! Yay!"
Wally frowned. "Um...do I know you?"
"Oh, sorry," she said, giggling. "You can call me the Guardian of Glitches! I control the time stream and can travel between dimensions. Isn't that so awesome?!"
Wally rubbed his forehead and wished she would go away.
"Oh, did I mention I could grant wishes too? Isn't that cool? I'm, like, super-powerful and stuff!" She was still at it, giggling like an idiot and doing what seemed like a happy dance.
"I wish you'd go away," Wally muttered.
"Hey! That was, like, very not nice!" the girl said with a huff, but she vanished into a puff of glittering, purple smoke anyway.
The whole team sighed with relief.
Fear
Sometimes he was afraid of going home. He dreaded what was waiting for him and tried to linger as long as he could at the cave before it got weird. Sometimes he slept at the cave, but he had to sleep at home on weekdays because of school. He didn't like home, to be blunt. He feared it, and feared the man waiting for him. He put on a brave face for others, but when he was at home, late at night, and he was called downstairs, he couldn't be brave any more.
He...
Just...
Couldn't.
Nights Off
On their nights off, the team hung out. It was nice to simply be relaxed as they talked of things other than training and bad guys. Sometimes they danced, but mostly they sat and enjoyed each other's company. It was an unspoken agreement amongst them: never talk about anything to do with their lives as heroes. It was simpler that way, with no one in danger, just the six of them having a good time. Sure, they had a nice time kicking the icing out of bad guys, but this was nice too, just...being themselves. Because, without the mask, that's just what they were.
Camera
"Dude, what the heck is this?"
"That's a camera, smart one."
"But it's so...so...uncamera-like."
"Whatever. It's still a camera."
"Hey, look, there's a picture here."
"Lemme see that."
"No, dude, I found it!"
"...oh. Oh, god. You shouldn't have seen that."
"That's one of the funniest things I've ever seen!"
"We will never speak of this again. Agreed?"
"Fine. It was a stupid camera anyway."
And a picture of Dick having a tea party with assorted dolls was snatched by the wind and taken away.
To Save a Life
To Robin, the best part of being a hero wasn't the fame or even kicking bad guys' butts. It was the satisfaction of saving the life of an innocent bystander. It filled him with joy to see the look in the face of a young ransom hostage as he freed her from her bindings. It pleased him as the little boy who'd been kidnapped hugged him when he was rescued. Truly, the best part about being a hero is being able to save lives.
Seven Ate Nine
"Hey, Conner."
"Yeah, Wally?"
"Why is six afraid of seven?"
"Wally, numbers are not sentient beings and, therefore, cannot feel fear."
"Oh, c'mon, Conner. It's just a joke."
"...Fine. Why's six afraid of seven?"
"Because seven ate nine!"
"...Numbers do not require nourishment."
Good Life
How she loved her job. Patrolling the streets, keeping people safe, now that was living. She couldn't imagine a better way to spend her nights. Well, besides sleeping, of course.
Sometimes there wasn't a criminal to put to justice. Sometimes the streets were clear, and there was no reason to be out. But she was, anyway. She swung through the alleys, past poles and buildings, relishing in the joy of this almost-flight. This was the best part of the job, being able to fly freely and do good. She was so glad she's taken it when she'd had the chance.
Darkness
It crawled around inside her. She couldn't let it out, she could hurt someone, but it was getting harder and harder to keep it contained. It was like a worm, twisting and turning inside her, looking for a way out. It was overpowering her. Slow, steady, and unstoppable, it was coming out. It was only a matter of time until the darkness was free. And then, then it would be the end.
Do You Really Love?
It hurt to know she what she did. How she invaded his personal business like that, how she wouldn't stay out of his head. How she messed with his memory and they went on as the oblivious, happy couple. Did she really love him? Or was he some sick fantasy, some study brought upon by the movies she studied to help her learn earth culture? He wasn't quite sure, and didn't intend to find out. He knew he needed to confront her, but it was just so hard. She was as mysterious as he could be. And he wished she had come clean the first time.
Gone
One strange day, there was no food in the Mount Justice. At all. M'Gann had gone shopping just the day before, so there was no reason for the food to have been gone so suddenly and completely.
Naturally, the prime suspect was Wally. But, when Artemis dragged him to the kitchen, pointed to the empty cupboards, and demanded an explanation, he looked horrified, as if she had told him the world was ending.
The next suspect was the Flash. When Batman sent him to the Team's HQ so he could be interrogated, Wally immediately ran up to him, and, struggling to hold back tears, reported that all the food was totally and utterly gone. The Team finally accepted he was innocent when he hugged Wally and sobbed.
The Team reasoned no one else would randomly steal all their food, so what had happened?
They had not noticed Robin, video camera in hand, hiding amongst a pile of food and smirking.
Under the Sea
His true home was under the sea, but his true family was here, on the land. The girl he loved was below the waves, but the world he loved was above. Sometimes it seemed that his life was split between underwater and over water, but he always found balance somehow. He accepted the fact there were many good things both above and below the ocean, and that he was lucky enough to be able to enjoy them both.
Hope
When she lost hope, it was hard to find again. Sure, she looked everywhere, but sometimes it appeared to have vanished into thin air. It was unusual for someone so young to be so sad, but she managed it. And it was mostly him who helped. He was in the same situation she was, but he never lost hope. He was always there to tell her they'd make it out if she was hopeless, crack a joke if she was sad, and laugh with her if she was having one of her rare happy days. He knew just what she was feeling and responded accordingly. She was his best and only friend, and he was the best friend she could ever ask for. He always lent her the hope she sought and was there to lend a hand. It was almost as if...she loved him. But she'd never admit it, not yet. Maybe not even ever.
Boomerang
It didn't matter how much her words hurt him, he would always return. That should have been one of the first signs, but she never noticed. So she continued to tear him down with her words, and he simply but himself back together and came right back. He let her do her thing without arguing or fighting back, but she never noticed his lack of resistance. And if she did, she attributed it to weakness. But that wasn't true at all. No matter how much they annoyed each other, they still liked each other but were afraid to admit it.
Unity
They were there for each other. In the time they'd spent together, they'd formed a bond that linked them for the rest of their lives. When one needed help, the others would be the first to be there. When one had a celebration, the others would join him or her. When one was sad, the others would comfort him or her. And when one was happy, the others would laugh along. It was a tight bond, they all shared, Kryptonian, Martian, Atlantian, and human alike. they were joined together by tragedy, hardship, joy, and love. And they would never, ever, be separate now.
School
Wally hated school. He hated being that unpopular, geeky boy, forced to sit back and look stupid while everyone else raved about the town heroes. He especially hated it when his classmates talked about Kid Flash and his good deeds. It made him feel proud, but he couldn't let anyone know that. He had to pretend to have no idea who Kid Flash was; he didn't trust himself not to blow his cover. But when people talked about bad things and blamed them on Kid Flash, he almost hurt himself forcing himself to keep from defending his alter ego. Like the time there was a fire and twelve people died. Flash was there, but Kid Flash wasn't (he had a science test. Wally West wouldn't miss a science test even if the world exploded). People blamed Kid Flash for the deaths. he almost chewed his lip of, trying to keep from blurting out the truth. Secret identities were super hard to keep, that was for sure.
A/N: You know, I actually enjoyed this, and I might continue. :) Curses again, GG!
The story 'Mary-Sue' is my less-than-subtle revenge on GG for forcing me to make this my priority. Man, that girl can be annoying when she wants something done. :/
