"You adopted a kid," Flash said it blatantly. He had been repeating it inside his head over a hundred times. He was slowly accepting the fact, but Batman with a kid was something you had to get adjusted to.
"Technically, I've only given him a home as my ward. The adoption papers aren't ready yet," Batman sat at the monitors on the Watchtower. Dick was currently asleep at the manor, and Alfred was there to call should he wake up.
"Why?" Flash paced across the metal floor. His head kept thinking of weird possibilities. Maybe the kid was Bruce's long lost son, then there was no way Bruce could ignore him. No, the kid had two parents perfectly accounted for, or, well, he used to. Perhaps Bruce was the long lost godfather. Yeah, he couldn't turn down the dying wish of the kid's parents. His thoughts were abruptly cut short by the Dark Knight's growl.
"Why does there have to be a reason? Dick needed a home. You should have seen the conditions he was in at the juvenile center. It's a wonder that no one else helped out before I did." Batman spun around in his chair. Sure, everyone had been shocked when he took Dick in. But he never expected to get the third-degree from Flash. Diana, of course. Kent, more than likely. But Flash? Flash was the king of snap decisions.
Flash nodded and stopped pacing. He began tapping his foot rapidly instead while stroking his chin. "Maybe he can meet my nephew, Wally. He's a good kid, no powers, they can bond and stuff. He's only two years older than Dick."
"Not likely," Batman turned back to the monitors, hoping for something that would make Flash leave.
"He's not biologically related to me," Flash reasoned, smiling from lightning-bolt-covered-ear to lightning-bolt-covered-ear.
Batman's ever present frown lessened ever so slightly, "A little likely."
.:BFLF:.
Robin slouched as he sat on the edge of a Gotham high rise. He tugged at the spandex pants Batman made him wear for the winter. It was only his second winter as Robin, he had an idea what he was in for if he went running around in a leotard. The pants were black, a big change from the bright green that was normally there. It annoyed the nine-year-old to no end, not that anybody asked him.
"You said we were meeting people here," Robin protested, not whined. The Boy Wonder, savior of Gotham, did not whine.
"We are," Batman said. He stood next to his protégé and waited. Green Arrow and Aquaman were coming to Gotham, only under his supervision, to introduce their new protégés to Robin. As it stood to reason, Robin might be better off meeting people closer to his own age.
"Are they late?" Robin gave up on sitting and began flipping into a handstand away from the ledge; he had been given an earful the last time he tried to do a handstand on the ledge of a building.
"No, we're early." Batman kept an eye out for the other heroes. They should be here any minute at that point.
Under his breath, Robin murmured out, "Nucking futs."
Batman lashed around, "Robin!" Being around criminals all the time gave Robin a broad spectrum of swear words. At least he had the sense to not technically say one of them.
"We can leave if you want us to," Green Arrow called out from across the rooftop. He grunted as Robin ran at him full speed to give him a hug. Once the boy pulled out of the embrace Arrow ruffled the black mop of hair that clearly needed to be cut, "Hey kiddo, have you grown since the last time I saw you?"
"No, I checked." Robin frowned. He refused to come to terms with the shortness that genetics decided for him, thus he checked his height everyday at that point.
A loud clearing of the throat ripped the attention away from Robin's and Green Arrow's conversation. A boy stepped out from behind GA. His red hair was fluffed out on his head, although mostly covered by a bright yellow hat, and his uniform looked like a red and yellow version of Green Arrow's.
Robin wasted no time in sticking out his hand, now knowing that hugs weren't always the best greetings. "I'm Robin." Before the red-headed boy could speak, Robin continued. "You're Speedy, Green Arrow's new protégé. Your real name is Roy Harper and your fourteen, which is pretty cool in my opinion, 'cause being my age sucks after a while."
Speedy raised a single eyebrow, he knew the kid was the Bat's kid, but still. "And how old are you? Seven?"
The bird's eyes went wide behind his mask. "I'm nine, thank you very much," he crossed his arms as if offended. "I'm just short for my age."
"Kid, you're short for any age." Speedy remained a monotone at that point.
Robin stayed silent for a few seconds. His hand was on his chin as he looked the other boy up and down. Finally he opened his mouth, "I like you, but another comment on my height and you won't make it back to Star City without medical help."
Speedy took his turn to go wide-eyed. Did that pipsqueak really just threaten him? His hands involuntarily twitched, readying to go for the quiver full of arrows on his back and the bow slung across his shoulder.
Green Arrow took that moment to intervene, "Okay, now we just have to wait for Aquaman. I'm sure you guys'll bond in no time."
Robin's violent expression instantly cleared up and he grinned. Speedy started wondering if the kid was driven crazy from living with Batman, or if he was just like that normally. It was a true toss-up. His train of thought ran off the tracks when Aquaman showed up.
Speedy had already met Aqualad, but Robin hadn't. It was weird considering how Aqualad was a protégé longer than he was, but not so weird when he considered how long it took Green Arrow to even set up this meeting with Batman.
"Hello," Aqualad said in a serenely calm voice.
Robin, as energetic as ever, bounced up to the teen and stuck his hand out. "Hi, I'm Robin. You're Aqualad, otherwise known as Kaldur'ahm. You're only thirteen, which is younger than Speedy, who we've both met now, but still cool. I like your tattoos."
Aqualad looked over Robin's head to make questioning eye contact with Speedy, who only shrugged. Seeing no other option, Aqualad shook the younger boy's hand. "Well introducing myself would only be redundant now. It is a pleasure to meet you Robin."
"The pleasure's mutual, Kaldur. Wait, can I call you Kaldur, or do you like Aqualad?"
Speedy walked up to join the conversation, "Why didn't you ask me that?"
"'Cause I like Speedy, so I'll call you Speedy."
Meanwhile, the adults were talking amongst themselves while making sure their protégés' didn't kill each other.
Aquaman crossed his arms, "I think they will be great friends one day."
"One day, sure." Batman agreed. Then he turned to Green Arrow, "Where did you get your kid anyways?"
"I adopted him, his parents were dead and so was his other guardian." Green Arrow then whipped his head around to look at the Bat in surprise, "I thought you'd like him, he acts a lot like you. Practically your prodigal son for all the brooding he does."
Batman never confirmed or denied the foam bomb that just so happened to go off in Oliver's bedroom that night. Mostly because he got Speedy to put it there for him.
.:BFLF:.
The Boy Wonder sat in the Bat Cave, looking up at the stalactites. Sometimes he wondered what would happen if they broke and fell on all the stuff they had down there. Not likely, but it passed the time.
"Robin," Batman barked from the computer.
"What's up?" Robin stayed firmly in his spot.
"Do you want to meet someone?" Batman said with great indignation.
"Do you not?"
"Not really, so it's your decision."
"Who is it?" Dick's interest had officially been peaked. The only time Batman didn't want to meet people was when they either wanted money or they posed a humongous threat to him. It didn't quite seem like either of those at the time.
"Flash's protégé."
Robin grinned, "I'm in! Where are we going?"
"Get your costume on, we're going to Central City."
A certain amount of time later, the duo was waiting in Central City, again on top of a tall building. Robin didn't bother questioning why all superhero meeting spots were usually tall buildings; sometimes cliché should just stay cliché.
"You called?" Flash zoomed onto the rooftop through the access stairs, alongside his new protégé.
"An hour ago, you're late." Batman crossed his arms. Not only was it daylight, but it was also more time that could be spent on a case he wanted to finish.
"Eh, old habit," Flash brushed it off and waved to Robin.
Robin was about to wave back but his personal space was suddenly invaded by a preteen with no control. The preteen threw his arms around the smaller boy and started chatting up a storm. "You're Robin! The first sidekick, which is so totally awesome. And you have no superpowers, which is even cooler. I had to blow up my garage to get powers, well that and myself pretty much. I don't suggest it…" The words started blurring together until it was basically just a high-pitched drone.
Happy to return any hug, Robin brought his arms up and hugged the other boy. The return of the hug shut the speedster right up, letting Robin have a chance to speak. "You're Kid Flash, Wally West. I heard about how you got your superspeed. Well, I read about it, on Batman's computer."
Kid Flash's bright eyes grew wide underneath his goggles, "You know who I am!" He caught himself, and amended with a small slap of his hand to his forehead, "Of course you do, you're Batman's sidekick."
Robin smiled, but still corrected, "The term is protégé, or partner. We aren't sidekicks."
Kid Flash nodded, "I like partner. Yeah, I'm the Flash's partner and you're Batman's." As if the name triggered the reaction, the little ginger whooshed over to the big Bat himself. "You're Batman! You're my second favorite superhero, after the Flash."
Batman narrowed his eyes, but decided to appease the kid, "Where's Superman rank on that list."
"Seventh," Kid Flash answered with no shame. "After you it goes Wonder Woman, Mr. Hal Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Mr. John Green Lantern, and then Superman."
The Dark Knight awarded the boy a pat on the shoulder along with a, "Good job, Kid."
Flash laughed as his protégé zipped back over to Robin. "I knew you'd like that part."
Batman nodded, "The last time you brought him up you said he had no powers and he wasn't like you. That's changed."
"I only said he wasn't biologically related to me," Flash then nearly gave himself whiplash as he went to look at Batman. "Wait, what's that supposed to mean!?"
.:BFLF:.
Wally and Robin knew each other for a solid month before either of their mentors agreed to let them have a sleepover. Barry agreed to have it at his house; he had a spare room that Wally made his own and the house would be lonely with Iris working the late shift anyways. The boys spent the night playing video games and stuffing themselves senseless with junk food. Finally, Barry made them go to bed.
That didn't mean the boys fell asleep. They grabbed a flashlight Robin had in his bag (that crazy Bat-preparedness came in handy sometimes) and hid under the sheets to continue talking.
Barry walked down the hall an hour later. He heard voices coming from the door that was left cracked open. So he channeled his inner ninja and peaked inside the room quietly. The boys' forms were outlined through the sheet due to the flashlight.
"Promise me something," Wally said first.
"Depends on the promise, 'cause Batman said some promises shouldn't be made," Robin's outline pushed up the sunglasses that were falling off his nose. Barry rolled his eyes.
"Promise me we'll be best friends forever."
Robin stayed silent for a second before raising his hand, only his pinky finger was extended. "I'll pinky promise to that."
Wally snorted, "Seriously? I stopped doing pinky promises when I was ten."
"Well I am ten, so pinky promise it is," Robin extended his hand a little farther, waiting for Wally.
"Fine," Wally locked his pinky around Robin's.
Robin raised his other hand like he was taking a vow of truth. "Now repeat after me. I, Robin the Awesome, promise to always be best friends with Wally West. Mostly 'cause he's cool and he doesn't mind hugging."
Wally didn't argue and raised his hand too, repeating after Robin, "I, Wally West, promise to always be best friends with Robin the Awesome. Even though his own name for himself is really lame and I have to teach him how to be cool."
"Hey!" Robin protested as they unlocked pinkies, "You're name for yourself is Wall-man. How is that cool?"
"The chicks dig it dude, you'll see."
Barry walked away to the sound of Robin laughing uncontrollably. He always knew the two would hit it off.
.:BFLF:.
"Dude!" Wally yelled to Robin, who was lounging on the speedster's bed. "Do you know where my goggles are?"
Robin shrugged, "Maybe you should stop losing your stuff."
"Maybe you should stop with your back sass and help me look," Wally countered. They were going to patrol Central City together. Nothing major was going to happen, Flash made sure all the big baddies were locked away earlier in the week. They'd be lucky to stop an old lady from tripping on the sidewalk.
"They're on your head, genius." Robin laughed and vaulted off the bed.
"You couldn't have told me that ten minutes ago?"
"Nah, I liked the free show."
Wally lightly shoved Robin as they got ready to leave the house. "We've got everything, right?"
"Everything except something to do tonight. Batman and Flash just want us out of their hair."
"I've got an idea." Wally said nonchalantly as Robin hopped on his back.
After hearing it, Robin exclaimed, "Ride to our destination Red Stallion!"
A few minutes later the two arrived at an ice cream shop. They were both in full costume, so what the heck, why not have some fun?
Wally dropped Robin, "I'm not your horse."
The Boy Wonder got his legs under him quick enough to stand. "You're just my vehicle of choice. I don't get my driver's license for a few years, so I'll just use you."
"For that, you're paying for the ice cream." Kid Flash walked up to the counter and started browsing the menu attached to the wall. The people already inside the store watched with wide eyes as the two went about their business.
"I was going to anyways, you spent your allowance on other food already." Robin joined his friend at the counter. He was the first to know what he wanted and walked over to the lady at the counter, "Can I get a medium raspberry rave?"
Kid finally made up his mind and skidded over to the counter, "I'll have a chocolate extravaganza sundae, please."
The lady nodded mutely and then proceeded to get their ice cream together. It wasn't necessarily uncommon for the Flash and Kid Flash to go and get something to eat in costume, but Robin was there too. That was just downright weird to the people of Central City. Finally the lady handed them both their ice cream and Robin paid her. "Have a nice night Flash Kid and Robin," she said before retreating in the back room, no doubt to call someone and tell them what just happened.
Wally yelled after her, "It's Kid Flash!"
Robin shook his head, "They'll never learn."
"I still have hope," Wally began digging in.
A few bites into his ice cream Robin looked at his best friend curiously. "Why'd you choose Kid Flash? One word names are easier to remember."
Kid swallowed his mouthful before speaking, for once, "For one, Speedy was already taken."
A/N: I wanted to do something for Wally West's birthday, so I tried to tell a story of some of the greatest friendships ever told. It mostly ended up being KF and Robin, but whatevs. Enjoy everyone!