Author's Notes: This is my first fic that will venture into the AU whereas Earth-16 and the DCAU (at least as far as JLU is concerned) are one in the same. As in, all of this takes place in the Justice League episode "Flash and Substance", but after the events of "Invasion". So with that in mind, enjoy!
Wally West is getting a museum. After everything, after he saved the world and almost died and lost the love of his life and his mentor in one fell swoop, after he joined the league and refused to speak to Dick ever again, after everything, all the mess and the blood and sweat and tears-it's come to this. And he'd be lying if he said he wasn't completely excited. He'd also be lying if he said he didn't want to cry when he really thinks about it.
The worst part of this is that he really feels like this is Barry's honor, because it's called "The Flash Museum," and Wally doesn't really feel like this is actually for him at all. Not that he hasn't stepped up-or so, that's what Bart keeps telling him, over and over, as if he's afraid Wally's going to pull off his cowl, mid acceptance speech, and scream, "Actually, you've got the wrong guy!" Or maybe Wally's projecting. He's probably projecting. But Bart's never been very good at minding his own business.
"I mean, how can you not think this is so totally crash?" Bart asks, zipping around him in circles, as Wally tries, once more, to finish his speech. The Kid Flash uniform suits him, actually, and Wally thinks that maybe it's a sign that Bart is the one meant for this, not him-but he's not supposed to say things like that today.
"And," Bart exclaims, suddenly stopping, his heels burrowing into the floor, "Batman's coming to support you! How can you not be totally psyched about that?" He grins in the honest, excited way that Wally used to.
"I didn't say I'm not excited," Wally deadpans, taking a moment to scribble over some line about love and loss. Bart doesn't seem convinced.
"They'd be proud of you, Wally," he says. Wally's head shoots up.
"Please don't mention that to me," Wally snaps, through gritted teeth. "Not today." His fingers find the bridge of his nose. Like he hasn't spent all of last night (and the night before that and so on, since this museum was announced), thinking about the people who are not going to be there. And he doesn't have the heart to tell Bart he'd give up Batman a thousand times just for a wayward glimpse of gray eyes and blonde hair. Or to hear Barry's laugh. Bart's started fidgeting again, as he always does when he's feeling uncomfortable (which is often). Wally knows that at least Batman will have the good sense not to bring up Dick. Though Wally's got the feeling if the big bat is going to be there, his ex-best friend won't be too far behind. Wally's already planning to do what he always does; which is pretend Dick's not there. Because really, it's so much easier to play dumb than to face the reason why his girlfriend is dead.
He can actually say that about a lot of things.
Like the fact that everyone who knows the Flash things that he's this happy go lucky guy, and they're partially right. He was. He should be, but he's kind of got a lot of things on his mind right now. And it's not like he won't smile when he cuts the reason, or like he won't be a total goof like he always pretends to be. Because that's what Artemis would want him to be, he thinks. She was never the type that liked to live in the past. So Wally pretends that if he acts happy enough, that maybe one day, he actually will be happy again. Just not anytime soon.
"Hey Wally," Bart adds, noting that Wally's hands have begun to just write, "I don't deserve this," over and over on his mess of a speech, "not to be 'that guy', but we're gonna be late." Wally crosses out everything on the page with a big, angry "X".
"The Flash is always late," he says, just like he was told so many years before. "It's a running joke, the fastest man alive can't get anywhere on time." There's no humor in his tone.
"Yeah um, I know that but-don't you think this is a little different?" Bart's already got those old red googles on.
"It never really is," Wally sighs. He pulls his cowl on slowly. To play the part. A smile twitches at the corners of his mouth and he's glad nobody can see his eyes-they'd give away just how unhappy he was in an instant. Besides, the ladies always like it when the Flash shoots a smile their way (even if he can practically feel Artemis roll her eyes, despite the fact that she's been dead for years). "Let's get this over with."