Speed of Sound
The Story of Shinobi And Swallow
by Watashinomori
The day he first met Robin was a fun day. Captain or Doctor Something Something (he was a villain so stupid Wally couldn't recall who he was) had escaped and ran to Gotham City, Flash warned him to stay put until his return, but like hell Wally would wait. It was Gotham. Any hero wanted to catch a bad guy in Gotham. Even if was only a random dude in spandex. They crossed paths with the Dynamic Duo. Wally was so excited he thought he would probably be able to phase through the wall.
"What are you doing here? Both of you" Batman asked. The tiny little boy beside him was glaring Wally. Was Robin that small? But he always looked too cool in the pictures.
"Captain..." Flash looked around trying himself to remember that alias. "Keaton Sanford, a masked burglar ran to Gotham from Central. I came to pick him up and take him back. Kid Flash, my sidekick, despite my orders, followed me here" Wally smiled proud.
"Look, bro, this is not your city" the itty-bitty little tiny boy spoke to Flash. "You can't just trespass!"
"Robin" Batman scolded him. "But he's right, Flash. You should give me a warn. I was pretty much clear about other heroes in my city. And I already apprehend Sanford. I wasn't asking what led you here. I was asking why are you here" he sighed. "I'll let this go, come with me to the place where your common thug is" he started to walk. Robin was beside him.
"Kid, you wait for me here. It's safer than you come along."
"How can it be safer? If I follow you there will be you and Batman to protect me!"
"But both of us can attract too many evildoers. Please, stay put and wait for me. Last thing I need is killing you because you followed us and the Joker struck! Your aunt will kill me!"
"No way! If that small kid is going, I'm going!"
"I'm the Boy Wonder, you know? What are you? The Boy Crybaby?" Robin showed up out
of nowhere. "By the way, Flash. B is waiting for you. I'll babysit your nephew" winked.
Wally glanced to him. Nephew? He did know who he was. He saw his uncle leave, complaining about how Wally would make him grow some white hair before midnight.
"So, If I'm going, you're going. Right? Let's see for how long you can keep that up!" and vanished into thin air with a cackle.
Next time he saw the boy he was in the top of a building. That cackle was so annoying, Wally climbed the building only to hush him. They started the tag play. Wally was fast, but not even once he managed to touch the kid. But Robin made him trip, it wasn't fun to fall at that speed. Then, as they fought, their mentors arrived. Batman just stood there and the kid stopped looking really apologetic. Flash started to tirade about how concerned he was. Robin glanced to him when averting his eyes from the Dark Knight. Wally smiled to him, trying his best to be reassuring.
"You both are grounded" Batman said finally. "Robin, you're off patrol for the week. Your training will continue as usual. You endangered a fellow hero unnecessarily and you let me down. I believe you can find a fitting punishment for your sidekick, can't you?" Flash agreed. "Good. Dismissed."
The Boy Wonder dragged his feet away. Aiming loosely to a random point in the sky. Wally ran to him without thinking.
"Hey, uh, call me, k? My number is..."
"I know your number!" Robin grinned at him, setting off.
Even being grounded couldn't take the bliss of meeting the first sidekick, sparring with him. Even getting his ass handed to him was amazing! The following morning wasn't so great. His parents showed little to nothing concern about his flight in Gotham, although Uncle Barry was explicit on how he put himself in danger. He still had school and barely got any sleep last night. If his uncle knew that, he was done. To worsen anything his phone rung in the middle of the class of the most stern teacher. He was kicked out and was sitting in the waiting room for the principal.
Looking at his phone he realized he didn't know the number on the screen. He startled when the phone rung a notification.
I'm having a really bad day. Can you talk? -R
He ran his eyes through the small message a dozen times. R stood for Robin, right?
I'm kinda in a problem here. I forgot to put my phone to vibrate and the teacher sent me to the principal. But I guess we can exchange texts. -KF
To the principal? Just because your phone rung? Man, what a bummer. But hey, you're not being called names. That's seem better! -R
"Mister West, come in" the principal called him. She was a gracious woman, had all that motherly look and showed always concern about her students, but at the same time just one look from her and you were crying for your life.
Have to go. But what did you mean by 'calling names'? Someone is being mean to you? -KF
"Wallace, are you going to put that phone down or shall we confiscate it?" she asked sweetly.
"Sorry, Linette. Hey, nice haircut, is it new?" smiled charmingly to her.
"It is, thanks. So why was Professor Hume so angry with you?"
"I forgot to silence my phone. I rarely got calls or text or whatever, so I forgot and it rang. Please, Lin, I'm a first offender! Cut me loose, pretty please" he blinked his big green eyes and put on a sweet smile.
"You are always so cute, Wallace. But I'm sorry. You're still getting your warning" she handed him a sheet of paper. "Please, ask one of your parents to sign it and bring it back. You won't be punished any further, it was really a small thing. Dismissed" he dragged his feet from the place.
A glance at his phone and there was tons of messages from Robin.
They always are. I mean, I wish I could tell you more. But, the most cute thing from their list of insults is freak. -R
And sometimes I start to believe in them. That I'm a freak and all the other things (wanted to tell you what, but B would have my head for it) -R
Today they cast me away in the class. They all dragged their chairs to the corners so they won't sit next to me -R
The teacher couldn't care less. -R
I never cry in front of anyone. But today I hold my best to not cry in there. It was so lonely. -R
Sorry, if that caused you any trouble. But in that moment all I could think was I had made a new friend. And wouldn't be so lonely. -R
Now I think it was really dumb. -R
Wally couldn't believe in what he just read. How could someone do that? Robin seemed a little annoying, but he was a good kid.
Does B know about it? -KF
He felt dumb. He wouldn't tell Barry about it, if it was with him. Last thing he would want was the man thinking he couldn't handle it. So obviously Batman didn't know. But then again, it was the Batman, wasn't he the man supposed to know it all?
Not from me, at least. -R
You better than them. You are… well.. you! You do those things they never will do! You are amazing! Dude! I couldn't sleep last night coz' the thrill of meeting you! I'm a fan! As soon as my ground ends I'm running there so we can… play again! -KF
You don't need to type three dots when you thinking what word to use to replace the ones you don't want to type. -R
Shut up! -KF
He looked to his class door. Should he return or was he kicked out for the day?
Thanks. -R
He entered his classroom and sat in his place. Mister Hume was glaring, frowning.
"Care to explain what are you doing here?" Wally asked to the kid on his room.
"I came to 'play'" he did air quotes.
"Dude, we're still grounded. And you came to play? What if B knows about this?"
"My punishment was 'Not to patrol for the week'. Last time I checked this isn't patrolling!" grinned. "Come on, worst day ever. They learned how to lock me in the lockers. Not really brilliant my bullies are… not at all" ended up talking mostly to himself.
Wally dressed as Kid Flash in a second. Then he wondered about what would happen if someone sees Robin in Central City. Central could not be the most peaceful town in the world, but it was pretty much calmer than Gotham. What they needed the last was Joker and Friends in there.
"You can't leave like that!"
"Why not?"
"Robin in Central? Sorry, bro. But yours maniacs are too maniacs for here. I don't need them trying to really kill me. Captain Cold and the Rogues are sweet, but your bunch of crazy dudes is bitter as hell!"
"What do you mean by 'really'? Yours crazy dudes don't try to kill you? Man, life here is neat! But I got your point" he took off his cape and the R from the chest, clicked some button in the glove and his clothes were all black. "Better?"
"Way better! You will need a new name for Central. We'll figure this out later. Let's go!"
Patrol Central was really easy, for Robin. He made a strategy that allowed them to cover most of the city without using too much of Kid Flash's energy. And he could do jumps and flips with leisure without fear. When he was comfortable enough to not expect a gunshot every turn, he started to do some circus stunts.
Some time in the night, Robin started to try to teach Wally how to back flip, and Wally was trying to make Robin vibrate, although both of them knew it was impossible for the non-meta to get that. At least, Robin got a grip on how his powers worked. When they were too tired to keep going, Flash appeared and picked them up, taking into his and Iris's home. The next day would be a weekend so Robin got permission to stay.
Next weekend he showed up with a piece of black cloth over his mouth. He called himself Shinobi. Instead of leaving to catch bad guys, they stayed in Wally's room, creating a new persona to him so he could also show up in Gotham without problem. Of course, they did only for the fun of the thing. Neither Batman, nor Flash would allow Kid Flash in Gotham. They called the new hero Swallow. "Because it's a bird name, you are fast and allusion to your incredible capability to swallow things without chewing!"
Notwithstanding, a few months from that, Swallow appeared in Gotham.
"What? Man, this is gold!" Robin circled him.
Swallow clothes were a lot alike with Robin's, but blue and white, a small darker blue v (like a bird in some kid drawing) in place of the R and his domino was red.
"Right?"
"Your uncle will kill you! But man, it's awesome! You even got a cape! A two tailed cape!"
"Yeah, it's smaller than yours because I run out of fabric. But it's awesome! It looks so cool when I speed up! I should add a cape in my real uniform!"
"Don't. Capes are lame. It took me almost the whole first year to be able to do flips without twining in it. Sometimes I still do" made a grimace. "But you're pretty in this outfit. I rather blue and white over that red and yellow of yours anytime!"
"Thank you, mister handsome" did a bow.
"You're welcome, mister gorgeous" bowed back. They laughed. "Come one, let's put this in use before B gets here and end our fun!"
They didn't do much before Batman land beside them, in a frightening silence. He looked to both of the kids and left. They followed him. The Penguin's henchmen were holding a small girl hostage while fleeing some crime scene. For Wally that was scaring. There were blood and corpses everywhere. He thought he would throw up. Suddenly Gotham wasn't fun anymore.
"It was a Gang War battlefield. The other side already left. Only the Cobblepot's men are here. See the umbrellas? His trademark. The girl is probably not the only hostage" Robin clarified to him.
Batman shushed him. They never need to talk this obvious thing, but it was Wally's first time. He gripped the older boy's hand and smiled to him.
"You don't have to help if you don't want to" soothed him.
"I will" whispered back. If wasn't the whole scary thing, he would be amazed by how Robin was able to talk so low and didn't seem to whisper.
"Fine" came the husky voice. "I'm in need for a speedster. Me and Robin will distract them. When nobody is looking get inside, scan the building for other hostages and get out. Don't be seen and don't get caught. In, look, out! Nothing else. Deploy!"
The Dynamic Duo was gone before the last word stopped to echo in the alley. Batman fell right on the guy with the girl. He didn't doubt for a second the man would be able to rescue her. Robin came spinning in the air and land a kick on another man's face. People gathered around with cell phones taking pictures. Great. He ran around the alley and broke into the building from another angle. He looked at all of the stories up, and the basement. There was a hostage situation. A small family was on the top floor. Only one man guarding the place. He could take care of him. Thought, hiding behind a wall. It was going against a direct order. But the poor family seemed scared. He was a hero. He could do it. He heard a gunshot.
"ROBIN!" Batman screamed. From the window he saw his friend falling. A trail of blood streaming in the air.
He wouldn't be in time. Exiting the building, across the street, up the next one. He wasn't that fast. But none of those things crossed his mind. The only thought he nurtured was 'I need to get Robin before he hit the ground'. And like that, he ran. He was running faster than he ever ran before. He could feel the air around him, dragging him slow. Gripping his face and pulling him back. But he kept running. Before he could realize he heard a large boom and was on the roof of the building in front of him. Robin was smiling through his pain.
"Wow! Dude!" he groaned. "You just broke the barrier of sound! Mach 1, bro!"
"Ar- Are you alright?"
"Yeah, just a shot in the leg. Same old, same old. You, by the other hand, were amazing! Speed of sound! DUDE!" he motioned his hands in the air.
"I was worried! I saw you falling!"
"Swallow, there's any hostage in the building?"
"Uh? Ah, yeah! Top floor. A family. One person guarding" Robin whistled a 'sweet' and started to do first aid in his wound. Seeing him moving and fine calmed Wally down.
"I wasn't worried" he said smiling.
"How come?"
"I knew you would catch me. You know. If I'm going, you're going! You always catch me" he stood up trying the hurt leg. "So, next time, I'll catch you!"