Family

Chapter 02

Wally woke up with the sun in his face. Now he knew something was really off. Sun? Rising slowly to go close the drapes he realized it wasn't the sun, Dick was at the doorway talking in a low voice with Tim, they both seemed really concerned about something. They shushed as they saw him awake. Tim whispered something in some weird language he never heard before and they continued to speak mixing up some languages.

"Acredito que sim, ele voltou" that was Portuguese, he knew that.

Dick asked something in Japanese. Then Tim went French. And Wally was lost again. He waited for Dick to end his talking. He managed to get some words again in Portuguese and some in Vietnamese, a tiny bit in Spanish and they were done.

"Who's back?" asked as soon Tim left.

"What?"

"Who's back? I heard Tim say someone was back. Who is?"

"Since when do you speak Portuguese?" he sat by his side.

"Freshman year at high school, I took some classes after you were showing off you knew how to speak. I'm not good, but I got some of what Tim said. And he said someone is back. Who's back?"

"How come did you never tell me?"

"Stop changing subjects! Just tell me, babe. Who's back?" Dick blushed a little then sighed.

"Can we just talk about this when we really have some evidence? I don't wanna tell you things and in the end it was nothing."

"Is my uncle? He's back already?" he ignored what Dick just said.

"It's not your uncle. Please, give me some time" he asked, closing their distance, kissing him gently.

Wally tried to resist, but he surrendered letting his boyfriend just push him down. He licked his lips and slipped a hand under his shirt. If anyone had asked him a few weeks ago if he ever felt attracted to a man he would say 'nope!', maybe not nope, but definitely not in a sexual way. But Dick changed that. Damn, he looked like a virgin teenager who had sex for the first time. He was horny and needed. A small kiss and boom! There he was... All up and pointing.

"Fuck, why are you so good?"

"Because it's you" he whispered over his breath.

"What?" whispered back, inhaling his scent, caressing his skin.

"You make me more inspired" he lowered his hips and ground them together. Wally moaned.

"Babe, you will drive me crazy" scrapped a little of his skin, leading his other hand to his hair and pulling him down for another kiss.

He started to vibrate a little bit, only enough to make Dick panting. Raised a knee to make more contact, pinched a nipple and bit his earlobe. Grayson answered, biting his shoulder, licking his neck, one hand on his hair, tilting his head and another on his shirt nearly ripping, so hard he pulled away. Wallace moved his hand to his chin and brought him to another kiss. Fuck, Wallace loved his taste.

"Is it true, Grayson?" they jumped apart faster than any eye could catch. Wally was almost inside the bathroom for all that matters.

"What are you doing here, Damian?" Dick asked trying to compose.

"I overheard you and Tim talking" the boy entered the room, he was threatening.

"It's a bad thing eavesdrop people talking" Wally scolded him.

"I didn't eavesdrop, I was in my room and overheard them talking. Is it true? Father is back?"

"We don't know, Little D" the older Robin walked to him and hugged him. "It's just a bunch of clues that still make no sense. We'll be investigating" Wally ran to them.

"Can I help?" Damian asked.

"Can we help?" Wally corrected him. "Is that why you didn't want me to know? Because of Damian?"

"Yes, I didn't want to give both of you hope I couldn't assure. I can't promise it is really him or if this mean your uncle will be back. This was supposed to be only between Tim and me, but since you both know I can let you help. But please. Don't talk to Jason. He is in the worst shape of us all, if he knew there's a slight chance of Bruce be alive- I don't want to think these possibilities" he tightened the hug and kissed Damian in his forehead.

Then Dick started to cry. Shaking a little. It was his father as well. Wally put both of the boys on his lap and tried to comfort them. The littlest Wayne was refusing to cry and was muttering murderous comments to try to stop Dick's cry. Wally rubbed his back.

"You can cry too. I'll be strong for both of you this night" said.

"I don't need to cry. I'm not a baby!"

"Neither is Dick, but even he is crying. I know you're confused and happy and scared. Just cry already" he smiled to him as the tears started to flow. "There there. See, wasn't that hard, was it?"

"Shut up, Fake Flash!"

"Love you too, spawn of demon."

Dick was the first to fall asleep. Wally moved him to the bed and dragged Damian along. The boy was too stubborn to fall asleep, but all the crying and emotional distress made him too tired and soon enough he was sleeping. That left Wally between his two boys to think about what Bruce's coming back would mean to him.

First was about Damian. The boy would have his father back. Wally felt bad for rooting for this to be a false alarm. He loved being the kid's father. He wanted all of their time. Both of them. And he knew Bruce's back would snatch them away. Second was about Dick. He was on the verge of taking the cowl. Well, unless 'you would be really hot in Batman's cowl' sex counted as taking the cowl, so yeah, Wally managed to do that task. Bruce returning now would make that pointless (not the sex, but the effort. For Wally that night was a lot of things, but pointless).

But Wally also missed the man, and everything was in chaos without him. The JLA meetings never reached a common point and they were passing through a crisis there. Nightwing wasn't enough to put them in their places and Superman lacked the state of mind to do that. They needed their shadow, their underground leader, their Batman.

He didn't want to think about Gotham. Cassandra was nowhere to be found, or at least no one who knew about her was willing to talk. Corpses were gathering at Jason's trail. And Joker was oddly quiet for this whole thing. Chaos couldn't describe what was happening there. It was full fledged hell. Tim, Dick and Damian weren't being able to take care, and this was about only the heroes who went berserk. Batwoman was gathering the Batgirls remaining to descend over the criminals with the last resort. They were on the verge of killing, and Barbara was backing them. And those were things Wally could deduce from the news. Dick was letting him in the dark.

Wallace wasn't fool enough to be deluded that everything was fine because of their family roleplay, no matter how much he treasured those times. But if helping them to make everything right again would mean sacrifice that. Wally couldn't tell what he wanted to do.

Of course he would help the boys, was how much motivated to do so that was what he was considering. Does he really want to Bruce to come back? To lose the small bond he created with Damian. And how would that affect his relationship with Dick? Would the man be thrilled about his first son dating another guy? Or was his place as The Flash threatened?

Next day, Tim was explaining to both of them what he found. Two times the trackers in Batman's suit were activated for a very brief moment at very far locations of this world. Some of his bank accounts had very small movements, very small amount of money it could easily pass by. The trail of this small things was huge. Internet logs. Unknown Watchtower searching. Ordinary thugs being beatdown ("That can easily be Cass"). But not a single sighting of the Bat was reported.

They contacted Superman.

"Sorry, kids. I know how much this means to you" he looked towards Dick and gave him a comforting smile. "But I didn't hear his heartbeat anywhere. He was my best friend and I want him back too. But I guess this is hopeless."

"Fuck, Clark. It's Bruce! He can change his heartbeats if he wants!" Dick hit the tabletop, throwing some of the papers away. "Listen harder!" whispered.

"I don't think..."

"KENT! I'm very good telling when I'm lied to. And you don't want to know where I'm different than him. So, start listening!"

"Dick, stop!" Wally held him down. "S-man, please. Just help us, okay? One more try?"

"Wally, kid, hear me out. I've been searching for him. Day and night. When we held the funerals, it was because even I couldn't find him. Them! None of them! Nor Bruce neither Barry!"

"I'm not asking for Uncle B. I know he will be back any moment. He's probably at Speedforce. I'm giving him some time. But Bruce is not a speedster. He can't just run back" Clark looked at him through the screen like he grew a new head.

"Kid- Wallace. Barry's dead. I saw it happen. Even Iris accepted that. You also need to" he said bluntly. He was really worried.

"No, he's at Speedforce. Just like I was" he snorted.

"I saw him die, I heard his heart stop before he disappeared in the blast. I was searching for the bodies. Both of the corpses. I'm sorry. But they are dead" a vibrating fist reached his face breaking the screen.

Superman showed up in another screen.

"SHUT UP!" he vibrated through the table to get to the other screen. The Robins stepped away. "UNCLE ISN'T DEAD! HE CAN'T BE! HE'S FASTER THAN DEATH!"

"Wallac-" he broke another screen. Vibrating so strong that some lightnings were emanating from his body,

"KF stop!" Dick held his hand. The sound of Dick's arm twisting was loud. "STOP!"

Wallace froze. He fell down on his knees crying and screaming. Clark looked scared from a third monitor to Grayson and then to the other kids.

"Hang up. You done enough damage here" Damian said dangerously. "We can fix this and we won't need your help!"

Wally was feeling guilty, bandaging Dick's arm. It wasn't broken at least. Damian and Tim were annoyed in some dark corner of the cave. Grayson was sobbing silently. His last hope was getting help from Superman, now he hadn't that, but instead an almost broken arm. Wally caressed his face.

"I'm sorry, babe. Next time, don't touch me while I'm vibrating that violently, please. I won't survive if I hurt you again" whispered to him.

"If you need, I'll do it again" replied darkly. "I don't know what to do, now. I'm a detective, once I solved a riddle from the Riddler before Bruce did. But now my mind is blank!" hugged him.

"It's because you care too much. Let's calm down a little, okay? Enjoy that Tim and Damian are talking without killing intents. Isn't that cute? Our two cute little boys?"

Dick laughed. It was the same bittersweet laugh from Bruce's funeral. Tim came closer with Damian, asking if everything was fine. Damian automatically inserted himself in Wally's arms, seeking a comfortable embrace.

"Drake said we could turn to Superboy, if we want" stated.

"Conner could be helpful" Wally agreed.

"Kon is sweet and reliable. But he has his limitations. He isn't a full Kryptonian, and we're talking about Bruce hiding" the older Robin sighed. "I didn't want to, but maybe we could call Kara. She is a full Kryptonian, even if she is… a little..."

"Too bright? The girl sparkles in happiness!" Wally completed. "I think she could do only good for Damian, though. He sure needs some sparkles in his 'league of shadow'ism" Wally smiled and squeezed the complaining boy.

"She is too young for this. If she messes up..."

"Aren't we too young too?" Tim asked.

"No way, mister Casanova. I won't be calling a girl so you can hit on her and make me lose my bet. Better behave!" Wally complained.

"But I didn't say anything. I'm just..."

"Nah-ah! Nope! No Kara for you!" pressed Damian's cheeks making a fish face. "Say to him, Little D: No Kara for you!'" the boy hit his hand and left his embrace.

"Stop, Fake Flash! But seriously. This girl can do something? Yes, we are young, Drake. But some of us, unlike you," pointed directly to Tim's chest. "were well trained and know things!"

"I was trained by your father" Tim answered with superiority.

"Fuck you, Drake!" and Wally really needed to hold him down.

"STOP! Fuck! This isn't some play. Please! It's my dad! I had been his son more than I was John's! I was his partner! I owe him a serious planning! AND YOU ALL YELLING AND MAKING A FUSS ISN'T HELPING. SO, PLEASE, SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Dick yelled, crying right after. Wally pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… sorry" he was squeezed in his arms until his sobs decreased and vanished. He was dozing off soon enough.

"We'll talk, seriously, about bringing Kara or Kon into this later. Dick is hurt and stressed. Damian, please, help me taking him to his room" Damian walked in front of Wally, who carried Dick princess style.

"I'll search for him" said when the man opened his eyes.

"What?" Dick asked drowsily.

"Bruce. I'll run, searching for him. If I get enough supply I can scan the whole world in two days or less. I'll just need to prepare a little bit. But I was near the speed of light last time I rushed" said caressing his hands.

"I won't demand this from you. Are you insane?" he sat, rubbing the sleep off his eyes.

"It's just a matter of planning. I can do it. I can find your father and bring him back. Let me do this for you, babe" kissed him.

"No! It's insane. Run all the world? No!" hugged him. "I can't lose you again!"

"I can ask Bart and we can split hemispheres! I can search inside the Speedforce as well" continued rambling.

"NO!" he said with a deep tone. "No, you won't! I won't allow it!" he gripped his arm with his good hand. "Enough with this nonsense!" stood up and started to change clothes. "I hope I won't be listening to more of this. So, I'll be in the cave searching a lead. When you come to your senses come see me" and left.

Wally watched the man leave. He asked himself how could he think he wasn't worth to step into Batman's cowl. But his plan was neat, even if Dick said otherwise. He would gather enough food and would run, if Batman was somewhere in this world he could find him, they didn't need any stranger in his family. He was the Flash, if he couldn't be able to protect them, to do this, he wasn't good enough for his cowl. He wasn't good enough for this family.