Title: From Lightning to Fire
Chapter: A Strange New Rift
Pairing: Birdflash (WallyxDick)
Rating: E for everyone…at the moment…
Words: 1980
A/N: So, the two years that's been missing for Wally will be done in flashbacks at the start of the chapter. I've toyed with where he was at before starting this- alternate universe, yay! (If you hadn't figured that out, I'm sorry!) Anyways, I went back a forth between a few ideas. One where the heroes were villains and vice versa (like crisis on two earths), one where everyone's gender's were flopped (that was really tempting) and finally (the one I went with) is the heroverse my sister and I created. So there will be some OC's and I apologize if that's not your thing, though they don't play that big of a role- for the most part.
And thank you for the reviews/views and everything. I'm gonna go hide now.
"I have an unconscious man on my bed. My dad's gonna freak. No, I can't just drop him off at the hospital. What do you think the hospital is gonna do with a guy in costume with no ID?"
Someone was arguing with another person. Possibly on the phone since he couldn't hear the other end of the conversation. Otherwise he was really out of it.
"Of course he has no ID. Yes, I checked. There's only so many places ID can be in a skin tight outfit! What do you mean pervert?! Don't you dare hang up on me or I swear I'll-"
But there was something wrong about this. He wasn't suppose to be somewhere warm. That voice wasn't familiar. And there was definitely a feeling that there was something urgent he had to do.
"He hung up on me. When I get a hold of him, the things I'll do to that boy would make people's heads spin. Evil things. Things a young girl like me should never even consider. I'll shear him. Yep, that's what I'll do. Right in front of everyone too."
Wally pressed his eyes together as pieces of memories assaulted him like a bad hangover. Running with Barry and Bart to save the world from the chrysalis mfd. Beating the light and reach at their secret rendezvous- destroying their alliance. Yelling at Nightwing, blaming him for everything going wrong. For sending Artemis behind enemy lines. Never really apologized to him for being such a...Grayson.
"Nightwing!'' Whoa, that was weird. Why did he just call out for Dick? Artemis should've been the first name. Or his mom, or dad, or Barry. Heck, even Bart might have been higher on the chain than Dick.
His body felt like lead, the muscles in his legs twitched from overuse. Wally tried to push himself up but was forced back down by a gloved hand. Hovering over him was a girl who looked down at him like a mother bird watching worriedly over her chicklings. Behind her pink goggles, he saw her expression change from one of concern to that of disbelief and amusement.
"Nightwing? That's the first thing you decide to say upon waking up? Not 'Where am I? Who are you? Why am I not freezing my totally hot buns off?' Because they are. Totally hot that is. Not that I'm trying to sexual harass you. Just admiring and stating the facts. Is there some code for heroes that states we can't sexually harass the people we save? I'd think there would be. Someone really needs to hold a hero seminar so we can all learn these rules. Or write a book. I would totally buy that book." Wally found it kind of hard to keep up with the girl's speech, like when Barry and Bart began talking. Her words seemed to ramble on, not like how a speedster does when they kick up the speeds on their mouth. It was more like once the floodgate opened, it wouldn't stop till all of it poured out. But he was positive that this was the voice he heard arguing minutes ago.
"What are you-" he started to ask as he tried to get up- only to be pushed back unto the bed by the teen.
"Whoa there, Red. Might want to take it easy. You've been out of it for several days now. Had me worried there for a bit. Actually, longer than a bit. And more than worried. Try freaked the hell out! But you're awake now and that's all that matters. Well...that's not really all that matters, but baby steps."
The girl was rambling again, twirling her maroon colored hair with her fingers. Her words were trailing on and on like her hair. It was getting increasingly difficult to focus, especially with a voice droning on, kinda like high school. He tried once more to get up but was pushed back down again. This was getting ridiculous.
"How many times do I have to tell you to take it easy, Red-"
"Stop calling me that."
"Seeing as how you haven't introduced yourself yet, I figured I had the artistic liberty to name you as I saw fit till you decided to grace me with the knowledge. If you ever do-"
"I'm Kid Flash," he answered, indicating his clothes- as if it wasn't already obvious who he was. Really, who couldn't recognize Kid Flash or at least the symbol of the Flash on his chest.
"Really? That's the name you're going with? Out of everything you could've picked, that's what you decided on. You could've thrown out anything and I would've been none the wiser- a little suspicious maybe but still-"
"What's wrong with Kid Flash? I'm the protegee to the Flash."
"Look I don't know what you and this Flasher character have going on but-"
"The Flash isn't some sort of pervert!"
"Cool your jets Flashlight," she sighed and folded her arms across her chest. She cast her glance up to the ceiling. "Is someone to trade witty repertoires with, that doesn't shed and smell like wet dog too much to ask for?" When there was no answer the teen shook her head lightly and looked back to Wally. "I think I'm gonna stick to calling you Red."
"You've...never heard of the Flash?"
"Nope. And hopefully I'm not being offensive but should I have?"
This was wrong. So very wrong. He pushed himself from the bed as fast as he could. There was something wrong there too. That fast wasn't very fast at all. There was no time to dwell on it as spikes of pain shot through his legs and they collapsed under him. It wasn't just twitching muscles but his legs actually twitching. He clenched his green eyes shut.
"Red? Red! Oh, why didn't you listen to me?!"
Dick stripped off his costume, throwing the pieces onto the bed- starting with the little bits. He threw his eskrima sticks onto the bed with a frustrated grunt. There one minute, gone the next. Even after an extensive search, he couldn't find any trace of the new hero. It was like he hadn't even been there. The only people he knew that could disappear like that were those trained by Batman and the Bat himself.
He was more than positive that whoever this brightly colored hero was, he wasn't one of them. How had he disappeared so quickly? Who was he? And why was he so strikingly familiar?
He began to remove his unitard when a wolf whistle behind him caught his attention. Whipping around, he was greeted by the sight of Batgirl leaning against his wall, legs crossed at her ankles and arms across her chest.
"I wasn't expecting a show. Not that I don't appreciate it, but you must be really out of it if you didn't notice me standing here."
"A lot on my mind. Do you mind?"
"Nothing I haven't seen before," she answered with a smirk but turned around anyway to give the once-boy-wonder time to change.
"What do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" He asked as he removed the rest of his costume.
"We were in the middle of a call, remember? About that new hero? You were suppose to call back." She waited a few seconds in silence. When Nightwing didn't answer, she prompted him. "So?"
"He fought of a group of thugs and disappeared so suddenly that Batman would've been impressed," he grunted as he pulled on an old t-shirt. It was black with white text reading: STAND BACK, I'M GOING TO TRY SCIENCE. With a small stick figure holding beakers in the air. It had been Wally's, not that anyone had noticed. One that the once fastest teen had forgotten at Dick's place from a sleepover. It seemed like a long time ago. Before Artemis went undercover. Before the invasion. Totally not creepy. He grabbed a pair of shorts, yanking them on.
"And you didn't find him?" He heard the emphasis she placed on you- disbelief that the great Dick Grayson couldn't locate the new hero. "I guess finding out more about him and extending an invitation to the team will have to wait. Speaking of the team-"
"How are Artemis and Kaldur?" He asked hoping to steer the conversation away from returning to the team.
"They're good. Everyone thinks they're a good couple and they recently had a double date with Conner and M'gann."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know but you already know the team forgives them for their deceit. The team's not mad at you either for it, you know. Not anymore at least."
And they were back on that again. "Can we just drop that? I'm not ready yet."
"It's been two years Dick, you should accept it. Everyone else has."
"Drop it, Babs."
"You can't keep doing this. He was your best friend. He wouldn't have wanted you to dwell like this." She was silent with her exit, but Dick knew when she had gone. With a sigh, he plopped down onto his bed, pushing his costume out of the way. He reached over, grabbing his computer from his nightstand. Instead of pulling up the footage from two years ago that he usually reviewed, Dick pulled up the data from the mini cam in his utility belt- downloading tonight's footage. The way it seemed like he expected to move faster than he did, his figure, those adorable freckles, and the all too familiar smile. It couldn't be.
Wally watched the city move about below him. Central City at twilight was beautiful in his opinion. He really shouldn't be here, there was a big chance he would run into someone he knew but he missed this place. At the thought of seeing someone he knew, he couldn't help remembering the night before. Seeing him. Fighting alongside him. If only he hadn't embarrassed himself and fought better.
He had wanted nothing more than to rush over to his best friend and crush him in a hug. To talk with him. But then that thug attacked and he had been pulled back. Ugh, why was life so unfair?
The earpiece made a small static noise and before he could even say a word her voice cut in. "So Red," the voice crackled through the earpiece. "What's it like there, exploring a new world?"
"It's hardly new to me," Wally huffed. He touched the small communication device in his ear in slight wonder. "Can't believe this is working. Where'd you get them from?"
"I can't believe they're working too. I bought a cheap pair at an army surplus store." He could hear the shrug in her voice.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"You know all my money goes into costume maintenance, or did you think money grew on trees?"
"These are so low tech though."
"You're such a," Static sounded through the earpiece, "-that, Red."
"You wanna repeat that?" He asked with a smirk, teasing.
"Yes, I would. You. Are. An. As-"
"Alright, alright. I get it." Wally groaned as he descended from the rooftop to the ground below, making use of the fire escapes and the closeness of the buildings. "Why people think you're sweet is beyond me."
"I haven't the foggiest of what you mean."
Wally's snort in response was lost when he landed upon the ground and a solid object slammed into him. The red head stumbled backwards a few steps and stared at what had run into him. It wasn't a something but a someone. His first cousin once removed to be exact.
"Whoa, sorry. So not crash. Usually fast enough to avoid things like this. You just kinda popped out of nowhere," the speedster rambled. "And I was busy thinking about- youdon'treallyneedtoknow."
"Bar- Im- Kid Flash."
