A/N I feel absolutely terrible for not updating in over a month; there really isn't an excuse. But, here's the new chapter, and it's longer than normal. ^^

~Aiva


Dick knew he was probably exhausted, and he would probably regret this later on, but he just couldn't fall asleep. His mind was still buzzing with energy, his body anxious to get up and face the day…even if it was only three hours into said day. At least he had gotten a few hours of sleep in before Artemis had called; he would be needing that later.

For now though, he couldn't imagine ever sleeping again. He felt twitchy and impatient, his very comfortable bed suddenly not very comfortable anymore. It was all he could do to stay lying down, trying to force his cerulean eyes closed.

Finally, he just couldn't take it anymore.

Dick all but threw off his covers, glad to be free of their restrictive depths. He sat up quickly, reaching over to grab his Wayne Tech laptop, a birthday gift from Bruce. It was the latest model, and Dick had taken the liberty of adding his own improvements as well (he had even gone as far as to name the thing Jarvis, because the name seemed to fit and he had grown rather fond of the computer…not that he would ever admit that out loud). If he couldn't sleep, he was at least going to get something productive done.

He started out going through mission reports and cataloguing them, but somehow transitioned to pulling up the old reports, things logged from five to six years back, when they were just starting out as a Team. It was almost painful to read at times, especially when Dick stumbled across one that Wally had written. All of the words sounded like they were coming directly from his best friend's mouth, and it drove a sharp edge of grief into Dick's heart, reminding him that Wally wasn't there to laugh with him over all of their antics.

But hopefully, he'd be coming back soon. Dick refused to believe he wasn't.

Soon the former Boy Wonder was smiling, even letting out a quiet chuckle every now and then as he allowed the good memories to sweep over him. He transitioned to reading nothing but Wally's old reports, grateful for the feeling he gave them, the feeling that his best friend was much closer than he appeared at the moment.

Hopefully, with Zatanna's help, he'd soon be here reading these right along with Dick. Dick was tempted to laugh as he imagined Wally's face when the speedster realized it was magic that had brought him back. And if Zee's spells didn't work, Dick would find another way, because he wasn't going to give up, not ever.

Dick read early into the morning before unearthing a whole series of mission reports that Batman had all but forced the two speedsters to fill out. Dick could still remember their almost identical sulking expressions as they reluctantly typed everything out; he probably had a picture somewhere, because it still amused him how similar those two were, how well they worked together. They were so much more than just uncle and nephew, mentor and protégé.

The exploits of the two Central City heroes brought Dick closer to laughing, actually laughing, in what felt like forever. The situations they got themselves into were usually nothing short of hilarious, especially with the way Wally described things. He tried to stick to just reading things his best friend had written; no offense to Barry, but Wally was much funnier most of the time.

But he still somehow found himself clicking on a really old report, from before the invasion, before even Young Justice. The Justice League sounded like it hadn't been together for very long, maybe a few months at most. It was almost weird to think of them just starting out; it seemed like they had been around for forever. It was Barry Allen's, who probably hadn't been Flash that long either, now that Dick thought about it. Considering the man was nearly a father now, it was definitely a foreign concept.

Dick started skimming through the report, pausing to actually read all of the words near the end.

"…I've never gone that fast before. I don't think I can ever go that fast again, because the more I pushed my limits, the more I felt this…force. It was calling me, wanting me to go faster, and it took everything I had not to do it, because once I did, I knew I wasn't coming back."

A 'force'…now how did that sound familiar? It sounded so painfully similar to what Wally was describing that it was impossible to dismiss as mere coincidence. There was no such thing in the world of superheroes.

Dick sat back, staring at the words on the glowing screen pensively, deep in thought. This force sounded like it was related to how fast Barry had run, growing stronger the more speed he had. How did that relate to Wally though?

"Think, Grayson…" he muttered to himself. There was a pattern, he knew there was! He just had to find it.

Okay…Wally had never been as fast as Barry, going a few miles per hour shy of the speed of sound. Barry could break the sound barrier without breaking a sweat. Wally was really pushing it when trying to shut down the MFD, running as fast as possible to drain the maximum amount of energy. That was the key. He was already going fast, pushing against his limits, and then pure energy from the device coursed through his body. Maybe it was that energy that had pushed Wally over the edge, so to speak, pushed him to go so fast that he entered this 'force'.

It actually made sense when Dick thought about it, and the vigilante grinned, feeling like he just made some headway. He was one step closer to figuring out what happened to Wally, at least, and the fact that it was just speed that made him enter this force was very promising. It meant there was a way out of this…this Speed Force.

Maybe all Wally had to do was slow down.


Dick was grateful that Bruce was rich enough to pay for an insulated Nightwing costume, because Dick himself never would've been able to afford it on a cop's salary, and he really needed the warmth while in the Arctic. It was nothing but white snow all around, the lack of color almost depressing. Frigid wind bit at his skin even through the costume, and he was glad he had brought a thick black jacket to wear over his uniform. At least it wasn't snowing, though the cloudy sky overhead certainly didn't bode well.

It was then Zatanna appeared, faded murmurs of backwards incantations echoing behind her, fading into the snow. She was a little bit late, but at least she was finally here; Dick was beginning to lose feeling in his legs, since he was only standing around and waiting for her. He greeted the magician with a grin though, anticipation and apprehension waging a war inside of him. He really hoped she would be able to find something, because he really needed Wally back. They all did.

"Hey, Zee," he greeted warmly, though his fidgeting hands portrayed his tension.

"Hi, 'Wing," she responded with a smile. Just because they weren't together anymore didn't mean that they didn't have a friendship; it was quite the opposite, in fact. She raised an eyebrow at him and shivered, wrapping her arms around here. "Want to explain exactly why I'm here?"

Dick had been hoping to keep this private, just between him and Artemis, but he supposed that he kind of had to tell Zatanna too. At least he could trust her to keep it a secret. He met her gaze and took a deep breath before launching into the entire story.

"A few days ago I went to Wally's grave," he started, leaving out the part where he actually pretended to speak to the speedster. There were some things Dick just didn't want to share. "That night, I had this dream…well, dream isn't really the right word. The point is, Wally was there and he spoke to me."

Dick could see her skeptical expression, the disbelief and concern etched on to the magician's face. He couldn't blame Zatanna; he would probably think he was crazy too. But she had to believe him, for Wally's sake.

"He doesn't remember much, he barely remembered me, but he talked about this paradise he's in. I've been calling it the Speed Force. I asked him to give me a sign in real life, because I wanted proof that I wasn't just imagining it all. It didn't happen at first, but eventually I went back to his grave and found a lightning bolt etched into the dirt. I took a picture and showed it to Artemis, just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating it. She could see it too, Zee," he said, looking up at her with an earnest, hopeful expression. "It was from Wally.

"I took her to his grave too, to kind of introduce her, since he isn't remembering much. Last night, Artemis gave me a call, saying that Wally had spoken to her, too. That's when I texted you, asking you to come. But I continued researching, and found an old mission report that Flash had written. He mentioned this force that sounded incredibly similar to what Wally described, and said the faster he went, the stronger the force became.

"I developed this theory," Dick continued. "I think that when Wally was running around the MFD to try and stop it, the excess energy that hit his body was enough that he was pulled into this Speed Force, and that's why he disappeared. He's stuck there, and can't get out. I need you to see if you can sense it in the area where he ceased, and I need you to try to establish contact with him."

Zatanna, for a few seconds, couldn't find words to respond. Exactly how is one supposed to react when they find out their deceased friend is not actually dead, merely trapped in another dimension? It was a lot to take in, even for a magical member of the Justice League, who saw crazy stuff on a daily basis. Finally, she found the words to reply. "What are we waiting around here for then?" she asked rhetorically, with a smile tugging at her lips. "Let's get Wally back."

She allowed Dick to take the lead, guiding her to the exact spot. It wasn't hard to find; snow hadn't completely filled in the trench yet, the trench that all three speedsters had made while running at top speed through the ice. She closed her eyes and reached out her hands, reaching out with her mind as she murmured spells and incantations, the words blurring together in her mind, weaving magic through the air.

Dick watched anxiously, staring at her with intense blue eyes hidden behind a domino mask. For every second that passed by, his impatience grew until he was almost tempted to ask if she was almost done. The knowledge that it would just break her concentration was the only thing that kept him from doing it, but his foot tapped the icy ground apprehensively as he waited.

Zatanna's outline started to glow, rising a few feet off the ground and hovering gently there. Even Dick could feel the energy crackling through the air, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. It took a full two minutes and seventeen seconds (Dick made sure to count exactly) for her to slow in her spells, the words finally cutting off as she crumpled into a little heap in the snow below.

Dick was at her side in an instant, reaching out to help her up and check if she was alright. Such a spell was probably a huge drain on her energy. She blinked up at him with slightly dazed eyes before shaking it off, pulling away from him to stand on her own two feet.

"There's definitely an otherworldly force at play here," she confirmed. "I tried to get in contact with Wally, but it resisted, pushing me away. There wasn't much I could do."

Dick was happy that his suspicions had been confirmed, but a bit disappointed that he wouldn't be able to talk to Wally. He definitely had some important information to share. Sensing this, Zatanna continued.

"If M'gann is willing, I might be able to reroute the spell to include her psychic abilities. With her help, it's possible that we might be able to speak to him."

Dick grinned at her. "I'll make the call," he responded, suddenly much more cheerful than before. He paused before dialing, phone already halfway to his ear, sincerity shining in his gaze. "Thanks, Zee," he said, the statement clearly heartfelt. As she said goodbye and disappeared, he turned his full attention to the phone, pleased when M'gann answered on the fourth ring.

"Hello?"

"M'gann, it's Dick. I need a favor."


A/N Things are really starting to come together; now we're getting to the good stuff. ;)

Reviews are greatly appreciated!