Chapter 10

"I told you not to follow me." Batman said, breaking the silence that had permeated the Batcave. He sat in front of his computer screen with Robin next to him, the boy working anxiously on tightening his bandage.

"And I chose not to listen to you. I thought we'd handled that already." Robin did not look up from his work. The damage done to his would-be mentor's arm had been severe. Still, ever since they had returned to the cave, the man had showed him nothing but disdain. The whole situation was beginning to work Robin's nerves.

"You should have followed my orders-"

"And where would you be if I had?" He finally snapped. Robin couldn't believe he was being reprimanded for saving a man's life.

"You need to learn discipline. You acted recklessly and you could have gotten yourself or both of us killed. What good would that have done?" Bruce wanted to rub his temples. He couldn't help but feel as if he were talking to a three year old. How could a boy he supposedly trained be so dense?

"I saved your life. A thank you would be nice." Dick tied the last bandage extra tight and silently prayed it would bruise. "I'll just head upstairs now. I'll be sure to refrain from misbehaving." The Boy Wonder stood and dusted himself off. "Goodnight Br-Batman." He may have looked like Bruce, may haven even sounded like him. Nevertheless, Dick knew that wasn't his father. He brushed past Alfred on his way out, nearly knocking the tea tray out of his hands.

"Gone to bed early, Master Richard? I hadn't thought you were the type." The older man asked gently. He had noticed the boy's sudden depression after his return to the manor.

"I don't live here, Alfred. You don't have to call me master." Was Dick's only response. Alfred could only stare at the boy's retreating form.

"I don't believe you're treating this very well, Master Bruce. He is just a child after all and must be treated delicately." He said.

"I'm doing what needs to be done. He'll stay here as long as needed and then he'll be on his way. He can go back to Clark if he's so unhappy." Bruce replied.

"And if he must stay?" Alfred posed the question Bruce had been dreading.

"That won't happen." Bruce replied curtly.

"You're so sure?" Alfred sat the tea tray down and began to prepare a cup. "There is always a chance that he may be trapped in this dimension."

"Yes. If it really is another version of me looking for this boy, then he'll get home soon. I wouldn't let him be held here." He explained.

"He, like you, is only a man. The forces of time and space are seemingly incomprehensible-"

"But someone managed to get them here. It's possible and that's all I need to know."

YJ

"So you saved his butt and he's still being distant?" Wally was sitting upstairs in the guest room of Barry and Iris's home. Since he's been back in Central City, he found himself being more reclusive than ever, seldom venturing out of the room. When Barry had first showed him the room, he'd shuddered. Back in his world, they'd converted the guest room to his bedroom. It was hauntingly empty with blank walls and a distinct lack of personality. He hated it. So far, his only solace had been the webcam system Robin had setup for them. It was the only real way they could talk.

"Yeah." Dick's voice coming through his com-link had effectively yanked him from his train of thought. "I don't know what I can do. I just want to home. I never knew how much I could miss Batman. I never knew this could happen." Dick admitted. Wally's fist clenched, yeah, he could definitely relate.

"You're telling me. I don't think I've ever been this quiet in my life. Normally my uncle's just as fun as I am but...it's like he's trying to pretend I'm not here. I feel like a little kid again." Wally tugged at his red hair. "If he doesn't like me, I wish he'd just come out and say it, not tiptoe around me."

"At least Iris is somewhat welcoming." Dick said sympathetically trying to see the positive side.

"It's not genuine. It's just in her nature to be nice to everyone. She doesn't see me as her brother's son, just some kid the League dumped on her. It's a courtesy."

"You don't know that, Wally."

"That's the sad part. I know Iris like the back of my hand. I've lived with her for years. I can tell when she really likes someone or when she's just being friendly." Wally leaned back away from the camera. Was his real aunt thinking about him? Or was she pretending he didn't exist either? Was she happy to finally be free of the burden of his presence? Was his uncle rejoicing as well?

'No, stop thinking like that.' he chastised himself.

"Wally? Are you still there? You zoned out on me again."

"Yeah Rob, I'm here." Wally replied. "Listen man, I'm really tired right now. I'm gonna head to bed." He really was exhausted.

"Okay. I'll let you sleep." Robin shrugged on his end. If Wally didn't want to talk, he wasn't going to push.

Wally laid back on his bed and squeezed his eyes shut. He tried to imagine himself back in his own bed in his own room with his own family. It was surprisingly easy to dream.

"Wally?" Iris was puzzled by her new tenant. He stayed in his room all hours of the night. She would leave his food out at night and then find it was gone in the morning.

Wally's eyes slowly opened. He'd been dozing lightly when he heard the woman at his door.

"Aun-Miss Iris? Is there something wrong?" he asked drowsily.

"No. I was just wondering if I could come in. You've been so distant since you've been here. You've barely said two words. Are you feeling okay?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just miss my family is all."

"Why don't you come outside and talk to me? I don't like the idea of you being sad in there all by yourself. You're a guest, not a prisoner. You shouldn't be treated like one." Iris opened the door. "And in this house, we eat dinner as a family. Come on down stairs."

Wally turned away from her and forced himself to smile. 'Smile Wally, nothing's wrong remember. Just pretend she's the real Iris. Just pretend.'

"Wally?"

"Yeah! Sorry, I zoned out! I'm always doing that. That's probably why I keep forgetting to eat. I'm not hiding from you." he said cheerily. It sounded fake even to his own ears.

"Wally-"

"I'm fine. Really. Let's go eat." Iris looked unconvinced but led him downstairs anyway.

"Hey Barry, look who finally decided to join us." She sat Wally down across from the older man.

"Oh yeah. That's nice." Barry looked everywhere in the room but at Wally. "Glad you came down kid." He said blandly.

"Okay, I don't know what's going on between the two of you but you need to work this out." Iris stood at the edge of the table. "Barry, you are going to fix this."

"Wha-"

"I mean it. Right now. I'll step out and you can do what men do." She just wanted them to get along.

The room stayed silent for a long time after Iris left.

"I'm sorry I made your wife upset. If you want me to leave-"

"Please, that'd just make this even worse." Barry sighed.

"I don't know how, you'd certainly be happier wouldn't you? You hate me." Wally stared into his plate of food. He wasn't hungry anymore.

"I don't hate you. I just-"

"You just what?"

"I just hate this situation. You came out of nowhere, okay? Nowhere. I've never really had to deal with kids before and I've certainly never needed a sidekick."

"Partner. I'm your parter and in my world, it was your idea that we should team up. You did it to keep me out of trouble." Wally had thought his uncle was babying him at first but now...now he missed the comfort of knowing that the man cared.

"Well I'm not doing a very good job am I? Protecting you that is." Barry sighed deeply and rubbed his face. "Forgive me if I can't exactly handle a kid claiming to be my nephew suddenly appearing out of thin air. You kind of pissed me off when you shot out my knees kid."

"It was Robin's idea. Not mine."

"Of course, Batman's kid. Figures he would know how to neutralize us all. Taught by the best." Barry felt as if he'd aged ten or twenty years in a few short days. He was used to being carefree and suddenly having someone else who seemed to depend on him, it wasn't the best feeling. "I haven't handled this very well, have I?"

"Well it's your home isn't it?" Wally said sarcastically.

"From the sound of it, this is your home too. I haven't been very welcoming." In truth, Barry had already received a rather unpleasent message from Clark telling him to get his head out of his ass. Now Iris was basically telling him the same thing.

"I really don't mind. You stay in your space and I stay out of the way, right? I'm used to it." Wally stood up sharply. "I'm not hungry." He said.

"Wally-"

"It's fine. I have to go talk to Robin anyway. See ya." Wally turned and raced up the stairs without looking back.

"Great Barry, you really handled that one." Barry put his head in his hands.

"You're right, it could have been better." Iris placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "He's a kid, Barry. You'll just have to try harder. From what you've told me, it feels like he'll be here for a while. I'd hate for both of you to be so uncomfortable."

"A little too late for that don't you think? It might be best to send him-"

"No! We are invested in this now. We can't just give up. How do you think that'll make him feel?"

"Stop, you're making me feel guilty."

"Goood, that's what I wanted. Go fix it."

"Iris..."

"You can do this Barry. Remember when we were talking about kids? Well this is great practice for those moody teenage years." Iris rubbed his hand lightly. "It'll all work for the better."

Barry silent prayed she was right.

YJ

"You should be back in bed."

"You know Artemis, you keep acting like that and I'll actually start to believe you care." Roy said snarkily. He had gotten bored in the medical ward. "Where'd they put my bow? If I'm forced to stay here, I'm going to stay in shape. Last thing I need is the Ollie from back home thinking I can't handle myself again."

"You're still injured stupid. Canary said-"

"Newsflash, that isn't Canary. At least, she isn't our Canary. Dinah would trust my judgment. She always has." Roy shrugged and continued searching through the hallways of Oliver Queen's mansion. It really was starting to creep him out how everything was so identical to the home he had grown up in.

"Okay, but I'm not helping you if you suddenly pass out." Artemis wanted to strangle him. 'He's your only ally remember? Right now, like it or not, he's your only friend.' Artemis scoffed at the word friend. Then again, he was apparently close to her sister. Maybe they could try to find a common ground.

"Stop it, you're giving me a headache. If you want to say something, just say it." Roy snapped. He didn't like being stared at. The girl had been boring holes into the back of his head for nearly five minutes. "Well?"

"There's nothing to say. I was just thinking about home."

"You're not a very good liar." Roy chided softly.

"Fine. I don't understand why Wally and Robin seem to care so much about you. You're rude, self-absorbed, and you have no respect for other. You're a jerk." It poured out of her mouth like vomit before she could do anything to stop it. Roy stayed quiet for a few moments and Artemis cringed at the thought of what he might say.

"Do you remember what I told you after your first mission withe team?" Roy asked as he watched her squirm.

"Something along the lines of 'if you hurt my frinds I'll make you pay.'?" Artemis remembered the warning but for the most part had not taken it seriously.

"Wally, Robin, and I were the first. We know this business better than anyone and we look after each other. We're like brothers. Don't get me wrong, I care for the others but, I those two mean the world to me. We take care of each other, always have." Roy explained. He didn't know why he had to justify himself to her he somehow knew it was necessary.

Roy remembered the first time he'd met Robin and Wally. He'd been a kid, they all had. It wasn't like he was going to lie about that.

"So you're like your own little family within the family." Artemis said decisively.

"Yeah. I guess you can put it that way. That's the reason I may have suggested to Barry to go check on Wally at home."

"You let him know that Wally's dad was hurting him."

"Not directly of course. Then Wally would have punched me in the face for meddling. Still, it had to be done. I couldn't just let him stay there." Roy shrugged. "Wow, this place really is identical. Ollie even keeps his weapons in the same place." Roy snagged his bow from the wall.

"Roy-"

"You know I'm just going to ignore you right?" he searched the room for a quiver. "I'm going to go practice. Never know when a fight's gonna start. You don't want to get out of shape."

Artemis didn't know whether the smack the annoying bastard or to just go along with it. In the end, all she could do was sigh and pick up her bow.

YJ

I know you guys were missing Wally and frankly so was I. I know this update is early but I have the ACT this weekend so I'll be borderline catatonic. Thought I'd get this out of the way. Last time I got a 33. Shooting for a 36. Wish me luck. Hope you enjoy the chapter.