Disclaimer: I don't own Justice League Unlimited.

Priorities

Difficulties

Flash had no idea who was causing all the trouble in Central City. He had just checked at Iron Heights and at the Rogue's Bar. Everyone was where they should be, and didn't look like they were responsible. True, they could have been being secretive about it, but that wasn't really the Rogues' style. They liked for Central City to know who had robbed the rarest diamond from the museum or stolen a train while it was still moving.

So it wasn't them.

And the more dangerous Rogues were all imprisoned in Iron Heights and were going nowhere.

So Wally came to the conclusion that it was somebody from someone else's neck of the woods.

But he hadn't been in the mood to start calling his colleagues; they were pissing him of enough as it was. Diana's attitude towards Shayera, while fair enough, was starting to grate on him, as was the fact that others, like Superman, were letting her get away with it.

And of course, every time Wally would say something in Shayera's defence, it was just him being stupid or naïve. Because he wasn't a superhero before he met the League at all. It wasn't as though he had travelled the world solo as Kid Flash before joining the Teen Titans, not to mention eventually looking after not one, but two cities at the same time.

He was just young, mischievous Flash, with his oh-so-silly opinions.

The sound of a sudden explosion rang through the air, and Wally raced to the source, heading towards the smoke that was now billowing into the night air.

Robbing a bank. How unoriginal.

Flash came to a halt outside the entrance of the building, not so patiently waiting for the culprits to come out. Slowly but steadily, three figures emerged, though none of them was carrying any money. One was of medium build, another almost unhealthily skinny, and another built like Cyborg.

As the smoke cleared, Wally could make out three of the five members of Joker's Royal Flush Gang. Batman had told them of Ace's departure, and the other member missing was…

"Well, well," King sneered, twirling his staff between his fingers.

Ten smirked. "Look what we got here."

"Wondered how long it'd take one of you to catch up to us," Jack said, his hands on his hips in a manner mirroring Wally's. "Just didn't think it'd take you this long. What were you doin'? Cryin' about Hawkgirl?"

Wally bit back his instinctive and rather angry response and decided to take a tack from Batman; staying quiet.

Ten cricked his massive neck. "Personally, I would've preferred the boy scout or the big, bad bat. But since they're not here, I guess you'll do. See, Batman did one hell of a number on the J man and your other buddies left Queen to die. And if we can't take it out on the guys who actually did it…"

"We'll just take it out on the League's little mascot," King finished, smirking. "Let's dance."

Flash assumed a running position. "Nothing I like more."

King fired a laser blast that Wally barely dodged, burning through his costume and singeing his shoulder. He charged forward and leapt over Ten's swinging fist. He put his hands on the hulking villain's shoulders and swung his leg around, slamming his boot into King's chin and knocking him onto his back.

Wally landed, and felt a rubbery arm wrap around his waist before it tossed him down the street. The arm disengaged, and Wally was about to move again when he saw a car coming down on his head.

It landed with a crash, and Ten whooped at his good aim. King, rubbing his sore jaw, aimed a hand at the fuel line and fired, making the car explode in a brilliant combination of greys and yellows.

Ten pumped his fist in the air. "Yeah! Got him!" He laughed and gave Jack a high five. "Roast road kill, anyone?"

"Sorry! Not on the menu today."

The trio turned and saw a red blur rushing around them. Flash grabbed Jack by the arm and wrapped him around King, before tying a neat bow with the elastic villain's arms.

He grabbed a dangling piece of Jack's hand and ran forward, pulling the two with him. After a quick left turn, he stopped next to a parked car and side-stepped to his left, smiling with satisfaction as Jack and King smashed into the side of the vehicle.

"But we have got tenderised Royal Flush Gang," he added, smirking.

"Hey. Speedy."

He turned and was greeted by a black gloved fist. He dodged and grabbed the arm, tossing Ten around until he had created a mini cyclone. He stopped and put all of the gathered momentum into one mighty swing upwards, tossing Ten straight up into the air.

He put one fist on his hip and put the other hand above his eyes, as though he were watching a golf ball. He whistled, impressed.

He felt a rubbery hand once again try to get a grip on him, but he quickly grabbed it and began to spin his arm around.

"Seriously dude. I've fought stretchy people. I've been beaten by stretchy people. And on a scale of one to ten…"

He came to a stop, having gathered Jack into a ball.

"…you're not quite a zero."

Putting his super speed behind the throw, he tossed Jack into the recovering King as fast as he could, knocking them back into the side of the parked car and out cold.

"And another thing," Wally added, knowing he was talking to himself but enjoying himself too much to care, "what goes up…"

On cue, Ten crashed to the ground behind Wally's back, leaving a large crater in his wake.

"…must come down."

He patted the dust from his costume with his hands, and collapsed onto the curb, letting out a relieved breath. He was way out of practice. His eyes drifted over to where King's laser blast had scorched his costume, and he groaned.

"Aw… burn marks take forever to get out…"

A grunt from the crater drew his attention away from his costume.

"Now, that…" Ten pulled himself out of the crater, blood streaming from his nose and mouth. "…was annoying."

Wally was on his feet in an instant. Ten cocked his head to the side with a smile that made Wally's skin crawl.

The giant of a man slammed his hands into the ground and with a grunt of effort, pulled up a sizeable chunk of road and lifted it above his head. With a wink at Flash, he tossed it across the street and towards an apartment building.

Panicked, Wally dashed over into the path of the flying debris and span his outstretched arms, churning the air in front of him.

He usually used this trick to catch falling window-washers.

But, when in Rome and a large piece of road is about to fall on your head…

Much to Wally's relief, the rubble began to slow. He moved out of the way, still keeping it aloft, before he finally let it crash to the sidewalk in front of the apartment building.

Before he could even turn, a large hand slammed into the small of his back. His world span as Ten grabbed him by the leg and tossed across the street, into the side of a parked car. Wally slumped to the floor, gasping in pain as he felt his cracked ribs.

Ten grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the already warped vehicle. Flash bit back the urge to cry out. Ten brought back his fist.

Wally used his own fists like jackhammers, using them to pound away at Ten's face in one last desperate act. He grit his teeth as he felt his hands break against Ten's nigh-on indestructible hide, the costume around his knuckles wearing away.

With a frustrated growl, Ten grabbed Wally's right arm and twisted it, breaking it instantly. Flash cried out in pain as he felt the bone rub against the inside of his skin.

Himself exhausted, Ten looked Flash straight in the eyes.

"Thisis the part where I crush your head."

A green hand grabbed Ten's wrist and effortlessly brought him up and over, slamming him into the ground.

Ten rolled away and struggled to his feet, coming face to face with J'onn J'onnz.

"You… you think I'm afraid of you?"

J'onn's eyes took on a menacing red hue, his voice nearly a growl. "Not yet."

Unimpressed by the threat, Ten threw his fist forward. J'onn stepped to his left and put his right hand on his opponent's face, slamming him back into the ground headfirst. He gripped him by the scruff of his costume and lifted him up with one arm.

Ten spat in his eye.

J'onn J'onnz was not known for his temper. It was something that was rarely shown, and very few people saw it. Anger could be seen in his eyes when someone would mention the Imperium. It would happen when Lobo was brought up.

But most of all, it happened when he came face to face with someone who had hurt those he loved.

He brought back his fist, intent on doing as much damage as he could before his opponent fell unconscious.

J'onn…

Alarmed, he looked over at Flash, barely conscious on the floor.

Don't.

For a brief moment, he saw what he looked like right now through his friends' eyes.

And he didn't like it.

He took a deep breath and brought himself nose to nose with Ten. His eyes took on a peacefully yellow hue, and Ten fell into unconsciousness.

Whether by coincidence or because he wanted to, Wally fell unconscious at the same time.

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(A/N: I'm assuming Queen died in the explosion in 'Wild Cards', or at least that she was burned too badly to join the rest of the Gang.)