Chapter 18

SO I've gotten comments that my work feels rushed. I understand that. Usually I write spur of the moment, or only when I feel like it. Even when I do feel like it it's hard to find time. I'm a junior in high school and most my life is consumed by work. I just want to get this story done. Then I'll finish my next story, or start another one. It's hard having several stories run at once. This should finish soon. Hope you guys have enjoyed it.

Once Impulse had joined them in the room Batgirl slammed the door and locked it behind her.

"Dick you want to tell me what the hell is going on?" she crossed her arms over her chest in a huff.

"Codenames while in costume," Dick chastised waving a finger.

"We don't have time for that right now. Bruce can get as mad as he wants." She hadn't revealed anything. Both Bart and Aqualad knew who they were. "I know you wouldn't come to the Watchtower just to visit," she continued, "It's obvious something has been keeping you up past our normal hours. There are bags under your eyes. SO you wanna share?"

"There's no easy way to tell you this. Batman, Barry, Dr. Palmer, Adam Strange and Vibe already know. They're telling the League now," Dick sighed.

"Telling the league what now? Ooh are we gonna get some awesome secret mission! Crash!" Impulse started vibrating with excitement.

"This could be considered Crash. But it could quickly hit the mode. That's why you can't tell the team," Nightwing was procrastinating and it was painfully obvious.

"May I ask what you are so afraid to tell us? You agreed not to keep anymore secrets than necessary from the team. You have only just gained back most their trust. I am still having trouble with that because of your plan," Aqualad didn't mince his words. He knew Nightwing could take the harsh critique.

"I know I agreed no more secrets, but Wally asked me not to tell."

"Wally? When did Wally ask you this? Before he died?" Barbara urged her closest friend to continue.

"No, today," Nightwing said only to be interrupted by Aqualad.

"I am sorry Nightwing, I meant Dick are you well? Wally is gone. He could not have told you something like that," Aqualad's smooth voice rationalized.

"You're right he is gone. From this universe," Dick was interrupted yet again by Bart.

"The Speed Force," muttered the new Kid Flash.

"I am sorry, what did you just say?"Aqualad asked.

"The Speed Force. It's what gives us our Speed. There have been incidents that when a speedster runs too fast, or I guess in Wally's case he was too slow, that they are sucked in. It can bring us through time, or even across dimensions," explained Bart.

"Exactly. Wally is alive. He's been stranded in another dimension," Nightwing sighed.

"How do you know this?" Barbara asked.

"I've been making visits to the sight of his disappearance. Jaime said the Scarab told him Wally would cease. Not die but cease, as in cease to exist in this reality. There was zeta radiation and traces of boom tube use in the place where this happened. I told Batman I suspected he was still alive but he told me not to raise my hopes. A few days ago he called me up. Vibe is this hero who can see into other dimensions, he can control the vibrations of reality. Vibe has visions and sometimes posses versions of his alternate self. The Vibe from the universe where Wally is possessed our universe's Vibe. He left a message saying and I quote "Wally West is alive in another universe."

"Why hasn't Wally come home? He's totally crashing the mode."

"Their world is a lot different than ours, but he is with a version of Barry who helped him build a dimensional crossing machine. Both Vibe's helped us cominucate. But the first attempt failed."

"Why have you not told us before?" Aqualad's stern glance seemed to bore into Nightwing's sole. Even that wasn't as bad as Barbara's disapproving BatGlare.

"Better question. Why have you not told Artemis?"

Dick winced, "I wish I could. Wally doesn't want to give her false hope. He asked only specific people be told."

"So why us? I mean why me? Wally was much closer with others on the team. Though only thing I want is to see him again," Bart started speed talking after he asked why Wally wanted him. He loved his cousin and after "Artemis's death" had spent a lot of time with him.

"The League was told today. We need their help. The team will be suspicious. You two," Nightwing gestured to Aqualad and Batgirl, "need to keep them from finding out. Bart the reason you've been told is we need you're help to bring him back. You're central to this. You're going to need to run."

"Run? That's pretty much all I ever do Dick. That's my main job on this team," Bart stared at Dick like he was insane. Sensing they weren't needed Batgirl and Aqualad left to go distract their team who likely had questions.

"Barry can explain this better, but the gist of it is that we're going to recreate the events that transferred Wally in the first place. The Flash in that universe had somehow created a wormhole while he was running. You, Barry and Wally were running when he disappeared. You're all gonna run at the same times and try to channel the speed force to bring Wally home."

"He's coming home then. This is going to work and Wally's gonna come home," for the first time in a while Impulse's grin grew. He sped off to find Barry leaving Dick back alone with his thoughts.

FlashKidFlash FlashKidFlash FlashKidFlashFlashKidFlash

"Where is Imp?" asked Jaime when he saw Aqualad and Batgirl walk back into the room," I mean Kid Flash. Still getting used to that."

"Nightwing isn't here either," Robin eyes narrowed.

"It's fine guys. Wing got some intel and Bart is needed for a mission with Flash. I'm sure he'll tell you guys all about it later," Barbara soothed.

"The Female is omitting information," sounded the Scarab's voice in Jaime's mind.

Superboy and Megan shared a glance as Robin left the room. He nodded letting her know it was okay to create a mind link. She had learnt her lesson after the invasion and always checked before entering someone's mind.

"Something is definitely up," Conner thought.

"I agree. Aqualad isn't acting himself," Megan decided.

Frankly these days Aqualad was never himself. He was healing after his experiences with the Light but it had all taken it's toll.

"His behavior makes me think Batgirl is hiding something too. Something more than usual," Conner couldn't resist adding that joke in the end.

Megan laughed but sobered up quickly, "Did you hear anything?"

"No. These doors are made of lead. Batman and Nightwing's design."

"Right. Well I don't think we're the only ones with suspicions. It looks like Blue and Robin have decided that something is up as well."

"Should we investigate?"

"Definitley."

Superboy and Ms. Martian snuck off to see what Robin had found. To Superboy it seemed like old times. Those days in Mount Justice where the team would sneak off without their mentors permission to do what they pleased. They hadn't done something like this in a while and honestly Conner didn't know why.

Blue Beetle noticed the couple leave. He didn't need any prodding form the Scarab to follow. Batgirl notice them all leave, she knew Tim would find out sooner or later. He was almost as good as detective as Bruce. He had figured out the identities of the Dynamic duo at the ripe age of ten after all. That didn't have her worried.

She suspected the team's two resident aliens had snuck off to find somewhere private and inwardly she smiled. One day maybe, Dick would grow up enough to commit to a relationship like that with her. Blue Beetle leaving made here narrow her eyes for a minute and she almost went after him, but decided she was probably being paranoid and that he was going home. It was late after all. She should start sending the others home as well. They were still mostly teenagers who had school the next day.

"Guys it's getting late. I need to get back to Gotham for patrol and most of us have school tomorrow. Start heading to the Zetas."