a/n: feeling down. decided to write something just to..write something. This fic has certainly morphed into a J'onn/Wally friendship piece.

Chapter 3: Delayed Reaction

He'd been fast asleep when an unknown jolt of alarm had woken him up.

A quick check around his room and the nearby rooms showed nothing amiss, so he went straight for the area most likely to show if and where there was trouble: the Monitor Room.

Everyone was standing there around Superman. Well, everyone save for J'onn.

Whoops, this certainly didn't look promising for his digestion. Wally hadn't seen so many unhappy faces since he'd tried to outwit The Riddler and ended up looking for clues in a carnival. Not that that hadn't been fun. Was it his fault he couldn't resist the temptation of chasing down the villain from the seat of a Batmobile-themed Bumper Car?

"Okay, why the long faces? Did someone forget to pay the cable bill?"

The League froze as one. A second later, six pairs of eyes zoomed in on Flash. Wally could actually see their eyeballs rotate from locked onto each other to aiming straight for him. Some aspects of living in a slo-mo world were still rather unsettling to witness and this was one of them.

"Brainiac is back with more...of those...things." Green Lantern rather hesitantly informed him.

Wally swallowed as a cold chill ran through his spine; took a deep breath; squared his shoulders; raised his arms and slammed one fist into a cupped palm.

"So what are we waiting for? Lets go kick Mechano-Squid butt!"

His enthusiasm was met, matched, and sent on a tailspin when after several seconds of dead air nobody expressed a similar sentiment.

"We will," Superman finally -yet all too somberly- agreed. "You're staying here."

Oh, they had got to be kidding him.

Apparently not. He could see it on their faces...their dead set serious faces. They were going to sideline him. The thought of being coddled made Wally's blood boil and he wasn't about to hide his displeasure. His glare didn't have the power of Batman's, but it got the point across.

"No way, Supes. I owe Brainiac the first swift kick and nobody does swift kicks better than-"

"Flash..."

He turned his 'stubborn face' up to full bore. "So not going to cave, Big Blue; let's save the super breath for your next run in with a birthday cake." He glanced at the monitors. "Where's Squidworth at?" Batman reached out and touched a button. The screens all went dark, casting the room in even greater shadows. Having faster perception than anyone else, this didn't keep Wally from seeing the machine hovering over a nondescript skyscraper while taking a swipe at a glowing green dragon. Unfortunately, he still had no idea which one or where seeing as nondescript skyscrapers were a dime-a-dozen the world over.

"Very dramatic, there, Bats. All that did was mean I'm going to be doing a bit more globe trotting before I can start tenderizing steel sushi. Do you really want me to be in a battle at less than 100% just because I had to make a few unnecessary circuits around the planet?"

Superman was silent. He grimaced at Flash's expectant look. "Central City. Outside the Flash Museum."

That thing was in his city?

That thing was in his city!

Flash's city.

Home of The Flash.

Oh.

Heck, the ramifications of that were not scary at all. Nope...and his knees were not turning into jello. It was just...the anticipation before a fight.

Yeah, and John played with Travel Sized Lite Bright during his off hours.

"You're going to stay here." Batman told him in the firm, no-nonsense way that was surely copyrighted. "We don't want you anywhere near it."

Okay, that...that was kind of understandable, but really? They expected him to just sit this out, tail tucked firmly between his legs and let that thing hurt his people and possibly J'onn just because this robot was likely looking to continue where it's brother gizmo had left off?

"I'm going."

"No. You're not."

He speed walked over to the monitor, pushing buttons to try to bring the image Batman had closed down back up. Just to make sure that J'onn was still holding his own. "Yes, I a-"

He hadn't even seen what had struck him down and, honestly, if it weren't for the likes of Rogue Sam Scudder taking advantage, Flash would consider replacing those radio antennae on his cowl with some rear-view mirrors.

When he came to they were long gone and he was locked in the cafeteria.

Well, that was considerate of them. He'd have to take that into account when he bashed their heads together Three Stooges style.

No...as much as he wanted to be severely pissed at his friends they'd only done this because they cared. He might shout at them a little once they returned, pout for awhile, maybe tie the ends of Superman's Batman's capes together in one truly tight knot, but that would be the extent of it.

Heck, They'd even left a couple of little notes on the fridge:

Take care, Flash.

Of what, Diana? Changing the little baking soda box? Or would that be too stressful for the fastest man alive?

Back before Fifteen Hundred Hours. Don't eat -all- the food.

One guess who wrote that missive.

Watchtower interior sensors and defenses are on. Stay. Put.

No need at all to guess there.

He punched a wall, making a sizable dent in the metal...also causing pain to bloom from his hand right up to his elbow.

"Ow!"

-Wallace?-

Wally forgot about his aching limb. He hastily answered the mental question with some of his own. "J'onn? Are you okay? Is everyone okay?"

-There were some bad moments, but yes, we defeated the probe.-

"That's good." He grimaced at his hand, but the ache was already subsiding. If only his hurt feelings would heal as fast. "Even if you ditched me."

-I am sorry. The others thought it best.-

"The others...you didn't?" Wally felt a bit of hope. Maybe he wasn't about to be shoved into a glass box for safe keeping if J'onn would stand up for him.

-No.-

"Oh."

-You may be happy to know that the probe was not from Brainiac, but a parody of one designed by Luthor. It was more easily dispatched and without our incurring any injuries.-

Yeah, he'd be happy to know that if the thought of Luthor trying to bait the League by making it look like Brainiac was targeting Flash in particular didn't make him want to vomit. Not to mention the feelings that had coursed through him when he'd thought Brainiac -was- after him again; that he was being hunted by an alien computer of immense power and...

-J'onn?- God, was he trembling? He was safe in the Watchtower. Luthor was probably on his way to jail. Why was he trembling?

-I am not going anywhere. We'll be back soon, Wallace, but in the meantime, I am telepathically with you for as long as you desire. I will not leave you while you are in distress.-

"Thanks." Wally slid down to the floor and rested his forehead against the cool material of the cabinets. "I...I don't know what I'd do without you, J'onn. Sorry for being such a pain right now." He was. Wally hated feeling needy...of proving to himself that the others had been right in making him stay behind.

-You are not being a pain right now. When stealing my chocos, yes, but not right now. Unless you are eating them instead of Superman's apple pie?-

Giggling quietly, Wally smiled and looked up to where he knew the Martian's hidden stash was...safe, secure, and untouched. Superman's apple pie, though? Yeah, that was going to be history along with John's waffles. Batman didn't eat desserts unless Diana made them, but he could always do something later to get even with The Bat.

"Yep. The whole lot of 'em. Stuffing another in my mouth right now. Savoring every bite. Gonna be gone soon seeing as a certain Martian isn't here to stop the Great Oreo Massacre."

-In that case I am doubling my speed getting back.-

"I'm holding you to that."