Disclaimer: I don't own Batman Beyond, the Flash, or any of the D.C. universe.

Author's Note: I'd like to thank Spin-Firestorm for her wonderful ideas. Thanks. I'd been toying with similar ideas, but yours sounded a little bit better, so I'll see what I can incorporate into the story. And thanks to all of you for your reviews. I'm glad you like it. I really do wish that there was a David in the future JLU/Batman Beyond storyline.

Resurrecting the Red

Chapter 8: Faces of the Past

"So, are you going to give it to him?"

Bruce looked up from studying the red costume in front of him to eye Barbara Gordon. The Commissioner, true to her word, had paid Bruce a visit after having seen David. She and Bruce had spent the last twenty minutes discussing the teenager over a cup of coffee. The old man had shown her Amanda Waller's "gift" a few minutes ago.

"No," he said firmly. Barbara raised an eyebrow and Bruce continued. "I never forced any of you, not even Terry. David must make the choice on his own. If, if, he decides to become the Flash, then I'll give it to him."

There was silence for a time. They both eyed the red Flash suit on the table between them, each enveloped in their own thoughts. Bruce painfully recalled his last conversation with Wally.

…………………………….

"You need to be more careful Bruce," Wally warned. "You're getting old. You're going to get hurt."

"I'm fine," Bruce answered shortly. He didn't like being reminded of his mortality. Wally stared at him for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and cracking one of his famous grins.

"Okay, fine," Wally said. "Just remember one thing when we're both old, wrinkled and gray. Especially when you're chasing me down the hall of the nursing home." Bruce raised an eyebrow.

"And what's that?" he asked dryly.

"I'm the Fastest Man Alive!"

…………………………

Except that you're not Wally, Bruce thought. Not any more. I'm old, wrinkled, and gray, white even…but you're not. You're not here.

Bruce looked down at the scarlet red costume in front of him. I promise Wally. I'll do what ever I can to protect David.

"Bruce." Bruce shook himself out of his thoughts and looked up at Barbara. She smiled slightly and reached over to touch his hand.

"I miss him too," she said quietly.

"I should have looked more into Iris's death," he muttered. "I should have suspected…"

"You're human Bruce. No one could have known."

"It doesn't matter. I should have known," he repeated stubbornly. Barbara sighed.

"Bruce…stop beating yourself over the head. The point is that you know now. Use the opportunity that has been placed in front of you. He's going to want to know more about his family."

Bruce said nothing as he picked up the Flash mask. He slid his finger over one of the yellow lightning bolts.

"Bruce," Barbara said suddenly. A sly grin crossed her face.

"What?" Bruce asked suspiciously. Barbara grinned again and leaned forward with a conspiratorial glint in her eyes.

"Don't you have one of Wally's old suits?" she asked. Bruce took a sip of coffee.

"I think you have me mistaken with Dick," he answered. "He took one of Wally's old costumes after he died."

"So did you," Barbara countered. "It's not hanging down with our costumes in the cave, but I know you have it." Bruce raised an eyebrow, as if to ask 'How did you know about that?'

"What's on your mind Barbara?" he asked instead.

"Let Terry find Wally's old suit. I'll bet you a free dinner that he shows it to David."

Bruce thought about that. Even if David decided not to become the Flash, he still deserved to know more about his family. Wally's suit could be a very good place to start. The old man gave a curt nod and Barbara grinned.

"What about his uncle?" she suddenly asked.

"I'm planning to call him," Bruce answered. "I'm sure that David has told him what happened. If I was his guardian, I know that I would have pulled everything out of him. I'd like to meet Evan Kae."

"You know," Barbara said quietly. "If he becomes the Flash, there's no way he can hide it from his uncle. Evan Kae might say no the idea." Bruce took a long sip of coffee before choosing an answer.

"That remains to be seen," he finally said. "First of all, David might decide not to become the Flash. If does decide yes, then we'll deal with the next step." Barbara nodded her head in agreement. That was about all they could do. She knew that if she had an eighteen-year old son, she sure as hell wouldn't want him running around in a mask and tights. She took another sip of coffee before looking around curiously.

"Bruce, where's Terry? It's a Saturday. Isn't he usually on duty?"

"He's doing homework," Bruce answered. "At least, he'd BETTER be."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Terry carefully folded a paper airplane and took aim at the red head sitting on the couch. He carefully waited until David turned to look at the chocolate skinned girl on the chair before throwing his paper missile. The young speedster ducked expertly out of the way.

"Terry!" Max yelled. Terry grinned innocently, at least until his paper airplane came flying back and whacked him in the head.

"Oww!" he yelped.

"David!" Max yelled this time. David flashed her a look of angelic innocence. Max rubbed her forehead and tried to hide a smirk. It didn't work and a few giggles slipped out.

"She's thinks we're funny," Terry commented.

"She thinks you're funny looking," David retorted.

"Yeah…hey!" Terry threw his pen at the young speedster. Which, of course, missed and bounced off the wall.

"S..stop it…" Max laughed. "We're trying to study, remember?" The three teenagers looked at each other and sighed. They picked their chemistry books back up. It wasn't long though until the trio got sidetracked again.

"Hey Ter," David said. "Does Dana know that you're Batman?"

"Uh…not really…" Terry mumbled.

"He means no," Max answered. "I keep having to make up excuses for him whenever he's late for a date."

"Why not? Why doesn't she know?" David asked curiously. "She's your girlfriend."

"It's too dangerous," Terry protested.

"Max knows."

"I didn't tell her. She found out on her own," Terry answered. Max beamed proudly as David gave her a curious look.

"How'd you do that?" he asked her.

"She's a stalker," Terry grinned. Max whipped around to glare at him.

"No I'm not!" she protested.

"I don't know, 'Student most likely to lead a double life?' Sure looks that way to me."

"I'm NOT a STALKER!"

"Yeah, sure," Terry quipped. "You love me, you want to marry me…" She threw a pillow at his head. Terry caught it and threw it back. This soon escalated into a pillow fight, which caused the three to forget about their homework again.

After a few minutes, they settled down and went back to work…only to be distracted again ten minutes later.

"Hey Dave, does your uncle know what happened?" Terry asked. David gave a sheepish look as he answered.

"Yeah," he admitted. "I couldn't hide it from him. He made me tell him everything." David had such a chagrined look on his face that Terry rushed to reassure him.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Bruce figured that you'd have to tell him."

"Yeah," Max added. "Besides, if he's raised you all these years, I think the old man knows that your uncle won't tell anyone about them." David gave a small sigh of relief. He'd been worried about what Terry and Bruce would say about that.

"You sure Mr. Wayne's not mad?" he asked, just to make sure.

"Naw, but he's probably called your uncle by now." A new wave of anxiety washed over David. Bruce Wayne, calling his uncle? Should he be worried about that? David asked that and Terry laughed.

"He just wants to meet him, that's all. Don't worry about it."

"If you say so," David answered doubtfully. Terry grinned as he pulled a notebook out of his school bag.

"It'll be fine. Anyway, can I copy your English paper?" he asked.

"Terry!" Max yelled. "Batman's not supposed to cheat!" She threw another pillow at Terry, which resulted in yet another pillow war.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Evan Kae set down the telephone. After hearing David's story, he had been expecting the call from Bruce Wayne. The two men had talked for several minutes before Evan had finally invited him over the next day for dinner.

He was a little apprehensive about it. Would the old man try to talk David into becoming a superhero? No. Something about Bruce Wayne made him think that he wouldn't do that.

Not that he was totally against the boy becoming the Flash. But what parent would be happy to see his child in harm's way? Yes, it was David's decision if he ever decided to become the Flash, but it was Evan's personal hope that he'd at least wait a few more years.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Rex Stewart cursed loudly as he twisted in mid air to avoid a shot from a plasma gun. Where the hell had common criminals received such advanced weaponry? These were even more high tech than the standard US Government issued GS 42's issued in the military.

He swooped around one of the high rise buildings and dove down to a trio of the instigators. The half-Thanagarian crashed into the three and sent them flying towards a line of policemen.

Three down.

Luckily for him, the ragged group was undisciplined. They clearly had no training in the weapons they were firing. Rex avoided another barrage as he made his way towards another small group.

What were they after? The group had formed outside a small government facility, but they had made no attempt to enter. In fact, they seemed more content with just causing general chaos. The answer clicked in Rex's mind and he swooped toward the building.

Stupid him. It had to be a diversion.

A flash of bright light caught him off guard, right before something slammed into him. A weapons discharge…

Rex crashed back into a nearby building. Damn it. Who had…a dark shape immerged from the building and he gasped. Impossible. That was who had shot him? But he was supposed to be dead!

He gaped in shock as the form of Grodd smirked across the plaza at him. The huge gorilla smirked at him and fired another shot. Rex avoided it, but another blast from behind knocked him down.

How? How? Clark killed him!

Rex struggled up again, but found that Grodd had disappeared. What the…where could a huge gorilla have gone? He winced as he stood back up. Some of his ribs must have been broken. He turned around, but whoever had shot him the second time had disappeared.

"War Hawk? What's the problem?"

War Hawk reached up to touch the radiolink in his ear. He painfully took to the air, but he could see nothing of Grodd.

"Static, I just saw Grodd." There was a pause.

"WHAT?"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Chameleon smirked as watched from the shadows. Good, so War Hawk had believed his little charade. The metahuman had morphed into Grodd's form on purpose. Yes, he could have transformed into anyone, he had even considered transforming into the Humanite. But the form of Grodd should cause the Justice League panic enough.

He could sense War Hawk's rising alarm from where he stood. Good.

His green eyes scanned the horizon, but he could see nothing of Jon-El. The young man had blasted War Hawk from behind, from within the shadows. Alex must have sent him for back up, not that he needed any. Chameleon smiled to himself.

Jon-El was the clone of Superman's dead son. He couldn't wait until the two finally met.

The metahuman stepped through a wall and transformed into the shape of a police woman. He calmly walked down the street and a confused mass of people milled around him. Alex was going to be pleased.