Another chapter written, this one nearly all Wally! Two points if you can get the joke about the chapter title! And a thousand thanks to Starlight, who edited, contributed and made this chapter POP!

There, out in the darkness
A fugitive running
Fallen from grace
God be my witness
I never shall yield
Till we come face to face

--Les Miserables

Stars

Patrol duty was getting fairly boring lately. Wally had been fighting crime so long that he could do a cross word puzzle while tossing the bad guys around like rag dolls. Some punks had thought it was a good idea to rip off the local grocery store. Given that they weren't even meta-humans, Wally had no problem rounding them up and tying them up. "What happened?" one said groggily, too stoned to even notice the red and yellow clad superhero moving at superspeed to clean up the store again. Most people could at least see the blur.

He didn't have much time to waste; he had been supposed to be doing homework when he had sneaked out to help Jinx. Uncle Barry had sounded really mad on the phone. Wally hated being yelled at, especially by his foster father. It wasn't only the risk of being grounded, but the knowledge that he was disappointing his hero.

What stung the most was that Uncle Barry said whatever his new project was, Wally was obsessed with it. "I'm not obsessed with her," Wally thought to himself as he broke up a purse-snatching, dumping the assailant into a dumpster and slamming the lid shut. "I…just like her."

Okay, he had been devoting a lot of time and energy to her, he decided as he speed three more crooks to prison. In his defense, Wally didn't get much of a personal life. Being able to travel at the speed of sound made normal human interaction complicated, since he had a secret identity to maintain. And he knew as an apprentice hero, he was the perfect target for capture and interrogation. He couldn't put anyone else in danger.

Being a hero also took a toll on his mental level of endurance. His chemistry homework was waiting, but it would have to wait because a robbery was going on Spring Street and he needed to do his civic duty.

Besides, Jinx was all alone. She had no one to take care of her, no one to tend to her when she was sick. He couldn't imagine being alone and sick with something as minor as the common cold. He didn't want to think of what happened when she was injured. Underneath all that hex appeal, she was just a teenager who was isolated and had to be strong to survive in her cutthroat world. He was the only person she had to really help her. Jinx needed him. It was what a hero did. They helped the less fortunate, even the ones with multiple felony convictions.

And speaking of multiple felony convictions, he noticed his favorite walking Miss Demeanor waiting in a dark alley. He had warned her to take the week off. Sigh, what was he going to do with her? Well, besides treat her like a princess and take her abuse with a smile.

He was plotting a witty pick up line in the shadows, till his eye caught the roof top of a building. Wally hadn't expected to see Green Arrow's apprentice in his territory, so far from Chicago. And he noticed very worridly that Speedy was taking aim at Jinx. No time to flirt with the beauty. He knew the Robin-Hood wannabe had wicked aim and he knew he had to be a gentleman and save the day again.

With a burst of speed, he was instantly at Speedy's side. "Hey Roy," Wally said, giving him a satisfied grin at the very second Speedy was about to let loose the arrow. As he predicted, the archer misfired wildly into the wall, allowing Jinx the chance to fire a bolt of bad energy back before running into the shadows.

"What part of the word "secret identity" escapes you?" Speedy growled, sounding as annoyed as he always did.

"Well, I just can't call you Speedy. Goes against my pride. You're…not exactly very speedy," Wally teased, thoroughly enjoying himself. He had saved his Jinx from capture and got to needle an old rival. They hadn't gotten along too well back in training. Now, all he needed was pizza.

"You saw I was going after that girl from the Hive Five? Why'd you stop me?" Speedy demanded, looking like he was debating shooting him.

"Maybe I'm just having a delayed rebellious phase,' Wally mocked, really enjoying the look on Speedy's face.

"Were you tracking her too?" Speedy demanded, replacing his arrow after a long pause.

"Nah, just taking a leisurely stroll. I don't always move at Mach 3." Wally had been taking abuse from Jinx for so long that it all needed to come out.

"And that leisurely stroll prevented me from catching a villain," Speedy mumbled, looking furious. "And you're the only one fast enough to catch her. Yet, you're annoying me!"

"I only engaged you in friendly conversation. Not my fault you can't multi-task," Wally yawned. He was asking for it and he knew. He just didn't care. If he didn't have some fun now, he would lose his mind. Plus, he was taking aim at the girl of Wally's dreams, so this was just fair pay-back.

"Be honest…Wally….you were protecting her. You could have run down,captured her and be back without missing a beat. So…why her?" Speedy asked, returning the smirk.

Wally didn't like the sarcasm returned. "Hey now... what about our carefully kept secret identities? You could have just jeopardized us both!" he said, forcing his tone to become serious and hope Speedy didn't notice the subject change. "Besides, this isn't your town."

Speedy looked amused at that. "Getting territorial on me? Am I stepping on your precious turf, Spandex boy?" he asked.

"Robin would probably have made you submit an application in triplicate. I just said hello," Wally explained. "What are you doing here?"

"Tracking the Hive Five. See-More has been ripping off stores in our areas and we've followed him back here. We think he and Jinx have been trying to meet and regroup, so I've been trying to prevent that. I've captured him, but she's the brains behind the team and capturing her would keep them powerless. Unless…the witch has you under her power?" Speedy was enjoying himself.

"Hey, don't interfere with league business. I'm the Flash's apprentice," Wally said, pulling rank. Green Arrow was an associate member, the Flash was a founding member and on the council.

"Of course. And I'm sure he'd love to hear how his own precious student's head over heels for a villain. You'll be back scrubbing floors with a tooth brush," Speedy mocked. Although being a hero's apprentice had definite advantages, discipline was maintained with great rigor among the greats. And Wally had the joy of answering to one of the heroes with a military background. Of course, it could be worse; Robin had to answer to the Bat himself.

"Fine. But then I'll have to tell Wonder Woman about how you joked that they keep her around for the looks. You know how those Amazons feel about male disrespect," Wally said with a smile.

"You wouldn't dare," Speedy said, paling slightly. The Amazon Princess would pound Speedy and then find some horrible Greek curse to lay on him.

"You keep my secret, I'll keep yours," Wally offered, holding out his hand. "I'll survive cleaning duty. Auntie Diana will flay you."

"Your funeral," Speedy said with a shrug, shaking the hand. "Still don't know what you see in her. Argent and Raven have bigger racks." And both of them would have ripped his head off for saying that.

"I'll explain in a second. First, want to take some pizza? Luigi's a former Watchtower cook, so he'll give us a discount," Wally offered. He needed to talk and since Speedy knew his secret, he was currently the only candidate for this chat. And these things were easier over food.

"Fine, but you're paying. Green Arrow cut my allowance again. Something about me crashing his motorcycle," Speedy mumbled. "I was just trying to go after a villain."

"Sure. I guess if you were really speedy…you wouldn't have such a problem," Wally said, before disappearing into the air. He returned three minutes later with a few bags of delicious hot food. "But…I suppose that is what I am here for."

"Oh shut up and give me the food," Speedy said, still looking put off. "So, what's the real reason you're being so generous? You want me to advise you about your obsession with a villain."

"Well…I thought you might be able to understand," Wally mumbled, stuffing his face with a falafel. Speedy was obnoxious and rebellious, he could understand breaking the rules.

"Hey, I only look like Cupid. I have no tolerance for all this mushy gushy stuff. That girl's pretty but she's just a girl. One bowl of chili is no better than another," Speedy growled, looking through the bag for the ketchup for the French fries. "Why can't you talk about this with Robin? He's your best friend."

"Because Robin wouldn't know romantic unless it bit him on the leg and demanded a duel. He was raised by Batman. I'm surprised if he even has any of that mushy stuff left in him," Wally reminded. Robin was too repressed to even admit his feelings for the beautiful heroine he loved.

"Point taken." Speedy and Robin did not get along very well, and Wally doubted he'd have a kind word for the Boy Wonder. In Speedy's mind, he should have been the official head of all lower level superheroes. "You're obsessed. She wants you dead. She will never love you," he said, biting into his pizza. "Just give it up."

"She hasn't killed me yet. She's trying, but so far, she hasn't succeeded." Even Wally admitted that sounded pathetic. At least pounding some sense into lower order villains made him feel better.

"Well, she is going to kill you eventually. Or hand you over for lab work," Speedy said, stealing more than his fair share of the French fries.

"Better her tracking me down than Madam Rouge," Wally mumbled, aware of how idiotic he sounded.

"Madam Rouge is the person she wants to be like," Speedy reminded him, wiping the tomato sauce off his face.

"Well, at least she has goals in life," Wally mumbled, finding refuge in a delicious calzone. Why couldn't women be more like food? Delicious and good for you!

"You're a softie. You want to prove you're right and she has good. You're following her like a lost puppy, sacrificing your dignity. And it's going to get you killed."

"Why would you care?" Wally asked, after taking a long drink of soda. Caffine was good for the speedster!

"You can speed yourself into her kiss of death, for all I care. But that will make Robin cranky. And he's a blowhard as it is. And you dying will make the Flash and Batman cranky. For some reason, a lot of important people like you," Speedy reminded him. Wally didn't want to think of that, but he had to admit, Roy had a very good point and he wasn't sure what to answer. "And if they are cranky, my life sucks."

"Oh my god, it's them! Kid Flash and Speedy," a high pitched voice squealed, as both superheroes jumped, prepared to defend themselves from the evil behind them.

Surprisingly, it was a lesser form of evil. Teenage girls from the local private school, in very cute short plaid skirts were standing there on the top of the building, looking very excited. Batman would have their heads for letting people sneak up on them. That is, if there was anything left of him when Uncle Barry finished lecturing him to death. "We're such big fans, you're real live heroes," another girl squeaked, bouncing up and down beautifully. "Would you like some company?"

"Of course we would. Rescuing pretty dames, defeating bad guys, it's all in a days work for me," Speedy said, giving them a roguish wink. He didn't seem too worried about his safety. "But superhero life…can get lonely."

Wally ran his fingers through his head. "You know he's not a natural redhead, right? Speedy here takes good care of himself and always dyes his hair to look his best," he needled. He was furious for having been proven wrong and he really wasn't happy about actually doubting his Jinx.

"Shut up, you overgrown hummingbird. Please, ignore him, he's love-sick and his brain isn't working. But…I'm single," Speedy said with a wink.

"And given your luck with the opposite gender, always will be," Wally chimed in, putting his arm around Speedy in a mock friendly way. He only escaped the punch by a few seconds.

"Shut up, you snarky hick," Speedy growled, but Wally was having too much fun with this. This was for putting itching powder in his suit last month when they had been visiting the Watchtower. "That's why you still have a curfew, Spandex boy." Ohhh, that was uncalled for.

Wally speed to the gaggle of giggling girls, bowing deeply. "Look, really, girls. Go out with him. Since he wears tights...people usually think he leans the other way." Low blow, but there was also the green hair dye incident that had taken him two hours to wash out.

"I'm going to kill you," Speedy said, getting an arrow notched in his bow fairly quickly. Wally smirked at the gasp of horror from the girls, that heroes using the K word. "And um…by kill…I mean, give him a good ole fashioned beat-down at video games."

"You'd have to catch me first," Wally said, bowing again. "Ladies, adieu," he said, speeding off to leave Speedy to amuse himself with the ladies. He had already made the decision to ignore everything his comrade had said. He could handle this. He had survived fighting Madam Rouge and so many others, Jinx would not be a problem. He would turn her into a hero and he would be fine. Everyone was just over-reacting.

Kid Flash had always been good at putting his hands over his ears and blocking out any other voices.

AN-The date comes next chapter!