A/N- As requested, I'm continuing the story line in the last chapter! Tah-Duh! Only one person got the Top Gear reference though... Such a shame.
"Has anyone seen Kid Flash?" Nightwing asked the assembled heroes in before him. Bart felt that for a minute the intense gaze of their leader was directed at him. Maybe it was the knowledge that he was the last one who had seen the speedster that brought that on. Guilt was a difficult emotion. He hadn't meant to yell at the older hero, but things just seemed to happen that way. He said stupid stuff, Wally said stupid stuff, and he was starting wonder if there was a way to fix it.
He shouldn't have been so stubborn. Bart knew that now. He thought that if he left his surrogate older brother alone for a few days everything would go back to normal. Wally would eventually cool off, and come talk to him. He had been wrong.
Wally was gone. In a twisted way, Bart was relieved. Wally's loss reminded him of what he had to deal with all the time. The future was a messed up place to live. His memories couldn't be replaced with happier ones overnight. However, his saner side was in permanent freak out mode. His cousin was one of the first people he learned that cared about him, and not just because he was family. Wally taught him how to slow down and enjoy the little things. He was his friend, mentor, and brother...
The fact of the matter was, Bart missed him.
"I haven't seen him." Bart said in the most neutral tone he could muster. Around him he could hear the others voice responses similar to his own, but they seemed to blur together. His thoughts were elsewhere. Plans were being formed. He was going to find his cousin if it killed him. He had already decided on this earlier. He had been chasing down leads all day before being called into training.
Nightwing paced in front of them, and Bart could see he was just as worried about Wally. Bart debated informing him of the fight, but he couldn't do it. It was his mess to fix. "Has something happened?" Cassie asked, disrupting his thoughts with her chipper tone.
"Nothing you need to worry yourselves with. Just can't seem to track him down." Nightwing reassured with a fake smile. Bart saw through it in a heartbeat, their leader was tense. As usual, things were being hidden from them. While on one hand, Bart could see why the details concerning a founding member of Young Justice would be kept on the classified side. He still couldn't help but be annoyed.
What made it worse was that he didn't even get a chance to voice his opinion, because Nightwing was already dismissing the group before another word could be said over the matter. Bart knew Dick wasn't willing to share any information he had, but he didn't care. He was determined to find out whatever he could.
As soon the last member of the team disappeared in the teleporter and the residents of Mount Justice left the main hall, he made his move. Rushing over to the older teen at lightning speed, his mouth was moving at a rapid pace, firing off question after question. His strategy was to bombard until he got the answers he wanted. He figured it was as good as plan as any.
"Whatareyouhiding? What'sgotyousoworried? Wheredoyouthink-" A gloved hand reached out and muffled his mouth, making Bart glare at its owner.
Nightwing glared back with just as much force before speaking. "I am going to remove my hand very slowly. When I do, you are going to talk slower, and make a bit more sense, comprende?" He asked, talking slow as if Bart were a three year old.
Bart nodded. Nightwing smirked and withdrew his hand. Not even a second after he did so, Bart tried again. "What are you keeping from us?"
"Nothing." Nightwing replied gruffly. "Nothing at all."
"Liar. What's going on?" Bart said with as much authority as he could. His question technique hadn't worked. Dick wasn't sharing. It looked like Batman hadn't taught him that sharing was caring. In all honesty, he should have really seen that one coming.
"Nothing." Dick insisted, and without giving Bart a chance to call him on it again, he started to leave. His posture made it clear that if Bart tried to catch him, Nightwing would kick his ass. This worried him. If it was bad enough to get the fearless batboy worried it was something huge.
And apparently, that 'huge' thing concerned Wally. His family.
"Tell me." He shouted after his leader.
"Leave it Bart." The black haired teen replied, not breaking his stride. Bart was getting desperate. By himself, he had no leads. He had already been by Wally's house, his college, and even his favorite buffet earlier that day. Options were becoming slim to nonexistent. He knew he could find Wally if he knew the general direction to look, and he knew that the person who could give him a compass wasn't giving it up.
"Tell me or I'll tell them." He said quietly. Nightwing froze in his tracks. Bart tried not to let his nervousness show. He hadn't planned on sinking so low. Wally was lucky to have him.
"Tell who what?"
Steeling his nerves, he clarified his statement. "I'll tell the team your name." Bart's threat hung in the air and made the atmosphere thicker the longer it lingered. He knew better than anyone how much Dick wanted his privacy. Not to mention that the revelation of the first Robin would bring the identities of the whole clan into the open. He just issued the kind of threat that got people sent to the hospital to the person who sent them there.
"You're really willing to play that card for this?"
"Yep." Bart said, popping the 'p.'
"Come with me Bart. We've got a lot to talk about." Nightwing conceded. Bart knew that it just wasn't because of his threat that he had won. Dick was bone dead tired.
Bart raced to Dick's side, "About what?"
"Something that's not meant to be said in the area of kryptonian ears." Nightwing paused and let out a tired breath. Bart would have been hanging off the edge of his seat if he had been sitting. Nightwing noticed, and took pity on him.
"Some heroes are being taken," He whispered, "and I think Wally is one of them."
A/N- I hope you guys don't hate me too much for the delay. Time flies. Next one will be longer, sorry this so short.
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