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“We really need to stop meeting this way,”
Dick groaned at the voice. He looked over to the man dressed in skintight armor and was unable to stop the face he made. Dick’s counterpart, Nightwing, laughed at him.
“Nightwing,” he said cautiously.
“Mhm. Hello, Nightwing.” His counterpart had the audacity to sound amused. He slid his escrima sticks into the holster on his thigh – Jesus, why couldn’t he put it on his back like a normal person – and proceeded to put his hands on his hips. “Flamebird was sent here with me, you might want to look for him.”
“Flamebird…?” M’gann asked slowly.
Nightwing blinked a few times, “Ookay, that’s sad.” He said. “Wally West. Former Kid Flash?”
Dick grimaced at the reminder of his counterpart’s relationship with Wally. “Wally…he’s gone.” He muttered, shoulders hunching up.
Nightwing stared at him for a moment before looking over the team. “A recent development,” he said, his voice blank.
“Yes.” M’gann pressed a hand against Dick’s elbow for a moment. Dick regretting coming into the base to officially put his resignation in, it was just his luck that his counterpart – who lived the life Dick’s always wanted but could never have – would show up. “Last week.”
Nightwing nodded. “I see. That happened to my Wally as well.”
“What?” Artemis demanded; eyebrows furrowed.
Nightwing smiled slightly, “He was about nineteen when he got sucked into the speed force. We all thought he was dead until Flash found out the truth and got him out of there.”
“Wally’s alive?” Dick whispered, eyes widening.
“Possibly.” Nightwing said. His smile was pleasant as if they were just discussing the weather. “If he is in the speed force, that means Flamebird is too. If we’re following the placement trend.” He waved a hand between himself and Dick for emphasis.
Dick felt breathless at the possibility. “Contact the Flash.” He said quickly.
If there was even a chance that Wally was alive, Dick wouldn’t let it slip past his fingers.
“Dude, come on!” Wally said, throwing his hands up. Why was it always him that got stuck in the speed force? There were, like, a bajillion other speedsters.
“Uh, who are you?”
Wally turned around and blinked when he saw himself. Well. A Kid Flash version of himself. Oh, yeah, that made way more sense. He just got sent to where his counterpart was, and that just so happened to be into the speed force.
“Hey,” Wally drew out, Kid Flash made a face at him. “Funny story, I’m you from a different dimension.”
“Okay,” Kid Flash said slowly. His eyes rolled and he sarcastically added. “There’s not really much to do here.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Wally waved a hand, “Get off your ass and help me break out of here.”
“I’ve already tried to.” Kid Flash shook his head, snorting self-deprecatingly. “It’s no use, man.”
“You might have tried, but we haven’t.” Wally said. “Get up, c’mon.”
Kid Flash stared at him for a moment before he shook his head and sighed, but quickly got up. Wally grinned.
Lightning danced across the base before Barry could even get a word out. Everyone looked over quickly, either grabbing weapons and activating their abilities or jumping back to keep their distance. Dick noticed how his counterpart didn’t even bother to grab a weapon or even slide into a fighting stance.
No. Nightwing merely grinned.
Dick could probably add crazy to the list that was his counterpart’s traits. He inhaled sharply and looked back to the growing portal in front of them. After a few tense seconds, the sparks stopped just as suddenly as they started and two people fell to the floor.
“Flamebird!” Nightwing yelled, shooting forward.
“Hey babygirl,” Flamebird said, his voice rough. He grinned and let Nightwing tug him up.
“Wally?” Artemis breathed as the other figure moved and Dick watched as his best friend pushed himself into a seated position with a winded expression. “Wally!”
Barry and Artemis jumped forward, bringing the young man into their arms, and Wally held onto them tightly. Dick blinked his eyes rapidly to keep tears from forming; the moment he started to cry, he wouldn’t stop. He swallowed roughly, looked over when Kaldur stepped to his side, and gave his friend a watery smile.
Kaldur smiled back, planting a hand onto Dick’s shoulder. They both looked back at the scene around them; the heroes around were all watching Wally and their dimension travelers with wide, awed eyes. Wally was occupied with Artemis and Barry, crying as he hugged them. Nightwing and Flamebird were wrapped around each other in an embrace, and if Dick focused on them, he could hear soft murmurs.
Dick smiled slightly, leaned closer to Kaldur, and for the first time in days, his mind was quiet.
Wally was okay. That's all that really mattered.
“I guess it’s a good thing we came here,” Nightwing said cheerfully.
“Yeah,” Flamebird agreed, “The kid would have been stuck in there for a while.”
Nightwing merely hummed and splattered more kisses against Flamebird’s face. The red head grinned, looking completely enamored by the man in his arms.
“Uh,” Wally started. "What?"
“Not now, KF.” Nightwing said dismissively. Flamebird sealed their lips together, his hand straying south.
Wally sent a baffled look to the rest of the team, but, to his shock, found them mostly looking unsurprised.
“What the hell did I miss?” he asked.
“Last time we had dimension travelers, they did the same thing.” Dick explained, a grimace on his face. “Um, Red Robin and Superboy. I told you about it, remember?”
Wally looked back at their counterparts. They looked like they were trying to eat each other’s faces instead of kiss. “I think you missed a few details, dude.”
Dick just grunted while Artemis laughed.
“Dick,” Kaldur said, beckoning the other man to him.
Dick gave Wally one last look before he smiled and started over to the Team leader. Wally watched them speak for a moment before he looked back to his girlfriend.
“He looks awful.” Wally muttered.
“Yeah.” Artemis sighed softly, “He came here to officially retire.”
“What?” Wally gasped. Dick started this business – the sidekicks, the team – and he had once admitted he planned on dying in it. Why would he leave it?
Artemis gave him a sad expression. “Your death changed a lot, Wally.” She said.
Wally looked back over to his best friend, watched him shake Kaldur’s hand, and felt dread.
“Oh, oh, wait!” Nightwing said suddenly. “I need to call Timmy!”
Flamebird wrapped his arms around Nightwing and peppered kisses against his cheek and neck while the shorter man pulled out an oddly shaped comm. After a moment of fiddling with it, Nightwing tangled his hand into Flamebird’s hair and tugged him closer, fitting the sides of their faces together. Flamebird nuzzled his neck, and they seemed content to just stand huddled together.
“This is so weird.” Wally said.
Artemis nodded, looking a bit weirded out herself.
The comm in Nightwing’s hand let out a shrill sound. Everyone turned and watched the dimension traveling pair in alarm.
“Hi!” a cheerful voice that sounded very similar to Bart’s chirped.
“Hey, Bart.” Flamebird said, “Can you send back up, we’re in another dimension.”
“Again?” a muffled voice asked.
“Is that why Dick won’t answer my calls?” another muttered.
“What did you need, Tim?” Nightwing asked, frowning slightly.
“Your demon child is being awful!” Tim snapped. “I have to deal with more than just the blood son rants now, you fucker, and if I have to hear one more God-damn rant about–”
"Tim, he's twelve!" Nightwing said, exasperated.
"He literally stabbed me," Tim hissed back, "I'm tired of stitching myself back together, do you know how much time it takes out of my paperwork hour?"
"Tim," Nightwing planted his head in his hand, "Damian doesn't stab people anymore. I've talked to him about it."
There was a loud huff. "He might as well have stabbed me. Better yet, he might as well have taken by spleen! Your son committed acts of treason, Dick!" Nightwing had a son? What the fuck?
“Tim, shut the hell up, oh my god.”
“Fuck you!”
“Tim,” Bart said, cutting the other two voices off. “Will you stop complaining if I kiss you?”
The line was silent for a moment.
Nightwing glared at the comm in his hand. “Dimension shenanigans, remember?” he snapped, “Don’t ignore me to kiss your boyfriend, Tim. I don’t care how good a kisser he is!”
“Bart’s not dating us yet,” a voice that sounded too similar to Conner replied.
“What the fuck is going on?” Wally muttered.
“You need to stop stringing my cousin along.” Flamebird scowled.
“We ask him out like every week, man!” Conner yelled. There was a huff, and a quiet, “Okay, can you guys stop making out, it’s really fucking hot.” Before Conner seemed to focus back on Nightwing. “Where are you guys?”
“Same place as two months ago.” Nightwing said.
“You’d think everyone would, like, have plans for this.” Conner muttered, “I’ll tell the JL and they’ll pop in to grab you.”
“Thanks, Kon!” Nightwing said. “You’re my favorite in-law.”
“Flamebird is my favorite in-law.” Tim’s voice popped back in.
“Aww.” Flamebird cooed.
“He, at least, doesn’t spoil that little bastard.” Tim finished.
“Boo,” Flamebird said. "Be nice to my son, Tim."
“He deleted my Stardew account!” Tim snapped, “I don’t care if he’s B’s only bio son, I’ll send him into space!”
“Oh my God,” Bart and Conner complained.
“It’s our Young Justice days all over again,” Conner said.
“Young Just Us.” Bart said.
“You just lost a free dinner, Bart.” Tim said.
“Awe,” Bart whined and ended the call.
Nightwing shook his head and Flamebird chuckled. “I thought they were cute.”
“You had a rivalry with a fifteen-year-old, Wally,” Nightwing said.
“Okay, I thought they were cute after that.” Flamebird replied.
Nightwing shook his head again, smiling. He twisted in Flamebird’s arms and proceeded to go back to eating his face.
“I think their dimension is on crack or something.” Tim said as he walked over to Batman.
“Maybe,” Bart said, bouncing on his toes. “Hey, you wanna kiss?”
“Sure,” Tim replied.
“ROBIN, NO!” Dick yelled, looking horrified.
“I think I need a nap.” Wally said.
Artemis smiled at him, seemingly content to ignore everything they just heard too. “Let’s go, then.”