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Wally didn’t mean to faceplant, but it was hard to control any part of his body when he finally stumbled out of the Speedforce. It burned through him, stronger than it had ever been before, lighting up his muscles with pain and energy. He didn’t know where he was. He didn’t know how he’d gotten out. He didn’t know how long it had taken. All he could think about were deep blue eyes, soft black hair, and a bright manic chuckle. Wally finally managed to bring himself all the way back to this plane of existence. His eyes flew open and he took in the lab floor underneath him as he pushed himself up. The buzz of the Speedforce quieted with a goal. He had to get back to Dick Grayson.
“Wally?” His uncle’s voice jolted through him and he looked up to see Barry Allen looking at him like he was a ghost. The world came crashing down on Wally. He’d been trapped in the Speedforce. He’d done it to save people. He’d left behind his team, his mentor, his family, and Dick. He’d had to. Wally took in Barry’s shaken appearance, grateful that his Uncle didn’t look too much older than the last time he’d seen him. Hopefully, that meant he hadn’t been stuck for very long.
“Hey Uncle Barry,” Wally said with a shaky voice as he got to his feet. He wanted to stay and find out what he’d missed, but he had his priorities. He needed to get to Gotham. He had to find Dick. Before he could take off though, Barry had him wrapped in a hug. Wally happily hugged him back.
Eventually, Barry pulled back, hands firm on Wally’s shoulders. “You’re alive,” Barry breathed. “Oh God. I’m so glad you’re alive!” He pulled Wally close again. “I tried to get you out. I promise. Honestly, we thought we had.” What? “We knew you were in the Speedforce. We thought we’d pulled you out. But you weren’t where you’d left from. Or at the bases or with Robin.” Barry pulled away again. “Wally, when we checked your house, Rudy said you were dead. He said he’d buried you. I promise, if I knew you were still in the Speedforce, we would never have stopped.” Barry was scanning Wally’s face frantically. “Why didn’t you tell us he was hurting you?”
“What?!” Wally jerked, but Barry held firm.
“When I went to check your house, Rudy had a lot to say.” Barry’s face darkened. “He didn’t just claim that you were dead, kid. He told me that he’d kicked you out and promised to kill you himself if you ever showed up again. He said he was happy you’d taken care of it yourself.” Wally’s eyes got wide. Fuck. He’d never wanted anyone to find out about that. Not even Dick knew about Rudy. Barry frowned, clearly taking his silence as confirmation. “Wally.”
“I had a plan!” Wally blurted. “I promise I had a plan. I was fine. I didn’t need help with, with Rudy.” Wally couldn’t fully suppress the flinch on the name. “You know he knew I was Kid Flash from the start, and he said he’d tell everyone if I tried to tell anyone about him. But when he found out I was Bi, it got worse and I had a plan to get out before-“ Wally cut himself off sharply.
Barry scanned him carefully, looking worried. “Come on. We’re calling Batman.” Batman. Okay. Well, that was a step in the right direction. Batman meant Robin. That meant Dick. And Batman would tell Barry that he was worried about nothing. Rudy wasn’t a threat.
Well, if you set aside the secret identity thing, but it’s hard to hide from your parents that you blew up their garage and gave yourself superspeed when you were twelve. It’s not like Wally’s civilian ID would threaten anyone else’s at this point.
Wally forgot just how seriously the Bats took secrecy.
At least they let him choose where he’d end up. And he didn’t even have to retire from hero work, just find a new name that he couldn’t tell Barry, a new city which he also couldn’t tell Barry, and make no contact with any of his friends from either of his lives before the Speedforce. Which would be mostly a moot point since they all thought he’d been dead for a year. Batman made him a new, Bat-Grade identity, with a social security number and school records and everything. Plus Batman was giving him financial support to make a new suit and go to college. Barry was allowed to tell Iris that he was alive, so Wally still had them too.
So, really, it wasn’t all bad.
Except that Wally couldn’t contact Dick unless Dick reached out first. Barry didn’t know that Dick was Robin. And Batman would have mentioned if Robin was an exception from the rules he’d laid out. Right?
Dick didn’t hate Bludhaven. There had been a time, about a year and a half ago, when he’d actually really liked the idea of coming to Bludhaven. But that had been when he had been looking to get some distance between him and B. Before Kid Flash died and Dick had taken a step back from being Robin. It hadn’t been much of a decision, honestly. He’d tried to patrol a month afterward, thinking he’d be fine. But he’d ended up sobbing in Barbara’s bed less than an hour in. Wearing the mask, especially that soon after losing him, made Dick forget that he was gone until he was halfway through typing a text to Wally, making the truth even more painful. Even now, Dick wasn’t ever really Robin anymore. He’d let Jason take up most of his patrols and his place on the League teams. Jason was living up to the name. Dick only went out as Robin often enough to keep his skills up or on the rare occasion that Batman needed Dick’s experience. Which was why Dick was in Bludhaven now, hiding in the shadows and watching the blur of the city’s hero move through the streets.
Well, that and the awkward concern Bruce had been throwing his way for the last six months. Dick doesn’t know what changed, because before that Bruce had seemed content to let Dick grieve and take his own time deciding if he was going to stay a vigilante or not. He’d finished high school and had been trying to figure out what to do with himself, knowing that Wally wouldn’t have wanted him to let his whole life stop. But for most of the last year, Dick had just been milling around the Manor and Gotham, trying to stay above water. Then Bruce had gone off to meet Flash in Central. Two weeks after that, Bruce had apparently decided he was done letting Dick work through things at his own pace. Maybe it was because he’d seen how Wally’s actual family was coping. Dick didn’t know. The timing could have been entirely coincidental had it been anyone else. But that was when Bruce had started pushing Dick to get back into hero work, asking about Dick’s plans for the future, asking if he’d thought about a new title now that Jason was well-established as Robin. Dick could understand to some extent. But for the most part, it just pissed him off. Dick tried to ignore the questions or brush them off and to take the requested missions Bruce had for him in stride. But he knew they were building up to a fight. Especially after this one.
Because the reason Dick had been sent to Bludhaven was for their new Speedster. They’d been operating in Blud for nearly four months now and they were good. It wasn’t a surprise that Batman wanted to establish contact. Especially with Blud so close to Gotham. And really, most of Dick was fine with that. What hurt though was the new speedster’s chosen name. Because a speedster going around so close to Gotham with the name Flamebird made Dick furious. The blur came to a stop after taking out a mugger and the sight of the red and yellow accents on the mostly black costume didn’t help Dick’s temper. Dick could admit that it probably wasn’t Bruce or Flamebird’s fault that he was so mad. They didn’t know what Dick knew.
Before, when he’d been looking for a new name and a territory to make his own mark as a vigilante away from Batman, Dick had told Wally a story. It was a Kryptonian legend that Superman had once told him in his early days as Robin. The story of Nightwing and Flamebird. Dick had told him how much he’d enjoyed the story. He’d even talked about choosing Nightwing as his new name. Wally had been so supportive. Like he always had been. Dick loved the genuine trust in those green eyes. The full-out faith that Wally had always shown him, even before Wally knew his name. The open adoration written across his face while Dick talked about a future. Wally had jokingly offered to be his Flamebird if Dick ever needed help. And that was when Dick realized he was in love with his best friend. He promised that he’d keep the Flamebird spot open for Wally if he ever wanted it. Less than a month later Wally was gone.
Now there was some new face running around in the city Dick had chosen, using the counterpart to the name he’d chosen, with the powers of the man he’d loved.
And Dick was pissed.
Batman may have sent him there to build bridges, but Dick wasn’t in the mood. If B wanted things done a specific way, he’d have given more specific instructions. All Bruce had said was to make contact. So Dick would make contact. After all, a fight was contact. It would get the information Bruce was after, deciding if this Flamebird was worth their time or a threat to them. Really, Dick could probably even argue it was the most efficient way. He tracked the speedster as they took off again, heading for one of the places where Dick knew they would pause their patrol to refuel. Dick pulled out a Batarang and tensed for the fight.
Flamebird was on the roof below him in seconds, back to him as he pulled some kind of snack from one of the many pockets that were probably hidden in his suit. Dick let him finish. He wanted a fight, and it wouldn’t do to have his opponent passing out before they could even get started. The second before the speedster took off again, Dick attacked. The Batarang grazed the Flamebird’s thigh, bouncing off the thin but strong armor of the suit instead of cutting through like Dick had anticipated. But Flamebird didn’t run. He spun around and started scanning shadows with an impish grin. Dick jumped at him before he lost the element of surprise. They grappled for a moment, before a burst of speed let Flamebird get out of Dick’s grasp and put a little distance between them. “What the…Robin?” Flamebird said, voice slightly modulated. Because of course, he’d recognize Dick. This close to Gotham, Dick would be more surprised if he didn’t. Dick didn’t let it distract him from tackling the other man again.
He would be lying if he said he wasn’t impressed at how easily Flamebird ran with Dick actively trying to get him in a chokehold. The city was blurring around them and even after over a year, Dick could recognize the Speedforce around them too, even if he couldn’t feel it. It was only a matter of seconds before Flamebird purposefully tucked into a roll at a near-human pace, suddenly stopping their momentum and sending Dick tumbling off him. Flamebird was instantly back on his feet. “Robin, what the fuck? This is so not the kind of ‘getting jumped’ I was hoping for,” Flamebird said. It was almost a flirt, but Dick could hear the tension that he was trying to hide. For half a heartbeat, Dick noticed the curly hair and thought he was staring down Kid Flash, anxiously trying to restrain Dick after he was exposed to fear toxin. But the darker costume kept Dick in the moment. Flamebird’s face twitched nervously under his modified domino.
“Sorry to disappoint,” Dick growled. He wasn’t in the mood for flirty banter. He threw himself at Flamebird again, but this time Flamebird was ready. He didn’t run. He didn’t even need to tap into his meta abilities for his reaction. The quick pin was so familiar. Dick had used it hundreds of times. He knew how to get out of it, but he was frozen on the ground under Flamebird. Because that… that was a Bat move. His mind raced over their fight in a new light but the options he came up with weren’t possible. Because there was only one speedster who had ever even bothered to try and learn better hand-to-hand than the basics. Only one who had ever been trusted to learn from any Bat. Flamebird tugged his domino off like goggles and green eyes scanned Dick worriedly.
“Dick?” Flamebird said, whatever had been changing his voice before no longer there, and Dick’s heart stopped. He knew that voice. “Are you hurt? Did you get exposed to something?” Flamebird sat back and started to ramble out options, slowly sounding more and more worried, but Dick couldn’t bring himself to care because. He’s the one who taught Wally that pin. And those were Wally’s eyes searching him. Wally’s face hovering over him. Superman didn’t go around telling the whole world Kryptonian legends, but Dick had told Wally. He’d even shown him some early costume designs for Nightwing. Designs that had clearly influenced the Flamebird one now that Dick was paying attention.
“Wally?” Dick’s voice came out so quiet and broken that it surprised him. Flamebird jolted, cutting off his nervous ramble. He tilted his head, curiously, still looking concerned. “You’re alive,” Dick breathed. For a second, Wally was perfectly still. Unnervingly still. Then it looked like he was trying to keep from vibrating. Dick worried that he was wrong. That Flamebird wasn’t Wally. That he’d finally lost it after so long trying to convince himself to be okay.
But then Wally’s eyes narrowed and there was tension in his jaw. “You didn’t know?!” He looked furious. “I’m gonna kill Batman.” His voice was sharp and fierce. “He sent you here without telling you!” Wally was off him in an instant. Dick barely had a chance to blink before Wally had him on his feet and wrapped in a tight hug. “Serious, Dick. I’m gonna actually murder him this time,” Wally said. Dick hugged Wally back like a lifeline. He doesn’t hesitate to tuck himself as close as he can to his friend. One of Wally’s hands cupped Dick’s cheek and tilted his head up to meet Wally’s eyes. “Apart from B being an asshole, you’re okay though, right?”
Dick could’ve laughed. Was he okay? Okay? His best friend, the man he’d been in love with for years, was back and holding him close and Dick could smell the ozone and sweat that Wally had always smelled like after a mission. “You’re alive,” Dick repeated. Because even if the world was falling apart at the seems that one fact meant that Dick couldn’t be anything but okay. Wally was there and alive and breathing and electric. Dick was better than okay.
Wally let out a huff. “Yeah, Rob. I’m alive. I promise. I’m here and I’m real and I’m not going anywhere until you believe that. And I’m so sorry that you didn’t know before. As soon as I got out I wanted to go find you. But Barry wouldn’t let me. And then he called Batman, who also wouldn’t let me. Barry said that I wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone from before and that the order came straight from the Bat. I’m so fucking sorry. I should’ve just gone and found you anyway. I never wanted you to be in the dark for so long. Gods, Dick, I’m so-” Dick cut him off with a kiss. He didn’t care right now. He’d probably care later, but at that moment Dick only cared that Wally was there and he wasn’t leaving. At first, Wally wasn’t kissing back, but in a blink, Dick was pressed against the nearest wall of whatever building Wally had run them too and Wally was making soft noises as they explored each other’s mouths with their tongues. Wally tasted like something sweet and his kiss was electrifying. Dick could feel the excess energy buzzing around them. Wally had to pull away fist to breathe and he beamed at Dick. His eyes were blown wide and his lips were bright red. His face was flushed and his hair even more disheveled than usual from where Dick had managed to get a hand tangled in it.
“I love you,” Dick said, meaning it more than he ever had before. Wally’s eyes somehow got even wider. “I love you. I’ve been in love with you for years. Please. Please let this be real.” Because if it wasn’t it was both the best and worst dream Dick had had in years.
“I love you too,” Wally said, still a little breathless. “I really fucking love you too. And I promise this is real. I’m here. I’m alive. I’m not going anywhere without you for the next week, I swear. You’re gonna get sick of me.” He grinned like a loon and Dick laughed. Wally’s grin broadened. “I love you. I’m here. I’m real. And I really really love you, Dick Grayson.”
Dick isn’t sure how long they stood there with Wally reassuring him that he wasn’t gonna leave or disappear. Dick wanted to believe him. And, when Dick woke up the next morning, with a speedster wrapped around him in an apartment he didn’t recognize, he almost did.
Wally will admit that he was once terrified of Batman. That’s not news. Everyone in and out of the league has been terrified of Batman at one point or another. Most keep a healthy amount of fear, for good reason. (Honestly, there were three people that Wally knew of that had lost all fear and respect for the Bat and they were all legally related to him.There was also one who had never had any fear of the Bat that Wally could tell and she was by far the most terrifying, partly because she wasn’t officially connected to Batman.) But as he was guided into the Batcave by Dick, hands firmly held, Wally didn’t have any of that fear. Because he was still very pissed. Unfortunately, Batman was not in the cave and the first person who saw them was Dick’s little brother Jason sitting by the Batcomputer in his Robin uniform sans mask. He initially looked excited to see them, but once he noticed their mood, he scowled. “What did he do now?” Jason groaned. Wally honestly hadn’t met Jason before. He had only recently been adopted before Wally entered the Speedforce. However, based on what he’d heard from Dick so far, that kind of annoyance was par for the course with the younger Robin.
“Where’s B?” Dick asked. His grip on Wally’s hand tightened. Three days had helped convince Dick that Wally wasn’t going to disappear if he looked away. It had also given Dick the time to get properly angry at Batman for keeping him in the dark.
Jason let out another groan. “Getting yelled at by Alfie for meddling with you and your boyfriend. Alfred asked where you were at dinner and now he’s been yelling at B for over an hour and we’re gonna leave late for patrol.” Okay. So Wally and Dick had talked, and they were, in fact, boyfriends. As of three days ago. But as impressive as Batman’s investigative skills were, there was no way he could know that since he hadn’t seen or spoken to either of them since that happened. Wally was still pissed, but now he wasn’t sure if he was pissed at the right person. Dick, however, was faster on the uptake than Wally was. He was trained by the world's supposed ‘greatest detective’ after all.
“Oh for fucks sake,” Dick huffed. Jason just crossed his arms. Dick looked back at Wally, expression somewhere between pissed and disbelieving. Jason narrowed his eyes at the pair of them. “Bruce isn’t just an asshole. He’s an idiot.” Yep. Okay. So, whatever Dick had figured out was probably the piece that Wally was missing that would explain how the only person in Dick’s family that was surprised to see Wally alive was Dick.
Wally sighed. “I’m getting that,” he said. “Just a guess, but I think he thought you knew already.”
“Wait. You didn’t?” Jason demanded, suddenly on his feet and approaching the pair. Dick glared at him. “Hey, ‘s not my fault. B’s had me with the Young Justice team most of the time since he got back.” Jason gestured at Wally. “I thought you knew and had a fight or something and that’s why you were grumping about the new Blud hero.”
“So did Bruce,” Dick sighed.
Wally frowned, “But he’s the one who told me not to contact anybody.” Dick frowned and Wally could basically see the gears turning as Dick laid out the case. He saw it the moment Dick figured something out.
“Did you actually talk to B?” he asked. Jason looked at Dick in confusion for half a beat. Then he burst out laughing, making Wally jump at the sudden noise. When Wally and Dick glared at him, that just made Jason laugh harder. Dick shook his head, but Wally caught the corner of his mouth tick up as he held back a grin.
“What am I missing here?” Wally asked, looking between the two Robins.
“Did you talk to B or was it Flash?” Dick clarified. Wally frowned for a moment. Then he felt his eyes widen and he let out a groan. Dick tugged him into a hug. Jason laughed even harder. “It probably wasn’t entirely on him. B still sucks at communication. I mean, he sent me to Bludhaven instead of actually trying to have a real conversation. But, Walls, Flash sucks at relaying messages. Especially from Batman.”
“And he’s been terrified of Batman since they met. I know.” Wally dropped his head on Dick’s shoulder. “Still, feel like I’m missing something here. Because Barry and Iris knew how I felt about you. Aunt I even knew that I knew your civie ID. If Batman had mentioned an exception to his communication lockdown, I feel like even Barry would have caught it.”
“Oh my God,” Jason wheezed. “I can’t wait to hear about Batman tearing the Flash apart.”
“Little Wing,” Dick sighed, but when Wally straightened up to look at him, Dick just had a fond smile on his face.
“Dick, Bruce has been trying to get you to stop grumping for months! He risked Alfred’s wrath to meddle! All because Flash was too dumb to realize that B wouldn’t set up just any hero in the city next to his with a Bat-Grade cover story. I mean, you can’t even blame Flameout for it ‘cause he did what he was ‘posed to do. Flash is the one who missed something! Flash is gonna end up mucking Gotham Harbor for a year. And Alfie’s gonna be giving B ‘the look’ for a week for assumin’ that you knew when you didn’t. Which means that B’s gonna be extra pissy with Flash.” Jason laughed extra loudly. “Fuck, that’s gonna be hilarious!”
“Flameout?” Wally huffed, but he could feel a smile tugging at him. He was still pissed about the situation, but knowing that it was because two of the oldest leaguers didn’t know how to talk to people was slightly entertaining too. Plus Jason was right. Batman never admitted he was wrong. Anything that Alfred yelled at Batman would be turned around on Flash.
“Get used to it. Babs is almost as bad as him,” Dick said. “And you’re not going anywhere.”
“Not without you,” he promised. “Though right now I think we deserve to see Batman getting yelled at.” Wally arched his eyebrows. Dick smirked. “After what he put you through, even by accident, I think we deserve a little treat. Plus, I’ve been hearing about Alfred for years and have yet to meet him. I need to meet the god who makes the best food in the world.”
“Always thinking with your stomach, KF,” Dick huffed fondly. Jason made a gagging face at them and stalked off back to the Batcomputer. “This way.” He tugged Wally toward a staircase.
They were right. It was highly entertaining to watch Alfred scold Bruce. Plus Wally even got to eat some of Alfred’s cookies! And, once Babs found out about the epic breakdown of communication between the two Leaguers, she promised to hack the Watchtower and get a recording of their confrontation for Dick and Wally. Now that everyone was actually talking to each other, at least on the Bat end of things, Nightwing made his debut in Bludhaven just three weeks later. Which was about a week before Batman decided to confront Flash before their monthly Justice League meeting. Wally figured that the dramatics of a scolding before a meeting played into that timing choice. He was starting to see that a lot of the non-emergency or life-threatening decisions of the Bat Clan were very often done for maximum dramatic flair. And when he was out as Flamebird, he kinda got it.
Wait. Was being a Bat contagious?
Barry was exhausted and he took the Zeta back up to the Watchtower to finally get ready for the meeting they were meant to have started several hours ago. Because Batman wasn’t gonna let them skip a monthly meeting even with an ‘all-hands’ call where they had to call in non-leaguers to fight off the conjured army of golems. At least, he thinks that’s what the mud creatures were called. By the time the magic wielders figured out what they were and how to stop the people controlling them from making more, Barry had already been fading. He’d never been so glad to see a couple unknown heroes show up and start taking down enemies in a tandem that almost mirrored Batman. He wished that Wally had come out to help, but Wally had been adamant about not telling Barry his new hero name, if he decided to stay a hero. Barry actually wasn’t even sure he had. After all, the Speedforce was no joke. But he’s not gonna lie and say that another familiar face wouldn’t have helped them wrap things up just a bit faster.
The first faces that Barry saw when he stepped out of the zeta were the two newer heroes that Batman had called in to help. Nightwing, a human as far as Barry knew, with similar training to Batman who wore a smile that was just a little too sharp to be pleasant under his domino. His suit was black and marked by a deep blue bird on the chest. Other blue accents wrapped down his arms to his fingertips. Flamebird was beside him, head turned as he whispered in the other’s ear, arms wrapped around his waist. Flamebird had been around for several months in Bludhaven, so Barry was a little more familiar with him. He’d been surprised that there was a new speedster popping up, but it was easy to tell that Flamebird put in a lot of effort to stay separate from any of the other speedsters. The reports Barry had seen, especially more recent reports, all said that Flamebird and Nightwing had the same kind of fighting styles. The only differences being Flamebird’s speed and Nightwing's flexibility. Flamebird’s suit was similar to Nightwing’s, only with yellow accents and a reddish-orange bird that matched his curly red hair. There was a visible difference in his domino mask too, likely meant to keep it in place despite his speed. Flamebird’s smile wasn’t as sharp as Nightwing’s, but it was tight and he was quick to tug Nightwing off after giving Barry a nod.
Barry sighed. The only way those two had gotten up here was with Batman. Which meant he’d probably have to figure out why there was tension between him and them. Barry started toward the meeting room and turned the corner to come face-to-face with the Bat himself. “Flash,” Batman growled and Barry gulped. Oh shit. What had he done? Batman was mad. And not ‘you’re exhausting me with your antics’ mad. Batman was ‘you have risked the exposure of our identities’ or ‘gotten a league member hurt’ mad. Barry hadn’t done anything identity-risking recently so he ran through every move he’d made in the battle praying that the one hurt was a Lantern or Green Arrow. Batman would still be mad, but then Barry had a hope that he may be able to keep all his internal organs internal. “With. Me.” Batman spun on his heel, cape billowing behind him and Barry felt his eyes get wide. Oh fuck. That was not good. Whatever he’d done had Batman being extra creepy and threatening. Barry was probably going to wake up with over a hundred broken bones and his spleen in a jar on Batman’s desk.
Batman led Barry to his office and Barry was more than a little stunned to find Nightwing and Flamebird already in there sharing an armchair that had not been there the last time Barry had been in the office. Despite being taller than Nightwing, Flamebird was the one laying across the other’s lap. They had been whispering before Batman and Barry came in but they instantly fell silent. Batman didn’t even react to their presence. Barry shifted nervously as he came to a stop in the center of the room as Batman stood behind his desk. Like he was the principal and Barry was about to be expelled. His head twitched slightly and the only reason Barry even realized it was because Flamebird instantly reacted by tapping into his speed to close the door and return to Nightwing’s lap before either human could blink.
“Flash,” Batman growled. “Update me on Wallace’s case.” The tension thrumming through Batman’s body was visible. Barry glanced at Nightwing and Flamebird. “Now.”
Barry was nervous, but they weren’t a part of the league. “With them?” he managed. Flamebird tilted his head, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
“Nightwing, Flamebird, and Robin are as aware of Wallace’s case as I am. Any updates you may have would be shared with them. Now speak.” Batman crossed his arms and the whites of his cowl narrowed.
Barry didn’t even bother trying to look for Robin, knowing he wouldn’t find him, before speaking. “There has been minimal progress. We were able to find some photographic evidence from before Wally’s accident that would incriminate Rudy, but without being able to use Wally’s testimony it’s hard to build a case. We’re working on trying to get him for some of his other crimes, which, while slow, has been working. We should be able to organize an arrest in a month.” Batman let out a grunt and nodded slightly. There was a shift in how he was holding himself and suddenly Robin dropped onto his desk from the vent right above it.
“My turn?” Robin asked with a crooked grin. Barry had only met Batman’s new Robin on a few occasions. But he knew that the specific look he was facing was usually saved for a risky move or some kind of prank or mischief.
“Our turn, Little Wing,” Nightwing corrected. Flamebird let him get up and join Robin looking at Barry. Nightwing leaned against the desk and crossed his arms. And suddenly Barry felt cornered. Robin and Nightwing were shadowed by Batman glowering at him. What the fuck did Barry do? “Kid Flash was my friend.” For the first time, Nightwing’s face was blank. “Wally was my friend.” Barry jerked at his nephew’s name. “He knew my civilian identity. So, why the fuck did you keep him from letting me know he was alive?”
Barry’s mouth fell open in confusion. “What?” he asked.
“Wing here was the first Robin,” Robin said. “And he’s spent the last six months moping ‘cause of you and B not sharing info.” Batman made a sound at that, but Barry was too confused to discern what it meant.
“B assumed that Wally had gone straight to me. He said as much when you called him,” Nightwing’s voice was dark. Barry tried to remember the phone call to Batman before Wally had been taken into Gotham and effectively disappeared. He did recall Batman mentioning the first Robin. But he hadn’t been listening. He’d been focused on the fact that Batman wouldn’t let him know where Wally would be living.
“Keeping that to yourself? Low blow, Barry,” Flamebird said from where he was still seated in the armchair. Barry looked at him with wide eyes. Flamebird was draped across the chair, legs hanging over one of the arms, grinning wickedly at him.
“Really, what would Iris say?” Robin chimed in cheerily.
“Flash,” Batman hissed and Barry’s attention snapped back to him, “Wallace has been in touch through Nightwing to inform me that he would be going radio silent with you for the foreseeable future. Upon learning that you failed to communicate vital information that would have helped both my son and your nephew after such a traumatic event, I agreed with his decision. He will reach out to you in his civilian identity if and when he decides to. I expect weekly updates on his case. Once Rudolph West is tried and convicted, we can revisit the other secrecy protocols that Wallace has in place.” Batman’s voice dropped darkly. “And, in the future, if you don’t have enough brain cells to understand my briefings, especially a briefing on such an important case, have the decency to admit your failure.”
Robin hopped off the desk and crossed his arms, putting on his best Batman glare which Barry could admit was just a little unsettling. “Your behavior compromised one of your fellow heroes,” Robin growled out in a very good approximation of Batman. Barry gulped.
Nightwing mirrored his younger counterpart. “You will not be doing that again. If you do not take the time to work on communicating with your team, we will make you,” Nightwing said, also imitating Batman. It may have been age or practice or the knowledge that Nightwing was the Robin who always cackled and smiled unless he was utterly pissed, but Barry was nearly as worried by Nightwing’s Batman growl as he was by Batman’s.
“Dismissed,” Batman snapped. Flamebird blurred into the Speedforce and Barry was guided out of the room by the grinning speedster in a blink.
“Careful out there, Flash,” Flamebird said, smile just a little too sharp to be anything but a threat. Barry ran, and Flamebird’s laugh chased after him.
A month later, Rudolph was arrested and Wally finally broke his silence. He admitted to being the reason that the whole Batclan (Wally’s word, not Barry’s) had been there for his dressing down and offered Barry a copy of the video. Apparently, Iris already had one. This conversation was followed up the next morning by a picture of Wally and Richard ‘Richie’ Grayson-Wayne kissing outside a movie theater in Gotham. Barry spent the day fending off the entire Young Justice team and a good number of the Justice League.
A few years later, after months of public dating, a proposal, and a wedding, Barry and Iris were sat down and introduced to Flamebird’s and Nightwing’s civilian identities. Needless to say, Barry really wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Because, by that point, the two heroes were as close to the League as you could be without being official members. The whole league called them the Smiling Bats. Before, when Wally was Kid Flash, he’d never moved like Batman or Robin. He’d learned mostly from Barry and even when he started training with Young Justice, he kept the same kind of style, just better. Flamebird had always moved like a Bat.
Knowing that, Barry had a new theory to share with the League and even Superman seemed a little concerned by it. Because no one could argue that Wally West wasn’t a Flash. And no one could argue that Flamebird wasn’t a Bat. Hal thought that Batman had forced Flamebird into the Bat Training. Green Arrow pointed out that Flamebird came first, months before Nightwing. And now they knew that it had only been a couple of months after Wally came out of the Speedforce. There wasn’t enough time to make that change. Which left an odd idea, one that only Superman had the courage to voice.
“Perhaps the rumors of Batman are more true than we thought. And, perhaps, there is a level of influence that even he is unaware of in him and his children.”
A nice way of saying that if you got too close to the Bats, you could turn into a Bat.