Inspired by @teenyturtle reply here
Featuring older!Wally and Bruce who lost everything
Seeing Batman („Bruce“) sitting with them at their crisis table made Wally feel like 15 again. Like 18. Like 21.
His memory had never been spotty but seeing this version (younger! and wasn’t that as sight to behold too) let vivid memories come to the forefront of his mind.
He was listening, of course he was. There would never be a time where Wally would not take this seriously but even so. He had time. Every moment, every second he could afford to let his thoughts go somewhere else.
Back to when he took up the mantle of Flash. When he was young and brave (and so stupid, not that much changed if anyone were to ask him) and thought that Batman was the coolest hero (beside his own uncle) ever.
A blink, and he was older. Still young but at home within the bright red suit, capable enough that he had the honor to work together with Batman. Even now, no matter how trivial some of these cases had been, Wally still thought fondly of the man that Batman had been. Strict but kind in the way he took control.
Not many saw it that way, not now or back then, but Wally knew. Wally had seen that kindness and had kept it close to his heart too.
Another blink and Batman had been gone. Sacrificed for the greater good so that Earth my have another turn around the sun. Even now, so many years later, people spoke of Batman with honor and awe. With gratitude and fear of someone who was bigger than life.
Life had never been so difficult after Batman had been gone.
There had been many regrets from many people. Many things Wally never voiced for years (later, he would talk about these things with J’onn, but the regret was still there. Settled but never gone). But life had gone on.
The League had continued, had evolved (would Batman be proud of with how they handled things?), they all had. No one had ever replaced Batman in his chair. Sure, they had had many people briefly sit in it, consult with them, but no one stayed. Not that they wanted anyone to.
They had many allies now, many people who helped them make the world a better place but no one would ever dare to step into Batman’s place.
And now Batman was back and Wally didn’t feel like the man he had become. He felt like he was 21 again. His heart in his throat and his tongue tied in ways that made his throat ache.
The reason why Bruce was here was noble. Tragic. Again, so much lost and even then, Bruce went on and tried to do more. It was so endearing.
Wally blinked once more and a few of them stood up. He looked up at them before following suit and stood up, his eyes moving back to Bruce as if he was a magnet.
He liked to call himself stupid sometimes, a fool even but life had taught him well. Many lessons had been had which made him come to only one conclusion: to not be stupid for once in his life. There was nothing here to gain. Nothing positive anyway.
This was strictly business.
“Flash,” the deep voice sounded almost the same (he still remembered, after all these years).
“Wally,” he corrected easily, without effort as he turned to Bruce, an easy smile on his face despite his chest feeling like it was going to implode. Business.
“Wally,” young Bruce echoed, his face already painted by so much grief and pain that it would have been difficult to look at the man (not for Wally, never for him. He’d preach about Batman’s legacy until his last breath). “Do you have a moment?”
At the end of the day, Wally would always be stupid.
