A/N: After how long I finally get around to writing Birdflash. Starts at 2x17 and will be mulitchaptered. (I'm using Wally's original origin from the comics since the show didn't really give him one.) Title from Sweet 16 by Green Day (gives me total Dick/Wally feels.. listen to it)

Take Me Back to an Hour Ago

Chapter 1

"Like a certain thirteen-year-old used to say 'That's just what we do'," M'gann said with a smile. Dick smiled as well. Sometimes he found it hard to believe he was the same scrawny kid who would play word games. He almost wished things were that simple again.

"And a certain fifteen-year-old would say 'If you're going, I'm going'," a familiar voice came from the door. Dick and M'gann turned to find Wally standing next to Sphere with a smirk on his face.

"Wally!" M'gann shrieked, running to hug him. Wally hugged her back and looked over her shoulder at his best friend. Dick smiled softly but stayed put, not knowing how to approach the other boy. The last time they had spoken left he two confused about where their friendship stood.

"What are you doing here?" Dick asked, walking over to where the two stood. M'gann was petting Sphere and beaming like he hadn't seen her do in ages.

"I figured you guys could use some help. Uncle Barry said you weren't doing very well."

"Well that's about the understatement of the century," Dick replied.

"Who better to fix it than the original team, right?"

"That sounds perfect," M'gann said, moving over to stand between the two boys. They would all fix this together.

/

Wally knew the moment the chemicals washed over him in Barry Allen's lab that there was no escaping the life. He often liked to think of his personal history as pre-speed and post-speed. Once granted his powers he could hardly survive the way he had before. He trained himself to slow down, and even breathing became a struggle for him. When Wally decided to become Kid Flash he was the third sidekick at the time. He'd heard of Batman's Robin and Green Arrow's Speedy and was excited to meet other boys around his age who were taking on a man's job.

Roy Harper was a huge disappointment in Wally's eyes. The kid was good, of course he was. He wielded a bow and arrow like no other, but could be a huge jerk. It was Robin that Wally found himself attached to. The boy was two years younger than him but about twice as mature. He would soon discover the boy's past and true identity, which he responded with "If you're-then he's- Bruce Wayne is BATMAN?" He received a "Sh! I'm not supposed to tell you!" in return. Wally beamed, for he'd never been trusted with anything so sacred before. About a year later they went on to form the Team. There was no way he could leave being a superhero, but why would he?

It was losing Jason that made Wally realize he wasn't immortal. None of them were, except maybe Conner, but even he was half-human. Jason was just a kid; the same age Wally was when the Team started. The kid could be a real pain in the ass but he saw a loneliness behind Jason's blue eyes, so similar to Dick's it was hard to believe the two weren't actually related. Wally had been on a mission with Dick and Artemis out in Star City (clone Roy was no help these days) when Dick got a call. He hurried back to Gotham without a goodbye, leaving Wally and Artemis worrying for their closest friend. It wasn't long after Batman came to Justice League meetings without a Robin that Wally and Artemis both decided to leave the life. They were already living together in Palo Alto and attending college. Ripping out a part of their lives would be easy, wouldn't it?

Adjusting to normal life had been hard for him. He wasn't constantly running or saving someone. Instead he was studying organic chemistry and learning to walk like a real person all the time. He vowed to not use his speed for any reason, not even simple household activities that could be performed easier with the help of super speed. No, he wasn't Kid Flash anymore. He was Wally West, and he was okay with that.

But when Dick knocked on their door one day and asked to speak to Artemis and not his best friend, Wally knew he couldn't escape this. Artemis agreed, promising him the mission wouldn't take long and that she would be home soon. He didn't give Dick a friendly hug when he left that night. He wouldn't for a long time. Lying to Artemis's family and friends was the hardest thing he ever had to do. Consoling Ms. Crock at her daughter's grave and organizing a funeral with Oliver Queen made him feel disgusting. He was lying to these people, ruining their lives, all for a mission. Why couldn't Nightwing have sent someone else underwater? M'gann would have gone. She would have been a better pick.

That was the first time since he donned the Kid Flash uniform that Dick Grayson was referred to as his superhero name in Wally's mind.