Important note: Due to my inability to kill off characters I love, I can guarantee that Barry isn't dead. But the world thinks he is. Don't know if I will write the scene itself (probably not, but who knows) but it's basically the scene from Justice League, where Flash (Wally in that version, sorry if I changed it to Barry *hides*) goes too fast and disappears into the speed force. Instead of getting out immediately, he stays there for a while.

YJ

Wally was getting faster.

Something Barry bluntly noticed on one of their usual patrols. He didn't have to hold back as much as he used to do, Wally could keep up with him for longer periods of times without having to stop to catch his breath, he was generally getting faster and more in touch with his powers.

Barry skidded to a halt, stopping somewhere outside of Central City without any civilians around them. "You're getting faster" he stated.

Wally stared at him with a confused look. "I am?" There was hope in there as well, some sort of pride that the Flash, his uncle, would say that. It wasn't a big secret that Wally wasn't too confident with his powers, just because his powers weren't as 'good' as his uncle's. And Barry had always stated that he was still developing.

Barry grins at the comment. "You know, one day you might even be faster than me" He adds and Wally scoffs.

"You always said that"

And it was true, back when Wally had just gotten his powers, and had noticed how much slower he was compared to his uncle, he was very disappointed to say the least. And even to this day he still wasn't fully able to vibrate his molecules through solid objects, or run as fast. But Barry had always been there to encourage him, convince him that he'd get better.

And tell him that we was still developing.

"And I mean it, look kid.." Barry says, putting a hand on Wally's shoulder. By now, the young ginger was even catching up to his uncle regarding height. "One day I won't be able to be the Flash anymore"

Immediately Wally flinches at the mention, recoiling from his mentor's touch but Barry tightened his grip on his nephew.

"I know you don't like to hear it" Barry whispers, sadness hidden behind his cowl. "But one day I won't be here. Either retired or a mission gone wrong; which isn't a strange thought"

Barry didn't even need to mention something, or give an example because they both knew too well the dangers that came with the job. They had both been injured too many times not to know, come close to death too many times to know that death was always lurking, ready to take them.

"12 years ago I took the cowl from Jay, and one day you will do so as well. Carry on the Flash legacy." Barry puts a hand on Wally's chest, staring at his nephew and wishing that he could just take off the cowl. "I won't never truly leave, I'm always here. I'm not even sure if I'm the one to leave you. God forbid you from going first, but it could"

Wally wrenches out a laugh but failed to hide his distress fully. "I know all of this Flash, I just.. don't want to think about it now okay?"

Barry nods, smiling and pulling his nephew into a tight hug.

"I know you are afraid of losing me, or anyone" Barry tightens the hug at the mention, knowing full well that this was still a touchy subject. "But I will do everything I can to stay with you, and save the ones important to us"

25th October, 2011. 19:32

"And you did" A soft voice croaks out, tears silently streaming down his face.

Wally traces a finger over the picture in his hand. Just him and his uncle, together and smiling. Alive. And that was only 1 month ago, one month since the picture was taken. Involuntarily a sob escapes his throat and he whimpers pitifully, putting a hand on his heart and gripping at the material covering his body.

"Why are you hurting me?!" Wally mumbles, rubbing his chest. 'I won't never truly leave, I'm always here' He had said, and it was so cheesy, so standard to say that loved ones never truly left, and they'd always be in one's heart.

But it was true; and right now his uncle was hurting him, tearing his heart to pieces from the inside.

"Wally?"

The ginger hangs his head, dropping the arm that was holding the picture and placing it on the desk next to him.

"How you doing?" Dick asks in a soft voice, cautiously walking up to Wally.

"Just fine" But his voice betrayed him, cracking mid-sentence like he was still in the midst of his puberty. Like his voice was still starting to crack altogether. Like he was still a kid.

"I can see you're not Wally" Dick responds, still speaking softly and Wally slowly turns around. Their eyes lock for a second before both of them lower their gazes. Wally eyed painfully at the costume his best friend was wearing; Robin. The suit had been upgraded throughout the years, redesigned slightly.

But he was still Robin, the Boy Wonder. And the only thing that had changed in this room was the lack of yellow. Kid flash was gone, in front of Robin now stood the Flash.

"Wally, bats said you don't have to do this. The league can help with protecting Central City, heck, we could help out" Dick exclaims, but Wally just sits down on the table, his ginger hair falling down to shield his eyes from Dick.

"I know how to protect it."

"But you don't have to, not alone at least" Dick ushers and Wally snaps his head up.

"What if Batman died?"

Dick winces at the mention, but Wally pushes back the regret he feels with the comment, too wrapped up in his own problems. "You would do the same Dick, carry on his legacy. Because Gotham needs Batman. Just like Central City needs the Flash"

At this Dick narrows his eyes slightly, hearing the bit in Wally's voice, but he knew that Wally was just heartbroken because of Barry's death, and exhausted beyond belief.

The ginger sighs, rubbing his eyes to remove any evidence from his breakdown just minutes ago. Then, without saying anything, he pulls the cowl over his head. The cowl feels weird, even after trying it on several times before today.

"You can't help out forever, Central needs Flash. The real one, or a copy" He says, taking a deep breath "Sorry Rob" He whispers softly before brushing past his best friend, ex-team member, and enters the zeta tube leading to the watchtower.

"Recognised Flash 04"

And Dick is left alone, standing in the opening of Wally's room at mount justice. Posters were ripped, glass was smashed, flash action figures were broken; his room was generally a mess.

Just like Wally.

YJ

21th October, 2011. 23:02

4 days ago.

"Recognised Superman 01, Batman 02, Green Arrow 08, Black Canary 13"

Later he would realise that the question was already answered before he even asked, before he even saw the ones that the voice announced, later his mind would be rational enough again to know that it was clear what had happened, out of denial, and his positive mindset. Maybe not the exact details, but he could've known.

"Batman?" Dick questions with a raised eyebrow, pausing the game they were both playing. Both teens turned around with a questionable look on his face.

Batman wasn't even glaring at this point, instead, a distressed look was on his face. Superman's face was filled with sadness and sorrow, and he stood awkwardly in the back, and Green Arrow was now slowly peeling off his mask to reveal his bloodshot eyes, while Dinah's were already brimmed with tears.

"Wally" The latter says, her voice heavy from the sobs that were trying to escape. Slowly Wally looked up, climbing over the back of the couch to walk up to the four heroes.

"Where's Flash?" He asks, his voice soft. "Where's Uncle Barry?"

He was met by silence, and immediately he understood. Understood what had happened, what his Uncle had meant all these months ago.

"No.." He whispers, staggering back a few steps, his knees buckling. A strong hand was placed on his shoulder, but he didn't notice it, didn't shrug it off or even react to it. "Tell me he's home.. Med-bay.. kidnapped... anything" Wally begs, tears jumping in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Wally" Batman says, taking a few steps forwards to consult Wally but the ginger takes a step back.

"No"

"He didn't make it Wally, he saved us" Whether Wally heard what Superman said was unknown at the moment, because before he could fully finish his sentence a voice instead interrupted them.

"Recognised Kid Flash B03"

Immediately Dick runs after his best friend but Batman blocks his way, putting a comforting hand on his son's shoulder, something he initially wanted to do with the ginger.

"Clark, where did he go?" Batman asks, eyes narrowed and lightly squeezing Dick's shoulder as some kind of reassurance. But to Dick it felt like keeping him in place, keeping him from going after his best friend.

"Central City" Clark eventually answers as he nears the zeta tubes, and Batman narrows his eyes at the mention of Barry's and Wally's hometown.

"He's going to his aunt's house, let him be for now" Batman orders the rest and they all nod, all too shell-shocked to really argue with the dark knight.

"I'm going to find the rest of the team" Dinah eventually whispers, taking Ollie's hand and forcing him to walk with her, taking upon the task of informing the team that one of their heroes had fallen in battle; died. A hero that was close to them, to their teammate, cared for them, laughed with them.

But she couldn't do it alone.

Once Ollie and Dinah were gone, Superman makes eye contact with Batman for a second before entering the zeta tubes himself, the voice announcing his department. Dick watched silently, almost frozen in place, unable to say anything.

"Dick" Batman says when they were alone in the main area of the cave. That was the last thing the boy wonder needed, and tears started to stream down his face

Silently Batman kneeled, pulling Dick into a tight hug. And the boy wonder broke down completely, sobbing into the Batman costume, fisting a handful of the black cape. Bruce pulled down his cowl, vaguely realising that Dick wasn't wearing his sunglasses in the first place, and wrapped his arms around the boy.

"It's n-not fair" Dick hiccupped, choking on his own sobs, and Bruce nodded sadly, no explanation needed. Dick knew how much Barry meant to his best friend but Barry was dear to Dick as well. He thought of him as family, the father of his older brother. Barry had talked to him numerous times, comforted him when he was in a fight with Bruce.

But he also knew that he wasn't suffering the largest loss here.

Wally was.

Barry was probably the biggest, if not the only, reason Wally was the Wally they now knew. After they took him away from his parents, after being years too late, Barry was Wally's rock, he showed that he could trust again, he showed the fun in his life; fun he'd never known. And now it was gone.

Barry was gone.

"I know kiddo, I know" Bruce mutters, allowing Dick to sob his heart out.