Just had an idea for this and was SHOCKED to discover I'm not going home till Monday, so the wonders of Internet are still there for me. I own nothing talked about in this oneshot, and I'm sorry if people are OOC, or something, but I just felt like writing, and didn't feel like writing any of the fan fics I'm working on (even though I promise I'll write em) and so, yea. Sorry if you don't like it. HOWEVER: most of my other fan fics aren't like this one. So, if you don't like this, check the other ones out. If you like this one, just go check out the other ones. Please. R&R. By the way: I won't lie. I just wanted to see the word count go up and that's why this DISCLAIMER is so long. I'm sorry. I've embarrassed myself. Really sorry. One more word and it's be 3880! Now it won't anymore... now its like 3894. Stay tuned for an ultra long summary at the end! 3907...(counting that. damn it. OKAY... counting the number: 3916!) Oh, BTW... I don't know if someone named Bolt exists, but, it's not that one if he does. Made this ALL up. Except the main characters. Reiterating: Don't own Justice League or D.C. 3960

BOLT

Flash opened his eyes to see Batman. He tried to sit up abruptly, and felt a pounding headache lodge itself inside his head. He was also shackled to the bed, but it didn't register in his head, as the headache was piercing into his temples. He thought back to the night before, wondering if he had had one too many beers, but he had been on a mission, which meant no beer, and no fun. His eyes scanned the room, a small area with blanch-white walls and two metal chairs. There were skid marks on the white tile floor from people pushing the seats to fit their needs, and white curtains hiding the observation window. His eyes finally drifted to the right of the bed he was laying on and landed on the man clad in black, who either hadn't noticed he was awake, or didn't care that he was awake.

"Morning, Bats," Flash offered with a weak smile, still confused as to why he was in the Justice League infirmary. Batman nodded slightly, not turning around, as though he was angry. "Any reason why I'm here?" Batman turned to him, looking surprised.

"You don't remember?" he asked, suspicion in his words. Flash looked at him blankly.

"Remember what?" Batman stared at him long and hard, before pushing a finger to the Com. Link in his bat ears.

"J'onn, Superman, Shayera, Green Lantern, and Diana. Go to Infirmary room 000021, level 4, sector 5. Bolt woke up, and..." He paused and glanced to the young redhead, who still felt confused beyond belief. "He doesn't remember what happened. I think he doesn't remember...any of it." Flash stared at him, paling. What didn't he remember? Whatever it is, he thought to himself, it scares the crap out of Bats that I don't...

John was the first to arrive, just as Batman figured he would be. He had been visiting Bolt during all of his spare time, apologizing, and sitting at the bedside, wishing out loud for him to wake up, and even crying when he thought no one was watching and listening. Unbeknown to him, however, Batman was doing the same. Though for different reasons. Of course, he hoped the young man would heal, but he was also doing it for the good of the league. If he woke up the same, he might still feel the need to accomplish what he had started.

John walked slowly towards Bolt who looked at him expectantly.

"Hey, Buddy. What's with all the drama?" John stared at him. Did he really not remember?

"N-nothing, buddy. How do you feel?" The familiar, yet almost forgotten, grin spread across the redhead's face.

"Like I could use a couple hundred aspirin. What about you? The way Bats was acting, I half expected you to be, I don't know, half-dead or something."

"Yea." It was all John could manage under the pressure. What could he say? That Bolt had tried to kill him? That he probably would be fully dead if Bolt hadn't been stopped? With force?

"So... it turns out I got a 'Regarding Henry' deal going on."

"Huh?"

"Can't remember squat," Bolt clarified. "Well, leastways, that's what Bats says. I remember going on the mission last night. Can't remember how it ended, but... I never can when I can't concentrate, and with this damn headache, I feel like Grodd is doing the cha-cha on my skull." He smiled weakly. "So what's the 411? What happened? What'd I miss?" All John could stare. "Hello? Anyone home?"

"Did you just joke?" He asked finally. Bolt stared at him incredulously.

"Course not, dude. I'm like, Mr. Serious. Only Bats does the jokes." John felt his face go blank, as Bolt stared at him. "What?" John shrugged.

"I just.. I can't remember the last time you joked around." Bolt's face darkened, and it was much more like the expression John saw on him lately.

"What?" He sounded worried.

"Um..." John was thankful that Superman chose that second to enter the room, looking extremely angry and worried.

Superman sped to Bolt, glaring at him.

"Don't you dare lie to me," He seethed. Bolt's face went blank.

"Huh?"

"I know you're lying. I know you remember all of it!"

"All of what?! What the hell is going on?! I wake up to Mr. Sunshine over there," he waved to Batman. "And John comes in here, acting like I'm some tightwad who never jokes, and you come in here, looking as pissed off as that time there was hair dye in your shampoo, and, since you're already mad, I'm stretching it, that was me!" Superman blinked. What? All he could manage was,

"You put the dye in my shampoo?"

"Blonds have more fun," The young man replied with a smirk. "Not as much as redheads, but you weren't ready for that just yet." Superman actually smiled, but it soon collapsed into a scowl.

"I don't know what you're trying pull, but you can bet that I'll stop you!"

"From doing what?!" Bolt demanded. "All I wanna do right now is take a leak!" He scowled. "Is that illegal now?"

"No, but murder is." Superman snarled. Bolt raised an eyebrow.

"So?"

Diana walked into the room to see Superman hunched over a confused-looking Bolt. She had missed him, all-in-all, but had been ready to kill him if need be. She had had to be. Friend or not, he was a threat.

"Wally?" She inquired, ready for the seething comment she always expected, but was never prepared for.

"Princess!" There was sincere happiness in his voice, something she hadn't heard for months. There was no sarcastic bite to it. Was he just setting himself for a rude comment? She eyed him warily, but he didn't notice. "Sweet! Finally someone who isn't looking at me like I'm Homer Simpson, fresh out of the T.V! What the hell is going on with these guys?" Diana stared at him. His face fell. "Damn, are you messed up, too?"

"Wally?" She asked slowly. "Do you really not remember anything?" She always had been the one easiest to believe him, for all of his lies and deceit. She always wanted to believe. It was her fault, for believing him, that all those people died.

"I remember all of it," He replied, and there was a glint in Superman's eyes. "My name is Wally West," He recited. "I went on a mission last night with John and Supes to Metropolis. You're Princess Diana of Themyscara." He continued to recite things about those in the room, but Batman interrupted.

"What year is it? What month?" Bolt nodded in understanding.

"2008." He answered easily. "August ninth." Batman glanced at Superman, who loosened the grip of his collar. "What? I get an A plus?"

Batman stared at the young man before him, so young and so ready. So believing that he understood. Did he really not remember all the people he had killed? All the money he had taken for Luther? The day he turned on Superman? The day that Superman pounded his fist into him for the first time, and that smug look was finally replace with a determined scowl? Forever?

"No." he answered simply. The kid paled. Batman thought for a moment. "It's 2010." He explained. "December." Bolt nodded slowly, taking it all in. Then he smiled.

"Oh, I get it. This is payback for that prank." Batman thought back and actually remembered sitting on the whoopie cushion. It was a fond memory now, because Bolt had changed since then, and he hadn't just changed his name. Batman had yelled at him a lot, and he hadn't really deserved it. It was just a joke. God, he missed jokes.

"Bolt, this isn't a-"

"And what's up with that?" Bolt demanded. "You said 'Bolt' when you told the folks I was waking up." He ignored J'onn and Shayera as they entered. "Huh?!"

"That's your name." Superman replied coldly.

"No. My name is Wally West."

"Your supervillain name is Black Bolt, or Bolt."

"No, Flash is my- wait, what?" His face had paled.

Shayera stared at him as he fumbled with words, the color continuing to drain from his face. She knew that J'onn probably wished he could read his mind, but Luther had installed that damn contraption into him when he had first gotten him to shield him from the Martian's prying mind.

"Bolt." She said in greeting, with a hint of loathing menace in her words.

"Shay?" She paused. He hadn't called her Shay since...

J'onn stared at the young man. He didn't know whether to punch him, or to hug him. For many months, he had been wreaking havoc, but now he seemed like he had before Luther had hired thugs to catch him, and inflict mental agony onto him, forever changing his perception. He smirked. Maybe not forever. They hadn't taken head trauma into account. Unless he was faking his amnesia. The smirk faded.

Superman watched as Bolt stared at Shayera. He seemed to be like he was before Lex Luther had...- He cursed under his breath. He was thankful the vile man was dead, even if it was Bolt who had killed him. The Justice Lords had never happened. There was only one Justice Lord. His eyes fell back onto the distressed red head, who had killed so many for the 'good of the people'. He had finally realized he wasn't a hero, and turned to killing the League, so he could be perceived as one.

"Shay, you too?" Bolt finally managed. She nodded stiffly.

"I don't like killers."

"Neither do-" He paused as he realized the implications of what she had uttered. "No... Don't tell me I-" He looked helplessly at Batman.

Batman avoided his eyes. What could he say? This Bolt, or rather, Flash - God, it felt good to have Flash back, and not Bolt- hated killing. He never killed anyone except aliens, and he hadn't really killed them- the sun had done that. If he revealed that Flash had killed thousands, hundreds of thousands, the kid would never be able to think straight.

"No... I wouldn't do that, Bats-" The desperation in his voice was different. Bolt was always cool and collected. But this isn't Bolt, John reminded himself. This is the real him. Flash. Wally. Not that thing that Luther created and couldn't control. And it is wonderful to have him back. "John." The voice was breaking. "Tell me I didn't kill someone." John realized that Bolt- no, Flash- was this distraught at the thought of killing one person. How would he react when they told him how many he actually killed?

"Wally," Superman was talking now. His eyes had drifted to the scar above the speedsters eyes. This kid doesn't even know it's there. Doesn't know. Doesn't even know. That lucky bastard, he has no idea what happened in the last two years. "Calm down." Bolt turned to him, the cold edge to his eyes melted into the soft green, whose kindness had been gone for two long years.

"I killed someone." He said quietly. "At least tell me who."

"Luther." Batman jumped in. There was slight tension in Wally's body, then he looked up.

"What did he do? What did he do!? We've fought him so often, what could he do that would make me snap?" He demanded. "I hate him, but I would never, ever kill him!"

"Apparently you would." Superman said icily. He didn't miss the flash of terror and sadness on Wally's face, and he immediately felt guilty. This wasn't Bolt. This was Flash, someone from years before, who risked his life daily, and it was, for him, as though he had just awoken in the future. And he was then told that he had killed Lex Luther, and that most of the League despised him. There were tears building in the young man's eyes and Superman put a comforting hand on his back. There was no stiffening in him, as there was when he had interacted with him after Luther took him. He hadn't been through whatever had made him Bolt- whatever had made him go insane. Go to a level no one would ever expect him to elevate to. Wally looked at Superman slowly, and asked,

"What happened, Supes?" he asked softly. "Tell me what he did. Tell me he did something that made him deserve it. Tell me it was for his own good. Tell me people would have died if I didn't do it. Tell me it was the only choice. Damn it, tell me something!"

"He deserved it," John said quietly. "He always did."

"Tell me why I'm Bolt." He paused, a hitch in his breathing. "A supervillain." Batman was the first to speak.

"Luther hired some people to get you." He began. "He... changed you; made you... different."

"Capable of murder." Wally whispered coldly. Superman felt uneasy. Couldn't they just never tell him? Give him back the shiny red costume and let him be Flash again? Fuck the world's logic- this had to work! This was too good a thing to just... go away.

"Yes." Came Batman's response. Wally turned to him.

"But you know me... You know I'd need a good reason to kill him. Why do you all hate me?"

Shayera didn't bother to say that she didn't hate him, because she did. She used to love him like a brother, and then he changed. He turned into someone who believed it was okay to kill. He killed Luther, and then came back to the League, expecting to be welcomed back into open arms, and he was. J'onn, however, tried to read his mind, and found out that he couldn't. But he could tell that he had changed into something with none of the morals that are needed for a hero. He was turned efficient, with a clear and easily corruptible view of good and bad. There was no 'inbetween'. He killed a thousand, if it would save a thousand and one, without looking for another way. He wasn't a hero in mind, just in symbolization. He eventually realized that the only way he could be respected again would be to go against the League. He didn't show mercy, ever, though the League tried. Superman hesitated, and it cost twelve civilians. Diana trusted him, several times, and each time, there were casualties. Bolt didn't see these as betrayals to his old team- he saw their refusal to join him as a betrayal. She did hate him.

"You killed more then just Luther." She told him calmly, with no remorse. She saw his face go pale. Batman shot her a look of pure anger, before turning to Bolt, or Flash, or Wally, or whatever he prefers. She glared at him. She wouldn't have cared if he had died. He already had. Two years before. When Luther freed him, and he was turned against after a few robberies. She sat in bed too often, guiltily crying. Wishing that Flash had died in body and mind- that Luther had killed him. But she always awoke in the same God Forsaken world she had fallen asleep to. And Flash never stayed when she woke up and her dream drifted away into the chasms of her deep mind. But Bolt always came back.

"Who!?" He demanded. Batman put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Here he was, helping one of the worst criminals in the entire world. He flinched inwardly. No. I'm helping a friend that left, he told himself. A friend that won't come back when he leaves again.

If he leaves again, you mean.

He's just forgotten, J'onn, Batman answered to J'onn as the Martian Manhunter entered his mind for an unspoken conversation. He kept his hand on the depressed speedster. When he remembers, he'll be Bolt again.

There is always a chance that he-

Won't remember? Batman scoffed inwardly. More of a hope, then a chance.

We need hope now. Flash has returned.

No, he hasn't. Bolt has forgotten-

I may be able to enter his mind. Flash may let me, if I explain. Perhaps I can keep him here.

What?

I can keep his mind in this state. He can learn new things, but it will be as though none of the things that transpired happened. Bolt won't return.

Can you inform the others?

We'll have to talk to him as well, of course. The world he remembers is much different. I doubt anyone could give that up.

It's not as though he's from the past. He just doesn't remember.

To him, it is as though he is from the past. It may be uncomfortable-

I'm sure comfort is something Flash would willingly sacrifice to save people from Bolt. Batman looked up to see J'onn's reluctant, curt nod. The others, except for Wally, who had been oblivious that Batman had even been indisposed, in the room fell into a blank stare much like Batman's for a few minutes. The blank, vacant stares disappeared, and Superman was the first to speak.

"Wally. Can we ask you something?" The red head's dipped head raised.

"Sure." Was the quiet response. He looked so meek. It was hard to imagine that the League had had problems stopping him. But, then again, everyone had been holding back. It was Flash, for Christ's sake.

"J'onn has an idea." Superman told him softly. "And Bolt won't come back."

"Kill me?" he asked. There was no worry in his voice, and it scared Diana. Didn't he care?

"No!" Superman quickly told him. "If you can...open your mind to J'onn, he can help you... stay the way you are."

"What do you mean 'open my mind'?" He smirked slightly. It was weird to see him smile. He hadn't smiled since he believed Superman betrayed him. He had been fighting the League over the safety of three hundred people. Superman was sure they could find another way, besides killing the leader of the gang threatening the people. Bolt wasn't. He had just recently left the League to be his own hero. The League was trying to be tolerant of his actions, and that was their mistake. He turned his back on Superman, saying he was doing wrong. In the end, Bolt killed the leader, and was about to kill the rest of the gang. Superman tried to stop him through talking, but Bolt was insane because of Luther. Logic and reason were foreign to him. All he understood was force. So that is what Superman used.

"Luther put something into you that rejects the mind of J'onn, unless you openly and consciously allow him entrance," Batman replied. Diana smiled slightly at him. Before Bolt, and Luther, they had actually been together. Eventually, Batman collapsed into the downfall of Bolt, and blamed himself for everything. He watched over Bolt always, and always paid close attention when missions involved him. Maybe he was the reason some of the younger heroes were afraid to kill Bolt. If they killed him, they would have to deal with Batman. Batman understood Bolt had to be dealt with. He just didn't want the day when it was done to arrive. No one did. When Bolt arrived at the mission a week ago, Diana recalled, Batman watched on the monitors. When the scaffolding collapsed on him, he was brought to the infirmary under Batman's orders.

"Okay then." The young man said with a nod.

"You understand what you're agreeing to?" J'onn asked. The kid looked confused. "You'll have to live in this world. With your own reputation." Diana expected him to be torn now, or at least troubled. Perhaps she even expected him to cry. The least thing she expected was for him to laugh.

It sounded so familiar and real, without the sarcasm that had been used for the two years Bolt existed. So... pure. John grinned, though he didn't know why. This was good news, but certainly it couldn't be interpreted that way by Wally, who was giving up his entire life, in a way.

"Why are you laughing?" Superman sounded almost annoyed. Wally grinned.

"I'll have to build a new one, Supes." He said with a grin.

"I don't get it. You- you're basically giving everything up." Superman said with a sad and confused shrug. Bolt- Flash- laughed at his confusion.

"Dude... I just forgot something. Not like I'm from the past in the future. 'Sides, I stay here, and Bolt doesn't. Right?" Superman nodded. He had forgotten, just like John had, that this was Flash. Flash, who was willing to do anything with a grin. Flash. God, it sounds good. No more Bolt. That sounds almost as good. But having him back... John's smile grew at the mere thought of a world with Flash.There was only one way that Flash was like Bolt, and that was his determination. His ability to see things clearly when they needed to be seen clearly had stayed with him, and it was refreshing to hear logic leave those lips instead of lies and threats.

"All right then... J'onn?"

I saw the look on his face return to it's darkened hatred. I saw J'onn look heartbroken, which is so rare in someone never willing to show emotions. Confusion was mixed with the anguish, and it took all I had not to cry when Bolt- Bolt, not Flash- stood, glared, and left, all in the blink of an eye. He was the fastest man alive, after all.

Maybe we should have sped things up. Maybe it was just inevitable that Flash wouldn't stay, and that Bolt would return. Always. I won't waste time crying before I go to sleep tonight. Because I know that as soon as I fall asleep, he'll be back. He'll be back, and Bolt will be gone. Forever. At least, until I return to this god Forsaken World.

I know there were a lot of little breaker lines, but that was just switching from character to characters. 4,016 word(s)!! Yay! I hope you liked it, and I'm sorry if you didn't. Thanks for reading it, tho! Don't forget to review kindly! Including: 4,046! I know. Excited over the menial things... 4,056! By the way, I tried to clear the ending up, but I don't think I portrayed it right... your comment gave some different scenarios, and I liked them all. It originally meant the first, but I really liked the third. I guess it's the first- that Flash- er, Bolt- just remembered everything? In the end, I guess you can choose for yourself, and I know thats stupid and vague and junk, but...yea. sorry. BTW:4147