Chapter 2: Reactions

The Team sat around in the kitchen, sampling M'gann's latest batch of cookies, waiting for Wally to come rushing through the Zeta-Tubes and steal them.

"So what's taking Baywatch so long," Artemis questioned, around a mouth full of cookie.

"Eh, he's a flash they tend to be late," Robin said shrugging. "Him, Flash, Jay, all of them seem to always be late for something, usually everything."

"So what do we do?" Artemis questioned. "Not like Batman is gonna send us on a mission without him. I swear secretly he plays favorites."

Robin smirked, as he recalled the soft spot Batman had for Wally ever since he had become friends with Dick, not Robin. "Eh, I don't know want to see if there's something on TV other then static Supey."

"I like this channel," Superboy muttered looking at the TV.

"Will you please let us change the channel?" M'gann asked.

"No," Superboy huffed, but tossed the remote to Kaldur anyways.

"Thank you my friend," Kaldur told him grabbing it and turning on the TV.

"Buy a—"

"Dora Dora Dora the Explorer—"

"HULK SMASH!"

"Kid Flash is currently—"

"It started when an alien device did what it did—"

"Wait go back," Robin shouted. "It said something about KF."

Kaldur fumbled with the remote a bit before finally changing the channel.

"This is Iris West-Allen, reporting live coverage from Central City. It appears that a new speedster who has been identified as Zoom is now being attacked by Kid Flash the Flash's young teenage partner."

Robin's eyes widened, "this is bad." He muttered.

"Why?" Artemis asked, making a bubble with the gum in her mouth. "I've seen Wally's villains, they all have a soft spot for him, trust me."

"Not this one," Robin said seriously. "Trust me."

Everyone slowly made their way to a couch or chair as they watched Wally dodge around the older speedster. Each holding a mug of hot chocolate made earlier.

The question on everyone's mind is where is the Flash?

The news woman, Iris West-Allen, Artemis remember looked worried, more worried than a normal person should be about a hero. It clicked suddenly, West-Allen, the red hair, she must've been related to Wally, she must've known.

Did he abandon his younger partner or does he simply believe that the Fastest Boy Alive can take down Zoom?

"The Iris West-Allen woman has a point," Kaldur voiced his thoughts. "Where is the Flash and why is he not with Wally?"

Robin bit his lip, "I'm not sure, but I'm sure he'll get there soon."

Everyone winced as Wally was punched in the gut and sent flying back into a wall, bricks crumbling as his back made contact.

"He better!" Artemis yelled. "Wally's getting killed out there!"

M'gann whimpered and huddled into a ball, and Artemis realized her mistake.

"No, no, M'gann it's a figure of speech, I'm sure….I'm sure Baywatch is going to be fine," but Artemis wasn't sure who she was convincing M'gann or herself.

Everyone sat watching Wally battle Zoom, in horror as he took punch after punch.

Suddenly Zoom's hand came out as a yellow blur sending Wally flying into a nearby police car, denting the door and falling to the ground, he didn't get up.

In those few seconds many things happened, M'gann screamed and buried her face into Superboy's chest, who angrily glared at Zoom on the screen. Kaldur appeared shock his mouth open slightly in shock.

Artemis wasn't sure how she felt, some strange mixture of regret, guilt, fear and sorrow, as she dropped her mug letting the hot liquid spatter to the onto the ground.

Zatanna felt tears come to her eyes and turned to the Boy Wonder sobbing, "He's going to be alright, right Robin? Robin?"

The Boy Wonder just sat there in shock, begging for his friend to get up. Ignoring the way the hot drink he held burned his fingertips.

"Come on Walls," he begged, even though he knew Wally couldn't hear him. "Get up. Get up."

Everyone watched frozen with fear as Zoom advanced towards Wally, the youngest speedster lying motionless on the ground, his hair a slightly darker red than it should be.

"Come KF," Robin begged the TV. "Wake up."

M'gann screamed once again as Zoom picked Wally up by his hair and raised his fist to punch Wally, only to watch as Wally's eyes opened wildly and he began vibrating wildly, fear clear in his eyes, as he escaped the threat before him and ran.

"Where's he going?" Artemis asked.

"Hopefully somewhere safe," Robin said. "There is no way he can take out that guy by himself."

It appears, that Kid Flash has fled the scene, The TV sounded softly in the background. Why he did it we don't know, was it fear perhaps? We may never—What was that?

"We need to find him help—" Superboy never got to finish as they all watched wide eyed as a yellow blur darted onto the screen, and was gone the next, leaving everyone confused as Zoom hunched over in pain.

"Was that—?" Zatanna began.

Another yellow blur another punch.

"WALLY!" Everyone cried.

"That idiot!" Artemis screamed. "He's going to get himself killed!"

No one spoke up to answer to her, everyone was too scared, their eyes glued to the news channel.

Suddenly Zoom was sent flying colliding with a brick wall and collapsing to the ground, however the victory was short lived as Wally didn't stop.

"Why isn't he stopping?" M'gann asked, looking at the Team. "He won didn't he?"

Robin watched as the yellow blur passed the screen again and again, "I-I don't think he can stop." He stuttered. "I think he's stuck running."

Suddenly Flash appeared on the screen, eyes wide as he watched Wally rush by, following him instantly.

M'gann was crying again and Artemis and Zatanna were trying to comfort her.

"M'gann, I'm sure he's going to be fine, Flash will save him," Zatanna said softly as Artemis echoed her.

Suddenly Flash was on the screen again, screaming wildly, his whole body vibrating. "Kid!" He screamed. "Answer me! Kid! Kid!"

Everyone collapsed, as they watched Flash fall to his knees sobbing, his head in his hands, and everything froze.

Reporters stopped questioning the grieving hero, the flash of cameras ceased as everyone hung their head in sorrow.

"No!" Robin screamed, pounding his fists on the coffee table. "No! No! No!" His mug too had fallen from his grasp, shattering with his words.

"It's not possible, I'm sure it's just him messing with us right?" Artemis sobbed. "Please tell me it's not possible."

This, The red head on the screen was sobbing as she spoke. This just in, Kid Flash partner of Flash and teenager, has been declared dead after witnesses watched Flash break down in the park the fight took place moments before against Zoom.

Superboy screamed, punching the nearest wall and causing a crater to form, before throwing his mug against it. "Someone is going to pay!" He growled.

"I believe The Flash beat you to it," Kaldur said in an angry monotone as he pointed to the screen.

Sure enough Flash was holding a half conscious Zoom, vibrating wildly with pain, anger, and grief.

"You," They all heard him growl loudly. "This is all your fault! You killed him!"

They watched in anger and disgust as Zoom coughed up blood and said something to Flash, Flash's eyes narrowed and with a growl threw the man to the ground punching him solidly in the gut.

"Why?" Flash screamed to no one, or so it appeared. "Give me one good reason why?" They watched as he picked up Zoom and punched him again, in shock as the usually happy go lucky hero, turned deadly. "He killed him! He killed Kid! He doesn't deserve to live!"

They watched as Flash's grip slowly relaxed, and he fell to his knees yet again, letting Zoom crumble to the ground, and authorities take me him away, obviously whatever the person on the other line had said got through to him.

Suddenly Flash's head shot up like a bullet his eyes wide; they watched him mouth something unhearable, except by Superboy who spoke for him,

"He told Batman to shush and said Bats hang on I think I heard him."

Everyone's eyes widened and they looked at each other, was it possible? Was their friend and teammate alive?

"We," Kaldur spoke softly. "We should not get our hopes up, remember the training mission."

Everyone hung their heads, the training mission brought back bad memories, memories of Wally and death.

"No you're wrong!" They watched Barry scream and Robin smiled softly, sadly.

"He sounds like Wally," he whispered. "When Artemis died and it was finalized."

Artemis gave him a confused look, her eyes blurry with tears.

Suddenly Flash was gone from the screen; nothing was there to show that he had been there at all, except Wally and Zoom's blood and rubble.

M'gann was still sobbing into Superboy's chest, clutching his T-shirt tightly as if letting go would make Conner die too.

Robin was in a state of shock, death followed him like a plague. First his parents, and family, then his best friend, who was next? Batman? Roy? Alfred? How many people would he have to watch die, before death would leave him alone.

Zatanna was trying to comfort Artemis, while trying not to sob herself, Artemis was hugging her best friend tightly sobbing.

"I should've told him," she sobbed to Zatanna. "I should've told him. Why did I wait? Why didn't I tell him? He was just starting to like me."

Zatanna closed her eyes and let tears fall, she hadn't known Wally long, but she had known him long enough.

She had grown to love the bright cheery attitude that followed him around and the way he made people laugh at the price of his pride. The way he could get almost anyone to smile, how he never seemed to stay angry at anyone.

Kaldur just sat there, fists clenched, mouth set in a firm line as he fought with the tears that threatened to fall.

I cannot cry, he reminded himself. If I am to cry, The Team will see that their leader is weak, it will not help our cause. There will be time to grieve later, when you are alone.

But even as he tried to compose himself he knew it was no use, he had just lost someone who he thought of as a brother and friend. He had lost someone who could make the impossible happen.

He had witnessed Wally make Superboy, and even Batman, smile, make Artemis laugh. He had watched him in amazement as he found Robin in a game of hide and seek and got Roy to calm down after a fight.

He had managed to make Kaldur feel like a leader, when he did not, and Zatanna stop crying after she lost her father to Fate.

Finally for his final act he had managed to make Flash cry, and fall to the ground in despair, for once no smile etched upon his face.

Kaldur didn't realize he was crying until salty tears touched his skin and he brushed them away, only for more to come.

I am strong, I am the leader, he realized. But that does not mean that I can't cry for a lost friend.

And so he let the tears come pouring from his face. No one had realized how much time had passed before the TV crackled,

Kid Flash died this morning at 8:00 AM no body was found. Tomorrow a funeral will be held in his honor, and a statue will be started. The lady that had been on earlier was gone, and had been replaced by another reporter, who looked like he was having difficulty composing himself.

Robin was the first to speak after the silence that came with the finalizing news.

"Do you guys remember when he pulled that prank on Arty?" He asked a faint smile on his lips.

"Remember it?" Artemis laughed. "I had to live with it! My hair was pink for days!"

M'gann hiccupped a smile on her face, "or when he tried to get Wolf to howl?"

"And suggested the camping trip?" Superboy suggested.

"How about when he ran into that wall?" Zatanna laughed.

"Which one?" Robin cackled.

Kaldur held up the small cup of hot chocolate that he still held in his hand, "to Wally." He declared.

Everyone smiled, "to Wally."

Kid Flash B03

Everyone jumped in surprise as a yellow and red blur bolted into the kitchen.

"YOU GUYS! YOU GUYS!" A happy voice exclaimed. "I was just in the Watchtower! The Watchtower!"

"Your-your-your—" Artemis stuttered.

"Dead?" Wally finished. "Please Arty you can't get rid of the Wallman that easily." He ran around and grabbed a batch of M'gann's cookies and continued. "I wish you guys could've seen it! It's a giant floating rock type thing IN SPACE! AND I WAS IN IT!"

Wally's smile was almost too big for his face as he babbled on, before suddenly he was pulled into a tight hug.

He froze and looked down to see blond hair, "Hey um Arty are you okay? Not that I care or anything, but…."

He was cut off as Robin spoke for her, "we thought you were dead Wally, everyone thought you were dead." His voice had a darker tone to it, and held none of his joking manner.

Wally blinked for a minute, before recovering, "Oh come on guys, you can't get rid of me that easily." He laughed. "I mean if I'm dead what does that make me? Kid Zombie?"

He yelped in surprise as Artemis pulled away and slapped him, "This isn't a joke!" She screamed. "We thought you were dead! D-E-A-D DEAD! You made not only M'gann cry, but everyone else as well!"

Wally stood there silently staring at his feet, his eyes finding sudden interest in the floor panels.

"Do you have any idea how Flash reacted? He almost killed Zoom! Killed him! And now you're here acting like nothing happened!"

"Artemis," Kaldur said, placing a hand on her shoulder, seeing the speedster's obvious discomfort. "You should stop."

"No!" She shrugged away from him. "Not until he gets it through his thick skull that this isn't a game! That—"

"Stop!" Wally screamed, his head zipping up. "Just stop." This time it came out as a whisper.

Everyone looked at him in confuse.

"Wally, are you—?" M'gann began only for Wally to interrupt her.

"Okay? On the outside, physically, sure I'm fine, but emotionally, mentally? I don't know how I feel."

"Like you feel at all," Artemis scoffed. "Mister I don't care everyone thought I was dead."

Wally's eyes hardened, "You want the truth?" He growled. "Fine. I was scared okay. I couldn't stop running, I couldn't even talk to anybody correctly, my voice was robotic and sped up, and I don't even think Flash heard me all that well."

His eyes stared harshly into Artemis's as he continued, "Facing Zoom was the worst experience of my life, and there was nothing I could do to stop him, or so I thought. I broke into something called the Speed Force, think of it as a paradise for speedsters that you can never leave, I didn't want to come back."

"If it wasn't for you guys," he continued. "If it wasn't for Flash I would still be running, because that's all I ever do is run. Run away from everything. I was scared. I almost died, but it's easier to smile and go on with life then be constantly reminded that you should be dead. That everyone thinks you're dead."

"You happy now?" With that he stormed out of the room, leaving everyone shocked and flaring at Artemis.

"How was I supposed to know?" She tried, but no one said anything, back.

"Go talk to him Artemis," Kaldur told her finally.

"What? He hates me right—"

"Now," Kaldur growled.

Artemis paled and hurried off after Wally, sighing she went to the one place he would be other than the kitchen, his room.

In truth, she had never even seen Wally's room, no one had. Except maybe Robin, it was his safe haven, a place where no one else could go.

She heard sobs on the other side, and hesitated.

You could just leave, she thought. No one would know you didn't actually talk to him.

Robin would, she told herself. And I would, Wally would.

She sighed and knocked, "Hello? Baywatch?"

"Go away Artemis," came the soft reply.

"Wally, either you let me in or I blow up the door." She threatened, glaring at the metal door.

To her surprise Wally snickered, "Been there done that, Robin blew it up last month."

Artemis growled, fine I'll just pick the stupid lock. Kneeling down she set to work on picking the lock, after a couple minutes it clicked and she walked inside. Instantly she knew why Wally wanted no one in his room.

Inside everything was Flash related, from the blanket on the wall to the posters that decorated the walls and ceiling.

She looked over at the speedster who was lying face down on his pillow.

"Wally," she said softly.

"Go away," he muttered.

"Not until you and I talk," she growled pulling his upright and froze.

Wally's eyes were bloodshot and his whole body was shaking, tears still streamed down his face.

"Talk about what Artemis?" Wally half growled, half sobbed. "About my death, gee thanks for the reminder now leave me alone."

Artemis glared at him and Wally winced, "leave me alone please?" He asked and Artemis rolled her eyes, amazed the speedster could still manage to show off his sense of humor even when he was crying.

"No like I said before, not until you and I talk. Wally I'm sorry," Artemis closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, I was just….I was worried, I thought you were dead."

Wally looked down at his feet playing with a loose thread on his blanket, "now you know how I felt." He muttered eyes downcast.

Artemis looked up at him with a blank expression, "huh?"

"During the simulation when you died, it was the worst moment of my life, I truly believe that I was going crazy," Wally let out a humorless chuckle. "I threatened J'onn, a League member, how's that for crazy?"

Artemis chuckled, "pretty crazy, I guess."

Wally looked up at her, "but you want to know the worst part?"

"What's that?" Artemis asked.

"That'd I'd never get to tell you."

Artemis gave him a questioning look, "tell me what?"

"This," suddenly there was soft pressure on her cheek before suddenly it was gone and she looked at Wally in amazement, his cheeks now as red as his hair.

"Wally I—"she started in shock

"Sorry," he cut her off. "I should've asked I should've—"

Artemis cut him off by kissing him and pulling back, "don't apologize."

Wally smiled like a kid during Christmas, his once saddened eyes, now bright and cheery and for the longest time both just sat there, holding each other and during that time everything was perfect, and nothing matter.

Neither cared that the other had died at least once, they didn't care about the sadness and anger they had felt moments before. All they cared about was that they had each other, and hopefully that would last a life time.

Down in the kitchen the Team smiled as they watched from Robin's holocomputer.

So what did you guys think? Too fluffy/cliché? This took a while, because I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to do it XD But look it's here now! WITH SPITFIRE!

So as a friend pointed out I forgot Roy…let's just say that he's out shooting baddies somewhere to get his anger out or he just wasn't watching the news at the time XD

REVIEW REPLIES

Raveia: -_- Flash's sidekick and family member just died, Batman's son/ward best friend just died, I don't know if you've ever known somebody who had somebody close to die, but it tends to affect them greatly. I mean wouldn't you act crazily/grief stricken if one of your closet family members was just murdered

Sassbrat: Thanks and you're correct :D

Arabian Nights103: Lol love your laugh XD

Your Biggest fan: Sorry no Roy….I kinda forgot about him…let's just say he's out shooting some baddies to get his anger out XD

Star1321: THANKS!

READINGhearts17: Yep! (PS I hit every number before I hit 7 when I typed your name XD)

A2ID: THANKS!

Klimmatt: Thanks :D

Cary99: THANKS!

Twaxer: Thank you-o

Irenerb: Thanks!

Witch08: Thanks! And yes continue!

PLEASE REVIEW (for those like one reviewer, these people are in a state of shock their gonna act a little OOC)