Spidey & Speedy - Central City Rush

Chapter 16 - All Hail The Underdogs, All Hail The New Kids

***BARRY***

Somehow, the kids' absence at CCU has yet to be noted. I think it might have something to do with the fact that all the other students are basically being allowed to roam the campus and visit whatever displays, seminars, etc. they like.

"I suppose what we've done is better than what I expect a few of our classmates might be doing," Peter laughs.

"Getting drunk in frat houses?" Eddie asks.

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'screwing like bunnies in the nearest supply closet,'" Peter says, "but that sounds just as possible."

Eddie rolls his eyes. "I feel so old, 'cause I never did any of that sort of thing in high school."

"He's not kidding," Iris says. "Barry may be a nice guy, but Eddie was a serious Boy Scout."

"Weren't you literally a Boy Scout?" I ask him.

"No," Eddie says, shaking his head. "I spent too much time taking law-enforcement classes in high school."

"Close enough," I say.

Peter's phone goes off. He checks the screen and says, "Damn, it's time for us to get to the airport now."

Caitlin pouts. "Already? We've barely shown you any of the cool stuff in this city!" I raise my eyebrows at her, and she amends, "I mean the stuff regular tourists get to see. Not the freaky quantum metahuman tour."

"Don't say that like it's a bad thing," Grayson says.

"Yeah," Olivia says, crossing her arms. "I dunno about you, but I sure had a ball."

"So did I," says Ravi. "In spite of myself."

"Stop being so stiff," Liv jokes, punching him in the arm. "That's my job!"

"You're not dead, you're undead," Ravi points out.

We all laugh for a few minutes, then I turn to Peter and hold out my hand. "Seriously, though," I say, "we really didn't get enough time to get to know each other, did we?"

"I know, right?" Peter says, shaking my hand. "Between the endless bad guys and wormholes and a sleepless night..."

Looking on from one side, Gwen shakes her head at us. "Tsk, tsk. Boys, what is wrong with you? Hug it out like men!"

We don't really need much more encouragement than that. It doesn't take more than a second before we follow Gwen's order, embracing like brothers. Which, in a sense, we kind of are. "Till the next crisis," I say.

"Or maybe you could just visit," Peter quips, completing the Artemis Fowl quote.

More hugs goodbye are exchanged with Gwen, Grayson, and Olivia. "New York awaits," Grayson says, "and don't worry, guys - we'll be sure to send you a postcard!"

In the distance, the bus chartered by Midtown Science honks its horn. Before our goodbye can get too prolonged, our younger friends walk in that direction, waving to us one last time before getting on board.

Next order of business - getting back to normal. Iris takes Eddie home so she can show Joe the most positive side effect of this weekend's adventure. Cisco and Wells head off to STAR Labs - it's officially still blocked off, but there's a satellite facility in Keystone City, and they've decided to take what computers are still here and move them there instead.

That leaves Caitlin and I to walk Liv and Ravi back to the train station. They're not returning to Seattle, though - instead, they're moving further south, to Beacon Hills. "I would've thought you'd had enough of ley lines for a while," I laugh as they buy their tickets.

"It's kind of a personal vision quest thing," Liv says. "And besides...let's just say right now, I'm zombie non grata back home."

"Why is that?" Caitlin asks.

"Ask me again sometime," Liv says. "Hell, you can just DM me on Twitter." She really does give us her Twitter handle, too. Then she and Ravi walk through the turnstile leading to the high-speed rail platforms, both of them waving jauntily goodbye.

I'm about to leave the station, but Caitlin's not - and then I remember that Ronnie's coming back from Coast City today. "What's the matter?" she asks as we go down to another platform - not the high-speed one this time.

"I just think..." I clear my throat. "I bet Ronnie'd be super-jealous when he found out about what we did without him this weekend."

"I don't think so," Caitlin laughs. "He has enough trouble processing his own metahuman powers sometimes. Imagine how much his brain would break when he found out there were three heroes in Central City at once."

"That wouldn't be a pretty sight," I snicker, even as I disgust myself by imagining it.

Before long, the Amtrak from Coast City pulls in. Ronnie's already looking out the window, and he waves down at Caitlin and me.

But he's not the only one looking out the window. In the car behind him, there's another guy looking down on the platform. One whom I've found bears a slight resemblance to Ronnie, but slightly older and more rugged. Or like a less blond Eddie.

"What's up, Barry?" Caitlin must be following my line of sight, but that other guy's no longer in view.

"I think I just saw Oliver Queen in there too," I say.

"Really? You sure?"

My suspicions are confirmed when Ollie barrels out of the train less than five seconds after it comes to a complete stop and calls my name.

"I'll be right back," I say to Caitlin, despite my sinking feeling that the opposite is going to be true. Walking over to Ollie, I say, "Didn't I just see you the other day?"

"Our work is never over, is it?" Ollie says. "So, Barry, I hear you got yourself some new friends?"

"How'd you-"

"Believe me," says Felicity Smoak as she stumbles out of the train as well, "as much as I'd love to stop it, it's all over the news and we pretty much can't do jack shit about it." She adjusts her glasses, then says, "At least all of you guys are still anonymous."

"Which is perfect for us," says Ollie, "'cause we kinda need all the help we can get. Some bad shit's about to happen in Starling-"

"When is there not?" I ask.

"Not like this," Ollie says, his tone more urgent than ever.

Felicity edges up to me and whispers one word that galvanizes me into action. "Eco-terrorists."

I stiffen, my blood going cold. "What can we do?"

"Are Spider-Man and Nightwing still in town?" Felicity asks.

I tug at my shirt collar. "Uh...no, they...they're actually about to leave. They might even have left already-"

"Get them over here," Ollie says. "And I'll take care of the transport. We're going to Starling City on the next train."

I whirl around and read the screen displaying the schedule of arrivals and departures. "That's in ten minutes," I say.

"Should be no problem for you, Flash," Felicity laughs.

I nod once. "No promises," I say. Then I race off, running almost at the speed of sound. Anything to ensure I still have a chance of catching my fellow heroes.

Ronnie wasn't kidding - there really is no time to stop and breathe. And the adventure continues...