Young Justice Oneshots

Speed Force

What is this... This place... I feel like, like goo. Or something. Like... Like I'm everything and everywhere. Like I'm part of the universe. The real fabric of the universe.

What is this place?

The speed force.

The name supplies itself into my brain like a memory. And suddenly my life makes sense. I can see my past, ever since I was hit by the lightning, right before my eyes. It's there, from that very first moment in my uncle's lab all the way up to being swallowed by this... This thing.

It's like I've been in the speed force ever since that day. Like I'm part of it. I may have even created it.

No, Uncle Barry did. That's right. Uncle Barry created the speed force the first time he ran. And I helped make more when I started running. Grandpa Jay's not part of it, though... His powers are from Mercury.

Wait a minute, what's this?

Is that...

Dick?

He looks so sad... It's okay, Rob. Don't cry. I'm right here! You just can't see me. No one can... Not even Barry.

But still, I want you to see me. Want you to feel that I'm alive. That's why you're crying, isn't it? Because you think I'm dead? But I'm not, Dick. I'm not.

Dick...

Dick...

------

"Dick!"

A sudden silence falls on the group as the one word makes it through the barrier back into our universe.

Dick lifts his head, wiping another tear from his eye under the mask. "Wha--?"

"I don't know..." Ms Martian supplies. She raises a hand to her temple and concentrates. "It feels like it's coming from over here..."

As she walks towards the spot in the snow where Wally disappeared, Dick feels a small shard of hope forming in his mind. That voice, the one that they'd all heard. He knew that voice. It was Wally.

"Ah!" M'gann cries out suddenly. Conner runs over to grab her arm as her other one starts to disappear before their very eyes. "It's-- it's pulling me in!"

Dick doesn't need another hint. He runs over to M'gann and pulls on Conner's arm. "Wally?!? Wally, are you in there?!?"

"Rob?" Says a voice, and they all feel tears coming back to their eyes as they recognise their friend's voice. "Rob, I'm in here."

"Wally, listen to me! You have to come back!" His voice cracks, but he doesn't care.

"It's so beautiful here, Robin. So beautiful..." M'gann cries out as he starts to slip away.

"Wally, don't go! We need you here Wally, can't you see? I need you here. You're my best friend!" They can feel Wally coming back through again when Dick speaks those words. They can feel him coming back.

"I'm... I'm trying, Rob. I'm really trying..."

"Try harder!" Dick yells. He's not desperate anymore, more angry. Wally is not allowed to leave. Not like this. "Wallace Rudolph West if you die in there I'll--"

"What? Kill me?" Wally suddenly appears out of thin air and nearly collapses on M'gann, but she dodges and he lands on Conner instead. Conner looks like he wants to drop Wally, but Dick gives him a death glare and he reconsiders.

Dick rushes to his side and Wally gives him a weak smile. "Good thing I came back."

If Dick weren't so relieved he would smack Wally. "We thought you were dead. For three hours."

Wally looks confused. "Three hours?"

Before Dick could say anything, Barry ran over and started smothering Wally.

"Oh my God Wally I was so worried what happened youneedtotellmeeverythingnevermindthatareyoualrightareyoufeelinglightheadeddoyouneedtositdown--"

"Slowwwww down, Uncle B. I'm fine, but you're doing the thing again."

Barry smiles and crushes Wally again. "I'm just so happy! I don't know what I would've told your aunt, let alone Mary and Rudolph..."

While Barry worried, Bart had also run over and attached himself to Wally. They're locked in a big Allen family hug.

Then, a small voice asks. "What happened?"

Wally turns around and sees Artemis standing alone at the edge of the destruction zone. And he glares.

"Uncle B? Did you do the thing I asked you to do yet?" Barry shakes his head. "Good. Artemis, I dated you out of pity. I never liked you."

Before Artemis could work up her fury, Dick tackles Wally and buries his face in his neck. He starts to say something, then thinks better if it and buries his face again.

And suddenly, it's like they're in their own little world. "It was you, Rob."

Robin squeezes harder and keeps his face hidden, refusing to do anything to respond to Wally's equally tight embrace and grip on his hair.

"I came back when I saw you crying," Wally states. Dick looks up at that.

"Where were you?" He croaks.

"The speed force."

"I... I love you..." Dick says, not leaving Wally's gaze.

And suddenly, he's being kissed. "I love you too, Dick. I love you so much."