New HappyVerse fic: ...Then By New Year's
Nov. 30th, 2006 10:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sylph_ficsTitle: ...Then By New Years
Cowriter:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
merfilly
Characters: Titans, Arrows, Birds, and some other very special guest stars.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 8,602
Continuity: HappyVerse
Disclaimer: DC Comics makes the money, people
Notes: It's official... HappyVerse is our refuge from the meaner things in comics--and our one-stop fix-it shop.
Summary: The party's not over... after all, there's a lot of happy news to spread.
Ollie glanced at the clock in the hotel room, trying not to disturb the woman sleeping on his shoulder. He pulled the phone from the stand and punched speed dial, waiting for Bruce to connect.
After a few moments and a few rings, his lover's sleep-rough voice answered. "Ollie? Everything all right?"
"Figured you'd be up by now, London and all...or did you come back already?" Ollie tried to keep his voice low.
"You know my opinion of mornings..."
"Well, there's reason to enjoy this one." Ollie brushed a kiss over Dinah's forehead as she shifted. "Wally and Barry, both of them, came back last night in a flash of lightning. With their ladies, and Linda's got two kids."
The sound of Bruce sitting up quickly came through the phone. "Repeat that?" His voice sounded much more alert this time.
"Dinah and I were in Seattle, and Barry...he brought them all home. Even changed that kid back to a kid." Ollie chuckled softly. "We parked them at Jay's until they can get new lives."
"I hope the Tower's still standing," Bruce said dryly, shaking his head. "Placing them with Jay was probably the wisest move."
"Thought you should know. I mean...Barry. It made Dinah practically faint."
Bruce nodded. "Its... definitely a shock. He's been gone so long..."
Ollie sighed. "Sometimes, Bruce, I have to wonder what we did to deserve our chances to start over, but in Bare's case...no questions at all."
"Mmm.... True enough." No since discussing old wounds more, and Barry had been among the best of them. "It will be interesting, having the speedsters back, in any case."
"True." Ollie felt Dinah shift again. "Going to go now, as Pretty Bird's getting restless. Would rather not wake her yet."
"Sleep well," Bruce told him softly. "And kiss her for me."
"I will, Bruce...and we miss you." Ollie hung up the phone, then curled around their lady.
He closed his own phone, head tilting slightly as he considered what this might mean, how the re-emergence of the Flash clan might change the world that was still rebuilding.
~*~*~*~
Barbara glared at the alert, having gotten to sleep not...twenty minutes prior. "Oracle."
"Sorry, O. You're going to want to see this, though.." Robin's familiar voice hit her ears.
She lifted her head off her arms and turned to the screen she activated. "Go ahead," she murmured.
Soft sounds of keys and the image of the Titans Tower almost two hours ago flashed up onto her screen, all of them toasting at the ball dropping, then the sudden, dramatic entry of two thought lost, and the reactions of the Titans as they mobbed their own.
"Oh...hey, is that Rose Wilson?!" Oracle was too much the Bat, seeing a threat among her loved ones' supposed haven.
"Yes, and you can blame Nightwing for it."
"I will." She seethed, but then the sight of Young Justice, and especially Tim's reaction softened her heart. Seeing Dick so free was good, but she had trusted him to one day find his balance.
"She's better, O. It... seems okay. Thought you ought to know we had the Speedsters back. Finally cornered Wally to drag answers out of him. It's not just him and Bart... Barry's back. And his wife and Linda and the twins."
"That is...interesting." Oracle ticked over all the changes that would entail in the power vacuum left by Bruce and Clark and Diana being absent.
"Isn't it, though?" Tim's voice said he was thinking along the very same lines.
"I'll need to get in touch with them, help them re-enter society," she said.
Tim nodded. "True. I have no idea where they are, but Canary ought to."
Oracle murmured under her breath about operatives and unhelpfulness. "Thanks, Robin."
"Anytime, O. You owe me one, though..." smile in his voice. He wasn't serious. "Robin out."
Oracle let the link go dead, then sat back. She looked at the time, then debated waking her partner up anyway.
Finished reporting--and having told Dick he was going to--he headed back for the party that was still going strong. He found Anita and Greta both on the couch sitting with Rose, a very animated conversation going, while Mia had managed to move to Kon's side. He nodded at Nightwing when he turned, saying everything was handled, and dropped by the trio of Raven, Gar, and Vic. "Quite the night..."
Raven nodded at him. "Yes, it certainly has been." //And I'm waiting for the other shoe, now.//
"I'm still not happy...oww." Gar glared at Vic's hand on his arm.
"It's been a good night, regardless," Vic said.
"Think how I felt when he sprung her on us on the jet," Robin replied. "Yeah, it has. Have I managed to mention how good it is to see you up and around?"
Vic nodded in acceptance. "The twins did a fair job." He casually left his hand on Gar, even as Gar was leaning into Raven's space.
"Well, Dick's not on my good list...oww, Vic!" Gar shut his mouth, then shook his head.
"Watch it!" Robin snapped softly at him, flicking his eyes behind them. Not often he'd yell at Gar, but what the hell was he thinking. "You know he doesn't trust easy, Gar. If he believes her, there's reason."
Raven spared a glance at Robin that said she would handle this. "It may be a shock, but there are very few people Gar doesn't like," she said drily. "And one of those happened to be Slade."
"But she's not Slade. She's a kid that we failed to protect from her father." Vic's words hit Gar hard, Tim could see, as the green one looked up at Vic.
Robin nodded back at her, letting Raven take this one. He didn't want to take point anyway. He nodded at Vic's words. "Pretty much. Anyway. Oracle knows, so you don't need to worry about that, Vic."
Vic finally turned Gar loose, and they settled back to party mood. Raven wasn't sure she'd need to say anything else; Vic had made as strong a point as she had seen concerning her own treachery to the team. Finished, Tim headed back towards his lover and the rest of his first team, glad to see Mia was still handling the other girls fine. She caught his look her way and smiled at him, a saucy look. She was quite content to see it all unfolding, as some of the younger Titan hopefuls made their way toward Young Justice.
*~*~*~
Hal kept his energy shield up against the terrorist cell he had tracked to this remote Siberian location, and was on the verge of reaching out to break all their weapons, when the gunfire ceased...and the men fell down. Around it all was a scarlet blur.
Hal froze, keeping the shield up out of long-ingrained paranoia, watching that blur as best he could, unable to believe the evidence of his own eyes. "Ring, Identify."
"Identity: Barry Allen, also known as the second bearer of the code Flash."
//Are you sure?// He didn't say it, but he felt like it. That wasn't possible. The Speed Force was gone, and Barry had been gone so long...
"Are you going to make me keep running to stay warm, or let me in?" Twelve brief images of his one time friend appeared on the clock points around his shield.
"Barry?!" His voice rang with the shock, then he dropped part of the shield long enough to let him in.
"Never thought to see that day when Hal Jordan was slow to make a decision." Barry stood in front of Hal, grinning under the cowl. "Ready to go grab a bite, since I knocked them out and convinced the Russkis to come pick them up?"
"You've got to admit that's it's a little hard to believe, Bare," Hal said as he reached out to yank him into a hard, fast hug. "How in god's name did you pull this one off?! ...We're not supposed to call them that anymore and food sounds damn good."
"Let's just say I used my head once my kid sidekick showed up in my afterlife." Barry shook his head. "You look almost like you did when it was us and Arthur and Dinah and J'onn."
"Yeah. Part of how I managed to come back. So, where're we headed for dinner?"
"I'm in the mood for fish," Barry said with a twinkle in his eye.
"Fine, then you're hauling us." He changed the construct, willing to let Barry use his speed, though he couldn't help a chuckle. "Aiming to annoy Arthur before you even see him?"
"He won't stay annoyed," Barry said smugly. He obviously knew something.
"What've you got up your sleeve, Bare?"
"That would be telling," he said as he took off running at a comfortable speed.
"Yes, it would, and you can start anytime," Hal agreed. Barry gave a full laugh, refusing to slake Hal's curiosity.
Hal muttered something nasty under his breath, glaring at the back of Barry's head.
"You know, you do a really poor impersonation of Bruce." Barry still had all the quiet instincts that had made him the more logical leader of the League. And he probably still wasn't prepared for Hal's low snarl, or the reply of "I wasn't," in a tone that could freeze the air around them.
"Even at this speed, you've got time to tell me what in the world drew that on," Barry said, his voice not quite commanding, more compelling.
"Nothing, Barry. Don't worry about it."
"Excuse me, Hal...but at what point did you decide I would let it go? You both were my friends then...and I need to know why you aren't friends now," Barry said.
"Bruce is and has always been a jackass, and it's only gotten worse. I can work with him, when I need to." //Bare, you don't want to know. trust me on this.//
"I'll just have to see about that, then," Barry said as their over land and sea portion came to a stop in California. "Your show now, Hal. Take us down; this is where I felt Arthur last night, when I was trying to find one of you four."
"Good luck. Subdiego," Hal said and headed them that way, going for Arthur's usual quarters.
The mix of Sub Deigans and Atlanteans they saw regarded the green bubble with curiosity. When they arrived in Arthur's make shift court, the blonde man growled. "I told you, Hal, I have my own prob..." His eyes finally made out who was in the construct with Hal, and he pointed. "Who is this imposter?!"
"Arthur, I really miss your old self, who passed on the trouble of looking for a lightbulb wrench to Snapper," Barry said with an amused smile.
"Would you calm down?" Hal replied, then firmly put a leash on his irritation. "The ring says it's him."
Arthur looked at both his friends, then slowly began to smile. "You two... The surface is in for trouble to have you both back."
"Actually, I have something to sweeten the deal here below," Barry offered. "When I was trying to find you, on my way back, I noticed a temporal flux where Atlantis used to be. I think if you were to send someone with magic there, I think a young kid...or not so young, I guess...is trying to come home."
Arthur's hand shook at his side, before he made a gesture to a nearby palace guard. "Take a team, with guards, and one of the more experienced students of Vulko with you." He could not quite keep the expectation and hope out of his voice.
//So that's what you were holding... no wonder you were so sure Arthur'd forgive you the fish.// He grinned slightly at Arthur's earlier words, "Who, us? We don't make trouble..."
Arthur laughed at that, his mood going as bright as Hal had seen it in the entire time he had been back. "I'll hold a feast in your honor," Arthur said. "For your return, Barry, and for offering me hope that Garth is still out there. It will make his wife and son happy."
Hal smiled back at him. "So long as you're sticking him with the guest of honor role and not me. All I did was play taxi."
"We all know you can't help but steal the show," Arthur told him with a smile. "Oh 'Leader' that you were." That set Barry to laughing, remembering the day clearly when the team had told them both who was really in charge...to both of their surprise. That got Hal, too, and he started to laugh, shaking his head. "I was young and stupid, too."
That got Hal, too, and he started to laugh, shaking his head. "I was young and stupid, too."
"We all were," Barry agreed, walking over to Arthur and gripping him by the shoulders. "It's good to see you."
Arthur clapped him on the shoulder with his flesh hand, and nodded. "I'm still not going up there," he said, mock threateningly.
"I understand, truly," Barry said. "Just remember...we're your friends, and your troubles warrant our attention too."
"I'm not going to fight with you about it," was Hal's reply. He thought Arthur was being ridiculous, but this was too good a day to spoil with arguing politics.
"Good," Barry said before Arthur could start the next round of not-arguing.
"You know, J'onn is going to give all of us screaming headaches if we don't tell him soon," Hal commented to change the subject.
"Then allow me," Arthur said, closing his eyes. "As I do not need to share any such headaches with my friends." He pushed against his baseline telepathy, thinking of the Martian, and was quickly rewarded with a query. {"Come to SubDiego,"} Arthur thought, shielding the knowledge of why.
{"As you wish, old friend."} J'onn did not often deny a person's request, no matter how phrased, when delivered by contacting him telepathically."
Hal shifted and gave both he and Barry a pair of chairs to wait in. 'Thanks, Arthur."
Barry looked all around, noting the efforts of reconstruction going on still. He had glimpsed other futures, futures without Arthur, or with a different Arthur, but none of those Hypertimes mattered to him now. He was home, among friends, and all the possible futures mattered nothing compared to the one he would help make now.
J'onn arrived, feeling the flavor of great joy, of hope, and ...a life presence he had not touched in years. He became visible as he entered the palace area, to see his mind had not deceived him. "Barry Allen."
Hal flicked his fingers in a hello a J'onn, changing his field so that J'onn would have no trouble joining them. J'onn did so, and both Barry and he moved to hug, thumping each other on the back and smiling. J'onn stood back, looking at his Flash with a sense of true relief and happiness. "Good to have you home, Barry. Perhaps now, Hal will stop eating all my cookies." He gave the Lantern an amused smile for all his unscheduled visits to John Jones' house.
"Couldn't get so lucky," Arthur laughed.
"I'll try to keep him occupied elsewhere a little more. Iris's cooking should be a good lure."
"One, I'm plenty occupied already. Two, I do not eat all your cookies, and three, what was that crack about luck?" His voice was indignant. "Four, Iris's cooking sounds damn good," he added before Barry could retract the offer.
The four friends all found themselves laughing, as they settled in and waited for the meal Arthur had hastily ordered while waiting on J'onn. A conversation quickly ensued over who was doing what, and remember whens, as the bonds were nurtured, ones that had tied them together through the decades.
*~*~*~*
Dinah stretched sleepily, hearing Ollie in the shower, but his spot was still warm. She rolled into it, and then let a small curse emerge as her earring chirped insistently. She turned the gear on, and sighed. "Yes Oracle?"
"Are you just taking some perverse pleasure in not informing me of fairly critical things, or was there some purpose in letting me find out through Robin that four of our own were back?" Babs didn't sound happy in the slightest.
"Umm...I was busy?" Dinah offered as an excuse. "Sorry...I was doing damn good to figure out how to get them back to Central, and did not tell Zee who it was." She still felt the odd pulse of intense joy to know Barry was home and alive and perfectly himself.
"...That man rots your brain," Babs replied, acid etching her tone. "You're supposed to tell me intel this critical. I do not appreciate being among the last to know something."
"Leave Ollie out of it," Dinah said defensively, as the water in the other room turned off. "And I apologized. It's not like you had a real connection to them the way I did to Bare." As the words slipped out she regretted it; picking an argument with Oracle was not the wisest way to go.
"Fine. When you decide to start working with me again, you know the number," and the gear went silent.
Dinah swore under her breath, and picked up her cell phone, dialing Barbara's number.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry, Babs." She drew in a deep breath. "I almost fainted at seeing him...can you understand just how scrambled that made me?"
It was a few moments before Babs replied. "...yes, I think I can. At least somewhat. Just don't make me find out from Robin the next time."
Ollie came out, towel wrapped around his hips, and tilted his head at the sight of her on the phone when she'd still been mainly asleep, wondering who it was.
Dinah tapped her earring for answer, then concentrated on her conversation. "Let me make it up. I'll bring Thai next time."
"Sounds good."
Now Dinah let her eyes rove all over Ollie's chest. "Going to let you go," she purred, her voice changing tones in that man hungry way Barbara had known far too well in their early days. "Zinda and I will be home late tonight."
Babs rolled her eyes. "See you then."
Ollie moved towards her, as caught up by that tone as ever.
"Bye." Dinah ended the call and tossed it aside, made sure her gear truly was offline, and then crooked a finger in Ollie's towel before he could join her on the bed. "Hello lover," she purred, drawing him back over her with clear intentions. Ollie purred back at her, kissing her deep as she pulled him down.
*~*~*~*
When they finally agreed they all needed to go. J'onn hitched a ride back in Hal's construct, then they watched Barry turn his eyes East. "You two go have fun. I've got one more stop today." Barry smiled at both his friends. "And J'onn, thanks. I'll think on that offer of helping set up the new lives."
"Be safe, Barry." J'onn looked at Hal. "Shall we go find...entertainment? I believe you offered to show me why these 'fights' are so entertaining to you last time you dropped in."
Hal nodded, and echoed J'onn's words. "Be safe," then turned his attention to J'onn again. "Sure, there ought to be one tonight, people wanting entertainment," he agreed, thinking about where to head a moment, then doing so after letting Barry settle on his own feet.
Barry shot off straight for a city that had changed in so many ways from the one that had been a familiar sight to him in his life before. He sighed, and took himself to the Daily Planet, glad to see it still, and went inside, changing along the way to just be an average man. He slipped onto the news floor with the casual ease of dropping names, insisting the Clark knew he was coming and getting through in no time.
Lois was the first to notice him, and even though he was not within her usual circle of dual identity friends, his appearance arrested her attention and made her drop the flash drive she had just been about to use. "Clark?" she called, getting his attention.
"Yes, Lois?" buried in a file.
"You have a visitor." She watched the good looking man approach with easy confidence, noting the way he seemed to be able to notice nearly every sight or sound around him in the way his head would sometimes turn a little, or his eyes would dart to one side. That alone told her, for better or worse, this was a speedster; they could not help processing so many things at once. And if he was who he appeared to be, Kon was not alone in coming back from the dead.
Clark looked up at that, shoulders tensing, then he found the visitor in question and it took everything he had to keep under control as he stood up, fighting to keep his eyes from going too wide.
"Clark Kent? Long time, no see," Barry said, striding up and holding his hand out to be shaken. "So good to catch up with you."
"Barry? ...Good to see you, too, it's been quite a while. Let's go talk, shall we? Lois, I'll be back before long..."
"Take your time, Clark." She watched the two walk out together, and had to dab at her eye. It gave her hope every time one came home...and maybe with so much good in their lives now, Clark would get better too.
Clark walked at Barry's side, his eyes confused and joyous behind the glasses as they stepped out of the building, out of the crowd... "I.. how..." So many questions he wanted to ask that his words were twisting around each other and the lump in his throat as he stared in shock.
"Wally showing up made me find a way, Clark. Couldn't let him end so young." Barry shook his head. "Didn't really expect to tag along, but Max insisted he could hold the lightning, told me I was needed back here and he was tired, deserved to rest."
Clark gave up and hugged him as tight as he could with nothing but mortal strength. "Good to have you back... You brought Wally back with you, then? Oh, the party that must have turned into..." his voice was ruefully amused.
"Yeah over at the Tower? Wally did not come home, much to Linda's amusement." Barry returned the hug. "Heard you had a kid now, one that just came back?"
"Kon," Clark nodded. "I could almost kill Lex..."
"Yeah, Jay told me that part too. Stayed up all night talking. What he didn't know from his team, he knew from my grandson."
"Speaking of Bart..."
"Kid again." Barry smiled. "Took the temporal energy out of his cells, de-aged him."
"That will make Kon happy... and Robin as well. Most of the Titans, for that matter... And it doesn't surprise me a bit that he didn't come home, not with Dick, Roy, and Donna all there. What are you going to do about, well, everything?"
"J'onn offered to help me build a new identity. A woman named Oracle, who Jay vouched for, also offered, but I talked to Iris...and We're both willing to live in the public eye. So, I'm going to the Flash Museum tomorrow." He seemed vaguely amused by that idea.
Clark chuckled. "That's going to headline around the world, you know."
"Yes...so you want to scoop it or send that partner of yours over to Central for it?"
"Of course I want to, Barry!" He was already trying to figure out the right words.
"I think Wally might go for a lower key approach...he's got the kids. If he stays private, and we work our costumes a bit, no one ever needs to know both of us are back, in the public eye. Make sense to you?"
"...Very good sense, so long as you two aren't both filmed at the same time... Even you can't be two places at once..."
Barry gave him a look that said 'bet me' but he nodded. "We'll stay coordinated." He got more serious. "Tell me about Hal and Bruce...why do Hal's hackles go up when Bruce comes up in conversation? And what's this about Bruce becoming a jackass?"
Clark closed his eyes, "Bruce..." he sighed and restarted. "It's been a bad several years, Barry. Very bad, in a lot of ways, and none of us really coped well. Things got... broken, between all of us, and we're all so stubborn-proud... Add in Hal's being driven insane and Bruce's unforgiving nature and..." He gestured helplessly. "I wasn't aware anything new had happened, Bruce what did you do?"
Barry shook his head. "I'm just trying to understand. There was a time...but I've been out of the loop so long." He would have to find a way to help fix this problem.
"I know, Barry. So much of what happened... I don't even know how to start telling you." //What we became, everything that changed....// "Losing Jason shattered something in him even further, Barry, and nothing any of us could do was enough to bring him back... Eventually... even I stopped trying."
"Hmm...wonder where he is." Barry would have to see for himself, try to reach the friend he had stood by.
"I think the gossip rags out of London had Bruce Wayne there," Clark offered.
"Knew he wasn't in Gotham as I did check this morning." He could not seem to sleep; had wanted to touch base with everyone.
Clark nodded, not all that surprised. "I could call him. We're... talking again, finally."
Barry sighed. "I take a little vacation, and the lot of you decided not to play nice?" He nodded. "Sure, let's go find a phone."
Clark slid his cell from his pocket. "Got one, Barry," as he dialed Bruce's cell.
"Nice." Barry waited.
Clark waited for Bruce to pick up, counting the rings, to judge if Brucie had taken someone home.
"Yes Clark?" idle tone, and only two rings.
"Where are you? Someone would like to pay a visit." Clark was amused at the tone of voice.
"Tell Barry I say hello, and to meet me in Trafalgar Square in twenty minutes."
Clark looked hurt, then sighed. "You are entirely no fun when it comes to surprises," Clark complained. "But I will. BE safe, Bruce."
"Really. You didn't expect me not to know, with the boys where they are? Of course, Clark."
Clark laughed. "True. Twenty. I'll talk to you later." He hung up.
"So?" Occasionally Barry had the impatience of his younger kin.
"Trafalgar Square in twenty minutes. He's apparently still in London."
"Hmm. Time to go kiss Iris then, and ask if she wants...well, hmm, right..." Barry sighed, realizing he could not yet buy gifts for his wife worldwide like in the past.
"I think Bruce would float you the loan, Barry," Clark said with a shake of his head. "Plenty of time."
"Take it easy, Clark!" He walked in a different direction, got to a point he could vanish without being truly noticed, and was gone.
Clark headed back towards the Planet, unable to keep the smile off his lips.
*~*~*~*~
Barry arrived in Trafalgar Square with a minute to spare, whistling a happy tune at how well Iris and Linda were sharing the raising of the twins with Joan right now. He was already plotting out ways in his head to get both families out of Jay's house, with an eye to protecting Wally from the lime light.
It wasn't long before a voice came from behind him. "Been a while..."
Barry turned and regarded Bruce with am easy smile. "Sure has, Bruce."
"You look... well," he said, unable not to return the smile.
Barry relaxed inwardly; if Bruce could still smile, then maybe everyone had just been reading him wrong. "Alive and well," he said firmly.
Bruce's eyes lightened somewhat. "Rumors travel quickly, but it's good to see. Hm. Shall we take this inside, or would you prefer to merely walk?"
"You know us and sitting," Barry joked. "They made me sit at Arthur's."
"You've seen the others, then?"
"Let's see...Dinah and Ollie, Jay and his wife, Hal, Arthur, J'onn, Clark, and now you." He paid attention to Bruce's face despite the casual listing tone he used.
Bruce nodded, and if Barry had hoped to read his face for clues, there was very little there... though his expression had lightened slightly at the first names. "What are you going to do?"
"Go public tomorrow. Help hide Wally's family by keeping the eye on mine." Barry shrugged, even as he wondered about that lightening. A blind man could have seen how involved Arrow and Canary were, again, though Jay's reaction had filled him in on there having been a break somewhere.
"How is Iris?"
"Happy to be here, away from Don and Dawn and all the terrors of our extended family," Barry laughed. "Taking a small satisfaction in watching Linda cope with twins."
Bruce shook his head slightly. "As she's done so herself? I'm glad she's happy."
Barry shook his head. "So much to share...though I'm sure Bart's talked about his family from the future..." There was a note of pride there, and Bruce realized as hard as Wally had kept on the young speedster, it would all balance with Barry being back to give encouragement.
"From what I saw, Impulse talked as much as he breathed, if not more, on any topic that caught his attention. But Robin has relayed much of that to me, yes."
"So tell me...how are you?" The speedster wanted the truth, and he wanted to be sure his friend was well.
"Better than I have been, Barry."
That got him a thoughtful noise. "They say Batman left Gotham? Planning on going back?"
Bruce nodded. "Of course. I'm... retracing things, though this is merely a diversion. The boys have been traveling with me, and as they're with their friends for the weekend, I'm amusing myself." //And missing my lovers, but this has always been their time.//
Barry's eyes flicked over his face carefully. "Want to do me a huge favor?"
Bruce tilted his head. "I've learned that's a dangerous question. What?"
Barry let a small smile touch his lips. "Call Hal. Bury whatever hatchet is between the two of you." His method of cutting though everything had not changed much. "You know I'm not one to let a friend push me from one to another, but it does honestly bother me that you and Hal aren't on good terms. You both were my best friends."
Bruce shook his head. "Even if I were willing to let drop the older grudge between us, Hal's annoyed enough with me that the handle will stay out."
"Not if you make the first move, and you know I'm right, Bruce." Barry sighed. "At least consider it."
"Making the first move would require me wanting to, Barry," Bruce replied.
The speedster got a very stubborn set to his jaw. "You do want to, Bruce...you want nothing more than to have your world perfectly back the way it should be; I remember that much. And I'm telling you that if you just call him..." He threw his hands up. "Why do I bother? You're as stubborn as he is, and unlikely to make things right, anyway." He said it with just a hint of callousness, as if he were going bitter with the way the world had changed in his absence.
"You bother because you care," Bruce answered that last swiftly, but Barry's words echoed in his mind, making him actually consider it.
"Not that it seems to do much good." Barry sighed. "Well, I've been gone most of the day...need to get back."
//Don't say that,// hovered on the tip of his tongue, but he managed to alter it to, "Don't be so sure. And don't be a stranger."
"Don't plan on it. Got some ideas to hash out with J'onn and Dinah, maybe Hal," Barry said. "Take care, Bruce. And say hi to Dick for me."
"I will." Something about that first thing he'd said had put Bruce's back up a bit, if Barry had the eye to notice.
Barry paused, head cocked to one side. "What is it?"
"Nothing, Barry," he said, shaking it off. He flatly refused to let it bother him, though if Hal gave Dinah as much trouble as he'd given Ollie the two of them were going to... discuss things.
"Yeah, and I'm the slowest man on earth." Barry shook his head. "Keep bottling every thought up in that head of yours, and you'll start forgetting the important stuff."
"No, Barry... not again." Deeper honesty than he gave most people, these days.
The former cop heard that, and nodded slowly. "Good." He nodded once, and then he was gone.
//Are you ever happy if you're not meddling, Allen?// Bruce thought at his retreating back, but it was a mild thought at best.
*~*~*~*~
The team sent to Atlantis was being cheered as they entered the city; Arthur knew without doubt what that meant, even before he reached out and confirmed through the friends he had accumulated, to see for a fact his protege, his heir, was triumphantly returned. He summoned Dolphin and Cerdian, harrumphing impatiently at her when she entered full of mournful looks and bitterness around her eyes.
The little boy at her side looked around, trying to understand all the noise, then shrieked loudly, "Daddy, daddy, daddy!" and ignored anything related to proper protocol to swim as swiftly as he possibly could to his father and crawl into his arms, clinging tightly to him.
Dolphin snapped an angry glare at Arthur before swimming away just as swiftly.
"Blasted female," he muttered. He would wait; it would not be beneficial to get between Garth and his family reuniting.
"Daddy, daddy," Cerdian said again, softly, holding on tight.
Garth was somewhat overwhelmed to be home, to have his son in his arms, especially seeing how much Cerdian had grown. "Cere," he whispered, nuzzling into his hair, just holding him tight, until Dolphin floated near. He drew her close, carefully juggling Cerdian to one side to kiss his wife intently. Cerdian wriggled to help get out of daddy's way, and wrapped his arms firmly around his neck, not about to let go. Daddy'd been gone so long...
"Hello," Garth finally said when they parted.
Dolphin smiled. "You're home."
The small one had apparently been taking lessons from the barnacles, given the strength of his grip and the obvious unwillingness to let go. Garth wrapped his free arm around Dolphin's waist. "Arthur?" he asked.
Dolphin sniffed, and Garth actually smiled knowing they had probably driven each other insane in his absence. "Let me go see him then." He started drifting toward the direction Cerdian had shot from.
Cerdian didn't say a word about any of that, just clinging to his father as they reached the King.
Garth looked at Arthur as a Prince...but broke and slipped from Dolphin to go to him. Arthur, trying only so long as Garth did, let the kingly pose drop and gladly embraced his son, for all intents and purposes. "Good to have you home, Garth," he said softly.
"It's good to be home, sir." Garth hugged him back. "How did you know how to find us? They weren't very forthcoming..." looking back in mild annoyance at the team that had brought him home.
"Barry told me," Arthur said, managing a straight face.
"What?!" Garth yanked his head and shoulders back like a striking eel to stare at his foster-father and liege with wide violet eyes.
"He mentioned Wally was back too." Arthur smiled, truly smiled. "I believe you and Dolphin are both entitled to this?" He handed them an invitation to the Tower in San Francisco. "If the boy will stay with me...or I'm sure he'd be welcome with you, seeing you've only just returned."
"Cere, want to go see the Titans?" He had to see them, had to--"Wait, what about Wally?"
Arthur nodded. "Left us a while too," the man said, realizing Garth could not have known.
"But he's okay?"
"I wanna see the Titans, is Lian there?"
"Maybe," Dolphin said to her son, not happy to go above, but willing to for Garth, to not be separated.
"Yes, he's fine, or Barry would not have stayed so long," Arthur reassured him.
"Do you need me here for anything?" he had to ask, much as he just wanted to go, make the quick swim and reach his friends...
Arthur chuckled. "I'll put you to work the day after tomorrow, Tadpole."
Garth glared indignantly at the old nickname, then nodded. "Thank you, Arthur," and turned, looking at his wife to make sure she was going with him. Dolphin tightened her own hold on him, smiling tightly.
Garth nodded once and shifted Cerdian to a more comfortable position. "Do we need anything for Cere, Dolphin, before we go?"
"We should not." She smiled lovingly at him. "I'm....so very happy to have you back, Garth."
"It's so good to be back. I've missed you, so very much," he told her as they swam out of the building and headed for deeper sea to head for the Tower. Not far at all, even holding down his speed.
****
Cyborg felt the perimeter alert first, out toward the sea, toward the deep ocean.
"What is it, Vic?" Dick wasn't far away, casually lounged against the wall.
"Perimeter breach...passive alert. Means it thinks it recognizes the breach, but its by non currently-authorized personnel."
"...Not many people that could be..."
Roy came back carrying the snacks he'd gone after, and froze at the sound of Dick's voice. "Not many people what could be?"
"Breach, but recognized, maybe," Cyborg said. "Confirmed. Two amphibious persons carrying a third smaller one...." His face cracked into a grin, before he announced through the tower to the members still home. "Dockside, everyone!"
Roy stopped long enough to drop the plate on a table then turned and ran, Dick right behind him. A red blur whizzed by, stopped, turned back, and grabbed them both, hauling them along--and they hit the docks just as one of their missing flung himself out of the water, half-turned to reach down... and the other three grabbed him. One loud "Gillhead!" and two yells of "Garth!" blurred together... and a star-spangled black blur hit the pile from the side, staggering all of them.
Garth staggered and gasped for air briefly, trying to make the adjustment to land and laugh and cry all at once as he felt his entire team surrounding him.
A small green bird flew overhead and perched in his hair, singing its small heart out as Dick slapped Garth on the back, "Dammit, stop doing this to us, Gillhead!" The snarl didn't much match the tightness of the embrace.
"What short pants said, Fishboy," Roy said from behind him, holding on, and Donna was just trying not to cry--or kiss him, Dolphin being the territorial sort.
"Gar," Wally said with a snort, staring at the bird being loud in his ear... and it fluttered its wings indignantly, then turned into a cat and curled around Garth's shoulders, purring.
Tim and Kon hit the Tower doors, blinked at the form of Raven running out them, cloak flying behind her as she made tracks for the docks, Vic somewhat ahead of her, then stared down that way at the mob. "I think it would be smarter to just stay here a few minutes..."
Kon nodded. "Not arguing. Is that really--?"
"Looks like it."
Bart contented himself to just run back and forth from the mob to the still costumed former Young Justice members, and Mia and Rose. Cassie took a page from Tim, shaking her head. "Diana will be happy to know Arthur's sidekick is back," Cassie said.
Mia and Rose lagged a little behind, still somewhat out of breath on Mia's part as they had been practicing with one another.
Dick felt Vic's hand on his shoulder and moved back, getting out of the way to go help Dolphin and Cerdian out of the water. "Dolphin. It's been a while. God, Cere, you've gotten huge!"
Tim glanced over at Mia at the sound of that, then noticed the looks on both their faces and settled down again.
"Is Lian here?" Dolphin asked as her son turned shy and buried his face in her hair.
"Afraid not, sport. She's with my brother," Roy said, joining them. "Great feeling, huh, Dolphin? Getting them back."
She heaved an emphatic sigh. "YES!"
"I don't know how much you heard, Dolphin, but take a look up towards the Tower," Dick advised.
Garth was still buried in the mass of his friends, held tight by them, being alternately cried over and snarled at. Even Raven had gotten close enough to push a hand against his shoulder--and a silver blur shot towards them from the city, drawn by who knew what. Argent dropped behind Donna and shoved at her shoulder, wriggling her way in to hug him hello.
"Called everyone who left back," Vic said as he got out of the mob before he hurt someone by accident.
The former members of Young Justice merely shook their heads at the mob scene below. Cassie reached out and touched Kon lightly, knowing how good it was to have old friends back.
Dolphin picked out the boy in jeans and a tee shirt with a bold red 'S'. "So the son of Superman returned as well," she said, smiling as she did. "A good way to begin a new year, by your calender?"
"A very good way, Dolphin," Dick agreed with a smile, then drew a deep breath. "Okay, guys, let go of Garth, the man needs to breathe and we all need more space to stand on before everyone else winds up in the pile!"
"Who elected you leader?" Roy joked. "Last I checked, this was your kid brother's team."
"Ahem," Vick just as politely as he could protested that.
"It is true...If there's a Robin, the Robin leads," Gar said. "It's like a Titan rule."
"Yeah, well, he's not down here, he's got better sense than to join in this mess..." He smirked slightly, seeing that people had moved as he ordered, even if he was getting crap over it. "Besides, the Outsiders're disbanded and it's good to be home."
Several heads, four he had grown up with, and others that had come later, turned his way. "Home?" It was asked in multiple voices.
"You know Dick...it would be a pity to just leave Titan Island empty...and with so many wanting to join...maybe we could field two teams," Vic said casually.
"We just might be able to," Dick agreed, a smile on his lips. "Swap out teaching some of the kids?"
"It will only work if we alternate where we go, week to week," Donna said. "Keep the team as one, but two locations, rotating in and out, senior and rookie," she added.
"Sounds damn good, Donna," Roy agreed.
"Very good," Vic added.
Dick nodded. "Keeps enough of us on call to handle just about anything without putting such a stress on you guys, and if Kyle ever manages to find Kory and get their butts home we'll have at least one more... Oh, Batman is going to kill me if Rob and I don't go with him... Eh. Not the first time he's been pissed at me. What're you thinking, Donna? Reopen the Island obviously, staff both with some of us older ones and jump the kids back and forth?"
"We can work it all out later," Garth said, having wiggled out of the mass hugging and taken his son back. "Arthur does not expect me for two days."
"Agreed." Vic indicated the tower. "Let's get inside."
Dick nodded and headed up with them, though slowly he dropped back a bit, expecting Roy to join him.
The archer did so, one of the last to leave the dock, his eyes still looking out, looking up to the skies.
Dick laid a hand on his shoulder, "What're you thinking, bowhead?"
"Just...she's gotta come home soon, right? Or have we used up all the good karma we've banked?" Roy looked at his lover with warm eyes. "Family's not quite whole by a long stretch....but I can't think Kory's not trying to come home right now."
"She's got to be," Dick agreed with him, wrapping that arm around his shoulders. "She doesn't know how to quit, and you know it." His eyes closed as he thought about all of the ones that weren't coming back, Pantha and Bushido and BabyBeast and the others they'd lost in the fights, "And we don't know anything happened to her. She's just lost out there, and if I know her, she's doing her best to get home." He was quiet a few moments. "If we start up Titans East again, at least I'll be right there... West Coast's not my style."
"Oh we're going to do it." Roy leaned into his lover. "It's just the thing I need."
"Been a little at loose ends?" Dick held him, nodded. "You know... I think me, too. God, Roy, why didn't you beat the crap out of me for being so damn stupid for so long? --Nevermind. Nevermind. You know I'm sorry."
Roy stopped their walk and drew him closer, not caring if any Titans had lingered. "We're together now...and I don't want to dwell on the past."
Dick tucked his forehead against Roy's throat, nodding slightly. "Neither do I. Water, bridges, all that."
Wally turned to see what was holding them up, and noticed the very casual intimacy his two friends were sharing with each other. It twisted at him on one level, remembering too many girls and parties, but somewhere deep inside, he had known and accepted it years ago. Donna turned when Wally did, and laid a hand on his shoulder, tugging him on along. She wasn't sure what was happening right this moment between them, but they both looked like they needed it--and that meant Wally wasn't going to get the chance to yack first and ask questions later.
"What?" Wally walked beside her. "So they went and got married while I was gone."
She steered him away from the others and the kids, smiling widely at Garth when he turned for a moment. "Not that I can see, and if they didn't send me an invitation I will beat both of them," the threat sounded fairly serious, "but I think you'd have had a heart attack if you'd seen them when they walked in... someone trapped the entrance to the den with mistletoe in case you didn't notice." //Are you all right with this, Wally? Or do we need to talk?//
Wally grinned, then started laughing, fully and with his whole body, loving the idea of that.
Donna relaxed, grinning. "You should have seen some of the kids..." as she started to laugh herself, remembering the faces of some of them...
"Oh yeah, wish I had," he said. "Bet Vic's got it on slow replay somewhere..."
"Oh, probably. Good luck bribing him out of it, though."
Dick finally sighed softly. "We'd better head on inside, before the rest of them miss us."
Mia and Rose were off to one side as Dick entered with Roy, the phone at Mia's ear as she used her free hand to mime certain bow activities. She passed the phone to Rose, who spoke almost as animatedly as Mia.
"Trouble brewing, I bet," Roy said. "I overheard the two of them plotting to hook up with Arrowette and Empress after this weekend."
"Robin's got to love that," Dick chuckled, watching them for a moment. Then he went on to find the rest of their team, settle in around Garth, and go back into discussing what they were going to do with the Titans. Dick was hoping he could persuade them to take it easy long enough for him to finish this leg of the trip with Bruce--they'd been almost everywhere, after all, and no-one had said they had to take all year...
Cowriter:
merfillyCharacters: Titans, Arrows, Birds, and some other very special guest stars.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 8,602
Continuity: HappyVerse
Disclaimer: DC Comics makes the money, people
Notes: It's official... HappyVerse is our refuge from the meaner things in comics--and our one-stop fix-it shop.
Summary: The party's not over... after all, there's a lot of happy news to spread.
Ollie glanced at the clock in the hotel room, trying not to disturb the woman sleeping on his shoulder. He pulled the phone from the stand and punched speed dial, waiting for Bruce to connect.
After a few moments and a few rings, his lover's sleep-rough voice answered. "Ollie? Everything all right?"
"Figured you'd be up by now, London and all...or did you come back already?" Ollie tried to keep his voice low.
"You know my opinion of mornings..."
"Well, there's reason to enjoy this one." Ollie brushed a kiss over Dinah's forehead as she shifted. "Wally and Barry, both of them, came back last night in a flash of lightning. With their ladies, and Linda's got two kids."
The sound of Bruce sitting up quickly came through the phone. "Repeat that?" His voice sounded much more alert this time.
"Dinah and I were in Seattle, and Barry...he brought them all home. Even changed that kid back to a kid." Ollie chuckled softly. "We parked them at Jay's until they can get new lives."
"I hope the Tower's still standing," Bruce said dryly, shaking his head. "Placing them with Jay was probably the wisest move."
"Thought you should know. I mean...Barry. It made Dinah practically faint."
Bruce nodded. "Its... definitely a shock. He's been gone so long..."
Ollie sighed. "Sometimes, Bruce, I have to wonder what we did to deserve our chances to start over, but in Bare's case...no questions at all."
"Mmm.... True enough." No since discussing old wounds more, and Barry had been among the best of them. "It will be interesting, having the speedsters back, in any case."
"True." Ollie felt Dinah shift again. "Going to go now, as Pretty Bird's getting restless. Would rather not wake her yet."
"Sleep well," Bruce told him softly. "And kiss her for me."
"I will, Bruce...and we miss you." Ollie hung up the phone, then curled around their lady.
He closed his own phone, head tilting slightly as he considered what this might mean, how the re-emergence of the Flash clan might change the world that was still rebuilding.
~*~*~*~
Barbara glared at the alert, having gotten to sleep not...twenty minutes prior. "Oracle."
"Sorry, O. You're going to want to see this, though.." Robin's familiar voice hit her ears.
She lifted her head off her arms and turned to the screen she activated. "Go ahead," she murmured.
Soft sounds of keys and the image of the Titans Tower almost two hours ago flashed up onto her screen, all of them toasting at the ball dropping, then the sudden, dramatic entry of two thought lost, and the reactions of the Titans as they mobbed their own.
"Oh...hey, is that Rose Wilson?!" Oracle was too much the Bat, seeing a threat among her loved ones' supposed haven.
"Yes, and you can blame Nightwing for it."
"I will." She seethed, but then the sight of Young Justice, and especially Tim's reaction softened her heart. Seeing Dick so free was good, but she had trusted him to one day find his balance.
"She's better, O. It... seems okay. Thought you ought to know we had the Speedsters back. Finally cornered Wally to drag answers out of him. It's not just him and Bart... Barry's back. And his wife and Linda and the twins."
"That is...interesting." Oracle ticked over all the changes that would entail in the power vacuum left by Bruce and Clark and Diana being absent.
"Isn't it, though?" Tim's voice said he was thinking along the very same lines.
"I'll need to get in touch with them, help them re-enter society," she said.
Tim nodded. "True. I have no idea where they are, but Canary ought to."
Oracle murmured under her breath about operatives and unhelpfulness. "Thanks, Robin."
"Anytime, O. You owe me one, though..." smile in his voice. He wasn't serious. "Robin out."
Oracle let the link go dead, then sat back. She looked at the time, then debated waking her partner up anyway.
Finished reporting--and having told Dick he was going to--he headed back for the party that was still going strong. He found Anita and Greta both on the couch sitting with Rose, a very animated conversation going, while Mia had managed to move to Kon's side. He nodded at Nightwing when he turned, saying everything was handled, and dropped by the trio of Raven, Gar, and Vic. "Quite the night..."
Raven nodded at him. "Yes, it certainly has been." //And I'm waiting for the other shoe, now.//
"I'm still not happy...oww." Gar glared at Vic's hand on his arm.
"It's been a good night, regardless," Vic said.
"Think how I felt when he sprung her on us on the jet," Robin replied. "Yeah, it has. Have I managed to mention how good it is to see you up and around?"
Vic nodded in acceptance. "The twins did a fair job." He casually left his hand on Gar, even as Gar was leaning into Raven's space.
"Well, Dick's not on my good list...oww, Vic!" Gar shut his mouth, then shook his head.
"Watch it!" Robin snapped softly at him, flicking his eyes behind them. Not often he'd yell at Gar, but what the hell was he thinking. "You know he doesn't trust easy, Gar. If he believes her, there's reason."
Raven spared a glance at Robin that said she would handle this. "It may be a shock, but there are very few people Gar doesn't like," she said drily. "And one of those happened to be Slade."
"But she's not Slade. She's a kid that we failed to protect from her father." Vic's words hit Gar hard, Tim could see, as the green one looked up at Vic.
Robin nodded back at her, letting Raven take this one. He didn't want to take point anyway. He nodded at Vic's words. "Pretty much. Anyway. Oracle knows, so you don't need to worry about that, Vic."
Vic finally turned Gar loose, and they settled back to party mood. Raven wasn't sure she'd need to say anything else; Vic had made as strong a point as she had seen concerning her own treachery to the team. Finished, Tim headed back towards his lover and the rest of his first team, glad to see Mia was still handling the other girls fine. She caught his look her way and smiled at him, a saucy look. She was quite content to see it all unfolding, as some of the younger Titan hopefuls made their way toward Young Justice.
*~*~*~
Hal kept his energy shield up against the terrorist cell he had tracked to this remote Siberian location, and was on the verge of reaching out to break all their weapons, when the gunfire ceased...and the men fell down. Around it all was a scarlet blur.
Hal froze, keeping the shield up out of long-ingrained paranoia, watching that blur as best he could, unable to believe the evidence of his own eyes. "Ring, Identify."
"Identity: Barry Allen, also known as the second bearer of the code Flash."
//Are you sure?// He didn't say it, but he felt like it. That wasn't possible. The Speed Force was gone, and Barry had been gone so long...
"Are you going to make me keep running to stay warm, or let me in?" Twelve brief images of his one time friend appeared on the clock points around his shield.
"Barry?!" His voice rang with the shock, then he dropped part of the shield long enough to let him in.
"Never thought to see that day when Hal Jordan was slow to make a decision." Barry stood in front of Hal, grinning under the cowl. "Ready to go grab a bite, since I knocked them out and convinced the Russkis to come pick them up?"
"You've got to admit that's it's a little hard to believe, Bare," Hal said as he reached out to yank him into a hard, fast hug. "How in god's name did you pull this one off?! ...We're not supposed to call them that anymore and food sounds damn good."
"Let's just say I used my head once my kid sidekick showed up in my afterlife." Barry shook his head. "You look almost like you did when it was us and Arthur and Dinah and J'onn."
"Yeah. Part of how I managed to come back. So, where're we headed for dinner?"
"I'm in the mood for fish," Barry said with a twinkle in his eye.
"Fine, then you're hauling us." He changed the construct, willing to let Barry use his speed, though he couldn't help a chuckle. "Aiming to annoy Arthur before you even see him?"
"He won't stay annoyed," Barry said smugly. He obviously knew something.
"What've you got up your sleeve, Bare?"
"That would be telling," he said as he took off running at a comfortable speed.
"Yes, it would, and you can start anytime," Hal agreed. Barry gave a full laugh, refusing to slake Hal's curiosity.
Hal muttered something nasty under his breath, glaring at the back of Barry's head.
"You know, you do a really poor impersonation of Bruce." Barry still had all the quiet instincts that had made him the more logical leader of the League. And he probably still wasn't prepared for Hal's low snarl, or the reply of "I wasn't," in a tone that could freeze the air around them.
"Even at this speed, you've got time to tell me what in the world drew that on," Barry said, his voice not quite commanding, more compelling.
"Nothing, Barry. Don't worry about it."
"Excuse me, Hal...but at what point did you decide I would let it go? You both were my friends then...and I need to know why you aren't friends now," Barry said.
"Bruce is and has always been a jackass, and it's only gotten worse. I can work with him, when I need to." //Bare, you don't want to know. trust me on this.//
"I'll just have to see about that, then," Barry said as their over land and sea portion came to a stop in California. "Your show now, Hal. Take us down; this is where I felt Arthur last night, when I was trying to find one of you four."
"Good luck. Subdiego," Hal said and headed them that way, going for Arthur's usual quarters.
The mix of Sub Deigans and Atlanteans they saw regarded the green bubble with curiosity. When they arrived in Arthur's make shift court, the blonde man growled. "I told you, Hal, I have my own prob..." His eyes finally made out who was in the construct with Hal, and he pointed. "Who is this imposter?!"
"Arthur, I really miss your old self, who passed on the trouble of looking for a lightbulb wrench to Snapper," Barry said with an amused smile.
"Would you calm down?" Hal replied, then firmly put a leash on his irritation. "The ring says it's him."
Arthur looked at both his friends, then slowly began to smile. "You two... The surface is in for trouble to have you both back."
"Actually, I have something to sweeten the deal here below," Barry offered. "When I was trying to find you, on my way back, I noticed a temporal flux where Atlantis used to be. I think if you were to send someone with magic there, I think a young kid...or not so young, I guess...is trying to come home."
Arthur's hand shook at his side, before he made a gesture to a nearby palace guard. "Take a team, with guards, and one of the more experienced students of Vulko with you." He could not quite keep the expectation and hope out of his voice.
//So that's what you were holding... no wonder you were so sure Arthur'd forgive you the fish.// He grinned slightly at Arthur's earlier words, "Who, us? We don't make trouble..."
Arthur laughed at that, his mood going as bright as Hal had seen it in the entire time he had been back. "I'll hold a feast in your honor," Arthur said. "For your return, Barry, and for offering me hope that Garth is still out there. It will make his wife and son happy."
Hal smiled back at him. "So long as you're sticking him with the guest of honor role and not me. All I did was play taxi."
"We all know you can't help but steal the show," Arthur told him with a smile. "Oh 'Leader' that you were." That set Barry to laughing, remembering the day clearly when the team had told them both who was really in charge...to both of their surprise. That got Hal, too, and he started to laugh, shaking his head. "I was young and stupid, too."
That got Hal, too, and he started to laugh, shaking his head. "I was young and stupid, too."
"We all were," Barry agreed, walking over to Arthur and gripping him by the shoulders. "It's good to see you."
Arthur clapped him on the shoulder with his flesh hand, and nodded. "I'm still not going up there," he said, mock threateningly.
"I understand, truly," Barry said. "Just remember...we're your friends, and your troubles warrant our attention too."
"I'm not going to fight with you about it," was Hal's reply. He thought Arthur was being ridiculous, but this was too good a day to spoil with arguing politics.
"Good," Barry said before Arthur could start the next round of not-arguing.
"You know, J'onn is going to give all of us screaming headaches if we don't tell him soon," Hal commented to change the subject.
"Then allow me," Arthur said, closing his eyes. "As I do not need to share any such headaches with my friends." He pushed against his baseline telepathy, thinking of the Martian, and was quickly rewarded with a query. {"Come to SubDiego,"} Arthur thought, shielding the knowledge of why.
{"As you wish, old friend."} J'onn did not often deny a person's request, no matter how phrased, when delivered by contacting him telepathically."
Hal shifted and gave both he and Barry a pair of chairs to wait in. 'Thanks, Arthur."
Barry looked all around, noting the efforts of reconstruction going on still. He had glimpsed other futures, futures without Arthur, or with a different Arthur, but none of those Hypertimes mattered to him now. He was home, among friends, and all the possible futures mattered nothing compared to the one he would help make now.
J'onn arrived, feeling the flavor of great joy, of hope, and ...a life presence he had not touched in years. He became visible as he entered the palace area, to see his mind had not deceived him. "Barry Allen."
Hal flicked his fingers in a hello a J'onn, changing his field so that J'onn would have no trouble joining them. J'onn did so, and both Barry and he moved to hug, thumping each other on the back and smiling. J'onn stood back, looking at his Flash with a sense of true relief and happiness. "Good to have you home, Barry. Perhaps now, Hal will stop eating all my cookies." He gave the Lantern an amused smile for all his unscheduled visits to John Jones' house.
"Couldn't get so lucky," Arthur laughed.
"I'll try to keep him occupied elsewhere a little more. Iris's cooking should be a good lure."
"One, I'm plenty occupied already. Two, I do not eat all your cookies, and three, what was that crack about luck?" His voice was indignant. "Four, Iris's cooking sounds damn good," he added before Barry could retract the offer.
The four friends all found themselves laughing, as they settled in and waited for the meal Arthur had hastily ordered while waiting on J'onn. A conversation quickly ensued over who was doing what, and remember whens, as the bonds were nurtured, ones that had tied them together through the decades.
*~*~*~*
Dinah stretched sleepily, hearing Ollie in the shower, but his spot was still warm. She rolled into it, and then let a small curse emerge as her earring chirped insistently. She turned the gear on, and sighed. "Yes Oracle?"
"Are you just taking some perverse pleasure in not informing me of fairly critical things, or was there some purpose in letting me find out through Robin that four of our own were back?" Babs didn't sound happy in the slightest.
"Umm...I was busy?" Dinah offered as an excuse. "Sorry...I was doing damn good to figure out how to get them back to Central, and did not tell Zee who it was." She still felt the odd pulse of intense joy to know Barry was home and alive and perfectly himself.
"...That man rots your brain," Babs replied, acid etching her tone. "You're supposed to tell me intel this critical. I do not appreciate being among the last to know something."
"Leave Ollie out of it," Dinah said defensively, as the water in the other room turned off. "And I apologized. It's not like you had a real connection to them the way I did to Bare." As the words slipped out she regretted it; picking an argument with Oracle was not the wisest way to go.
"Fine. When you decide to start working with me again, you know the number," and the gear went silent.
Dinah swore under her breath, and picked up her cell phone, dialing Barbara's number.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry, Babs." She drew in a deep breath. "I almost fainted at seeing him...can you understand just how scrambled that made me?"
It was a few moments before Babs replied. "...yes, I think I can. At least somewhat. Just don't make me find out from Robin the next time."
Ollie came out, towel wrapped around his hips, and tilted his head at the sight of her on the phone when she'd still been mainly asleep, wondering who it was.
Dinah tapped her earring for answer, then concentrated on her conversation. "Let me make it up. I'll bring Thai next time."
"Sounds good."
Now Dinah let her eyes rove all over Ollie's chest. "Going to let you go," she purred, her voice changing tones in that man hungry way Barbara had known far too well in their early days. "Zinda and I will be home late tonight."
Babs rolled her eyes. "See you then."
Ollie moved towards her, as caught up by that tone as ever.
"Bye." Dinah ended the call and tossed it aside, made sure her gear truly was offline, and then crooked a finger in Ollie's towel before he could join her on the bed. "Hello lover," she purred, drawing him back over her with clear intentions. Ollie purred back at her, kissing her deep as she pulled him down.
*~*~*~*
When they finally agreed they all needed to go. J'onn hitched a ride back in Hal's construct, then they watched Barry turn his eyes East. "You two go have fun. I've got one more stop today." Barry smiled at both his friends. "And J'onn, thanks. I'll think on that offer of helping set up the new lives."
"Be safe, Barry." J'onn looked at Hal. "Shall we go find...entertainment? I believe you offered to show me why these 'fights' are so entertaining to you last time you dropped in."
Hal nodded, and echoed J'onn's words. "Be safe," then turned his attention to J'onn again. "Sure, there ought to be one tonight, people wanting entertainment," he agreed, thinking about where to head a moment, then doing so after letting Barry settle on his own feet.
Barry shot off straight for a city that had changed in so many ways from the one that had been a familiar sight to him in his life before. He sighed, and took himself to the Daily Planet, glad to see it still, and went inside, changing along the way to just be an average man. He slipped onto the news floor with the casual ease of dropping names, insisting the Clark knew he was coming and getting through in no time.
Lois was the first to notice him, and even though he was not within her usual circle of dual identity friends, his appearance arrested her attention and made her drop the flash drive she had just been about to use. "Clark?" she called, getting his attention.
"Yes, Lois?" buried in a file.
"You have a visitor." She watched the good looking man approach with easy confidence, noting the way he seemed to be able to notice nearly every sight or sound around him in the way his head would sometimes turn a little, or his eyes would dart to one side. That alone told her, for better or worse, this was a speedster; they could not help processing so many things at once. And if he was who he appeared to be, Kon was not alone in coming back from the dead.
Clark looked up at that, shoulders tensing, then he found the visitor in question and it took everything he had to keep under control as he stood up, fighting to keep his eyes from going too wide.
"Clark Kent? Long time, no see," Barry said, striding up and holding his hand out to be shaken. "So good to catch up with you."
"Barry? ...Good to see you, too, it's been quite a while. Let's go talk, shall we? Lois, I'll be back before long..."
"Take your time, Clark." She watched the two walk out together, and had to dab at her eye. It gave her hope every time one came home...and maybe with so much good in their lives now, Clark would get better too.
Clark walked at Barry's side, his eyes confused and joyous behind the glasses as they stepped out of the building, out of the crowd... "I.. how..." So many questions he wanted to ask that his words were twisting around each other and the lump in his throat as he stared in shock.
"Wally showing up made me find a way, Clark. Couldn't let him end so young." Barry shook his head. "Didn't really expect to tag along, but Max insisted he could hold the lightning, told me I was needed back here and he was tired, deserved to rest."
Clark gave up and hugged him as tight as he could with nothing but mortal strength. "Good to have you back... You brought Wally back with you, then? Oh, the party that must have turned into..." his voice was ruefully amused.
"Yeah over at the Tower? Wally did not come home, much to Linda's amusement." Barry returned the hug. "Heard you had a kid now, one that just came back?"
"Kon," Clark nodded. "I could almost kill Lex..."
"Yeah, Jay told me that part too. Stayed up all night talking. What he didn't know from his team, he knew from my grandson."
"Speaking of Bart..."
"Kid again." Barry smiled. "Took the temporal energy out of his cells, de-aged him."
"That will make Kon happy... and Robin as well. Most of the Titans, for that matter... And it doesn't surprise me a bit that he didn't come home, not with Dick, Roy, and Donna all there. What are you going to do about, well, everything?"
"J'onn offered to help me build a new identity. A woman named Oracle, who Jay vouched for, also offered, but I talked to Iris...and We're both willing to live in the public eye. So, I'm going to the Flash Museum tomorrow." He seemed vaguely amused by that idea.
Clark chuckled. "That's going to headline around the world, you know."
"Yes...so you want to scoop it or send that partner of yours over to Central for it?"
"Of course I want to, Barry!" He was already trying to figure out the right words.
"I think Wally might go for a lower key approach...he's got the kids. If he stays private, and we work our costumes a bit, no one ever needs to know both of us are back, in the public eye. Make sense to you?"
"...Very good sense, so long as you two aren't both filmed at the same time... Even you can't be two places at once..."
Barry gave him a look that said 'bet me' but he nodded. "We'll stay coordinated." He got more serious. "Tell me about Hal and Bruce...why do Hal's hackles go up when Bruce comes up in conversation? And what's this about Bruce becoming a jackass?"
Clark closed his eyes, "Bruce..." he sighed and restarted. "It's been a bad several years, Barry. Very bad, in a lot of ways, and none of us really coped well. Things got... broken, between all of us, and we're all so stubborn-proud... Add in Hal's being driven insane and Bruce's unforgiving nature and..." He gestured helplessly. "I wasn't aware anything new had happened, Bruce what did you do?"
Barry shook his head. "I'm just trying to understand. There was a time...but I've been out of the loop so long." He would have to find a way to help fix this problem.
"I know, Barry. So much of what happened... I don't even know how to start telling you." //What we became, everything that changed....// "Losing Jason shattered something in him even further, Barry, and nothing any of us could do was enough to bring him back... Eventually... even I stopped trying."
"Hmm...wonder where he is." Barry would have to see for himself, try to reach the friend he had stood by.
"I think the gossip rags out of London had Bruce Wayne there," Clark offered.
"Knew he wasn't in Gotham as I did check this morning." He could not seem to sleep; had wanted to touch base with everyone.
Clark nodded, not all that surprised. "I could call him. We're... talking again, finally."
Barry sighed. "I take a little vacation, and the lot of you decided not to play nice?" He nodded. "Sure, let's go find a phone."
Clark slid his cell from his pocket. "Got one, Barry," as he dialed Bruce's cell.
"Nice." Barry waited.
Clark waited for Bruce to pick up, counting the rings, to judge if Brucie had taken someone home.
"Yes Clark?" idle tone, and only two rings.
"Where are you? Someone would like to pay a visit." Clark was amused at the tone of voice.
"Tell Barry I say hello, and to meet me in Trafalgar Square in twenty minutes."
Clark looked hurt, then sighed. "You are entirely no fun when it comes to surprises," Clark complained. "But I will. BE safe, Bruce."
"Really. You didn't expect me not to know, with the boys where they are? Of course, Clark."
Clark laughed. "True. Twenty. I'll talk to you later." He hung up.
"So?" Occasionally Barry had the impatience of his younger kin.
"Trafalgar Square in twenty minutes. He's apparently still in London."
"Hmm. Time to go kiss Iris then, and ask if she wants...well, hmm, right..." Barry sighed, realizing he could not yet buy gifts for his wife worldwide like in the past.
"I think Bruce would float you the loan, Barry," Clark said with a shake of his head. "Plenty of time."
"Take it easy, Clark!" He walked in a different direction, got to a point he could vanish without being truly noticed, and was gone.
Clark headed back towards the Planet, unable to keep the smile off his lips.
*~*~*~*~
Barry arrived in Trafalgar Square with a minute to spare, whistling a happy tune at how well Iris and Linda were sharing the raising of the twins with Joan right now. He was already plotting out ways in his head to get both families out of Jay's house, with an eye to protecting Wally from the lime light.
It wasn't long before a voice came from behind him. "Been a while..."
Barry turned and regarded Bruce with am easy smile. "Sure has, Bruce."
"You look... well," he said, unable not to return the smile.
Barry relaxed inwardly; if Bruce could still smile, then maybe everyone had just been reading him wrong. "Alive and well," he said firmly.
Bruce's eyes lightened somewhat. "Rumors travel quickly, but it's good to see. Hm. Shall we take this inside, or would you prefer to merely walk?"
"You know us and sitting," Barry joked. "They made me sit at Arthur's."
"You've seen the others, then?"
"Let's see...Dinah and Ollie, Jay and his wife, Hal, Arthur, J'onn, Clark, and now you." He paid attention to Bruce's face despite the casual listing tone he used.
Bruce nodded, and if Barry had hoped to read his face for clues, there was very little there... though his expression had lightened slightly at the first names. "What are you going to do?"
"Go public tomorrow. Help hide Wally's family by keeping the eye on mine." Barry shrugged, even as he wondered about that lightening. A blind man could have seen how involved Arrow and Canary were, again, though Jay's reaction had filled him in on there having been a break somewhere.
"How is Iris?"
"Happy to be here, away from Don and Dawn and all the terrors of our extended family," Barry laughed. "Taking a small satisfaction in watching Linda cope with twins."
Bruce shook his head slightly. "As she's done so herself? I'm glad she's happy."
Barry shook his head. "So much to share...though I'm sure Bart's talked about his family from the future..." There was a note of pride there, and Bruce realized as hard as Wally had kept on the young speedster, it would all balance with Barry being back to give encouragement.
"From what I saw, Impulse talked as much as he breathed, if not more, on any topic that caught his attention. But Robin has relayed much of that to me, yes."
"So tell me...how are you?" The speedster wanted the truth, and he wanted to be sure his friend was well.
"Better than I have been, Barry."
That got him a thoughtful noise. "They say Batman left Gotham? Planning on going back?"
Bruce nodded. "Of course. I'm... retracing things, though this is merely a diversion. The boys have been traveling with me, and as they're with their friends for the weekend, I'm amusing myself." //And missing my lovers, but this has always been their time.//
Barry's eyes flicked over his face carefully. "Want to do me a huge favor?"
Bruce tilted his head. "I've learned that's a dangerous question. What?"
Barry let a small smile touch his lips. "Call Hal. Bury whatever hatchet is between the two of you." His method of cutting though everything had not changed much. "You know I'm not one to let a friend push me from one to another, but it does honestly bother me that you and Hal aren't on good terms. You both were my best friends."
Bruce shook his head. "Even if I were willing to let drop the older grudge between us, Hal's annoyed enough with me that the handle will stay out."
"Not if you make the first move, and you know I'm right, Bruce." Barry sighed. "At least consider it."
"Making the first move would require me wanting to, Barry," Bruce replied.
The speedster got a very stubborn set to his jaw. "You do want to, Bruce...you want nothing more than to have your world perfectly back the way it should be; I remember that much. And I'm telling you that if you just call him..." He threw his hands up. "Why do I bother? You're as stubborn as he is, and unlikely to make things right, anyway." He said it with just a hint of callousness, as if he were going bitter with the way the world had changed in his absence.
"You bother because you care," Bruce answered that last swiftly, but Barry's words echoed in his mind, making him actually consider it.
"Not that it seems to do much good." Barry sighed. "Well, I've been gone most of the day...need to get back."
//Don't say that,// hovered on the tip of his tongue, but he managed to alter it to, "Don't be so sure. And don't be a stranger."
"Don't plan on it. Got some ideas to hash out with J'onn and Dinah, maybe Hal," Barry said. "Take care, Bruce. And say hi to Dick for me."
"I will." Something about that first thing he'd said had put Bruce's back up a bit, if Barry had the eye to notice.
Barry paused, head cocked to one side. "What is it?"
"Nothing, Barry," he said, shaking it off. He flatly refused to let it bother him, though if Hal gave Dinah as much trouble as he'd given Ollie the two of them were going to... discuss things.
"Yeah, and I'm the slowest man on earth." Barry shook his head. "Keep bottling every thought up in that head of yours, and you'll start forgetting the important stuff."
"No, Barry... not again." Deeper honesty than he gave most people, these days.
The former cop heard that, and nodded slowly. "Good." He nodded once, and then he was gone.
//Are you ever happy if you're not meddling, Allen?// Bruce thought at his retreating back, but it was a mild thought at best.
*~*~*~*~
The team sent to Atlantis was being cheered as they entered the city; Arthur knew without doubt what that meant, even before he reached out and confirmed through the friends he had accumulated, to see for a fact his protege, his heir, was triumphantly returned. He summoned Dolphin and Cerdian, harrumphing impatiently at her when she entered full of mournful looks and bitterness around her eyes.
The little boy at her side looked around, trying to understand all the noise, then shrieked loudly, "Daddy, daddy, daddy!" and ignored anything related to proper protocol to swim as swiftly as he possibly could to his father and crawl into his arms, clinging tightly to him.
Dolphin snapped an angry glare at Arthur before swimming away just as swiftly.
"Blasted female," he muttered. He would wait; it would not be beneficial to get between Garth and his family reuniting.
"Daddy, daddy," Cerdian said again, softly, holding on tight.
Garth was somewhat overwhelmed to be home, to have his son in his arms, especially seeing how much Cerdian had grown. "Cere," he whispered, nuzzling into his hair, just holding him tight, until Dolphin floated near. He drew her close, carefully juggling Cerdian to one side to kiss his wife intently. Cerdian wriggled to help get out of daddy's way, and wrapped his arms firmly around his neck, not about to let go. Daddy'd been gone so long...
"Hello," Garth finally said when they parted.
Dolphin smiled. "You're home."
The small one had apparently been taking lessons from the barnacles, given the strength of his grip and the obvious unwillingness to let go. Garth wrapped his free arm around Dolphin's waist. "Arthur?" he asked.
Dolphin sniffed, and Garth actually smiled knowing they had probably driven each other insane in his absence. "Let me go see him then." He started drifting toward the direction Cerdian had shot from.
Cerdian didn't say a word about any of that, just clinging to his father as they reached the King.
Garth looked at Arthur as a Prince...but broke and slipped from Dolphin to go to him. Arthur, trying only so long as Garth did, let the kingly pose drop and gladly embraced his son, for all intents and purposes. "Good to have you home, Garth," he said softly.
"It's good to be home, sir." Garth hugged him back. "How did you know how to find us? They weren't very forthcoming..." looking back in mild annoyance at the team that had brought him home.
"Barry told me," Arthur said, managing a straight face.
"What?!" Garth yanked his head and shoulders back like a striking eel to stare at his foster-father and liege with wide violet eyes.
"He mentioned Wally was back too." Arthur smiled, truly smiled. "I believe you and Dolphin are both entitled to this?" He handed them an invitation to the Tower in San Francisco. "If the boy will stay with me...or I'm sure he'd be welcome with you, seeing you've only just returned."
"Cere, want to go see the Titans?" He had to see them, had to--"Wait, what about Wally?"
Arthur nodded. "Left us a while too," the man said, realizing Garth could not have known.
"But he's okay?"
"I wanna see the Titans, is Lian there?"
"Maybe," Dolphin said to her son, not happy to go above, but willing to for Garth, to not be separated.
"Yes, he's fine, or Barry would not have stayed so long," Arthur reassured him.
"Do you need me here for anything?" he had to ask, much as he just wanted to go, make the quick swim and reach his friends...
Arthur chuckled. "I'll put you to work the day after tomorrow, Tadpole."
Garth glared indignantly at the old nickname, then nodded. "Thank you, Arthur," and turned, looking at his wife to make sure she was going with him. Dolphin tightened her own hold on him, smiling tightly.
Garth nodded once and shifted Cerdian to a more comfortable position. "Do we need anything for Cere, Dolphin, before we go?"
"We should not." She smiled lovingly at him. "I'm....so very happy to have you back, Garth."
"It's so good to be back. I've missed you, so very much," he told her as they swam out of the building and headed for deeper sea to head for the Tower. Not far at all, even holding down his speed.
****
Cyborg felt the perimeter alert first, out toward the sea, toward the deep ocean.
"What is it, Vic?" Dick wasn't far away, casually lounged against the wall.
"Perimeter breach...passive alert. Means it thinks it recognizes the breach, but its by non currently-authorized personnel."
"...Not many people that could be..."
Roy came back carrying the snacks he'd gone after, and froze at the sound of Dick's voice. "Not many people what could be?"
"Breach, but recognized, maybe," Cyborg said. "Confirmed. Two amphibious persons carrying a third smaller one...." His face cracked into a grin, before he announced through the tower to the members still home. "Dockside, everyone!"
Roy stopped long enough to drop the plate on a table then turned and ran, Dick right behind him. A red blur whizzed by, stopped, turned back, and grabbed them both, hauling them along--and they hit the docks just as one of their missing flung himself out of the water, half-turned to reach down... and the other three grabbed him. One loud "Gillhead!" and two yells of "Garth!" blurred together... and a star-spangled black blur hit the pile from the side, staggering all of them.
Garth staggered and gasped for air briefly, trying to make the adjustment to land and laugh and cry all at once as he felt his entire team surrounding him.
A small green bird flew overhead and perched in his hair, singing its small heart out as Dick slapped Garth on the back, "Dammit, stop doing this to us, Gillhead!" The snarl didn't much match the tightness of the embrace.
"What short pants said, Fishboy," Roy said from behind him, holding on, and Donna was just trying not to cry--or kiss him, Dolphin being the territorial sort.
"Gar," Wally said with a snort, staring at the bird being loud in his ear... and it fluttered its wings indignantly, then turned into a cat and curled around Garth's shoulders, purring.
Tim and Kon hit the Tower doors, blinked at the form of Raven running out them, cloak flying behind her as she made tracks for the docks, Vic somewhat ahead of her, then stared down that way at the mob. "I think it would be smarter to just stay here a few minutes..."
Kon nodded. "Not arguing. Is that really--?"
"Looks like it."
Bart contented himself to just run back and forth from the mob to the still costumed former Young Justice members, and Mia and Rose. Cassie took a page from Tim, shaking her head. "Diana will be happy to know Arthur's sidekick is back," Cassie said.
Mia and Rose lagged a little behind, still somewhat out of breath on Mia's part as they had been practicing with one another.
Dick felt Vic's hand on his shoulder and moved back, getting out of the way to go help Dolphin and Cerdian out of the water. "Dolphin. It's been a while. God, Cere, you've gotten huge!"
Tim glanced over at Mia at the sound of that, then noticed the looks on both their faces and settled down again.
"Is Lian here?" Dolphin asked as her son turned shy and buried his face in her hair.
"Afraid not, sport. She's with my brother," Roy said, joining them. "Great feeling, huh, Dolphin? Getting them back."
She heaved an emphatic sigh. "YES!"
"I don't know how much you heard, Dolphin, but take a look up towards the Tower," Dick advised.
Garth was still buried in the mass of his friends, held tight by them, being alternately cried over and snarled at. Even Raven had gotten close enough to push a hand against his shoulder--and a silver blur shot towards them from the city, drawn by who knew what. Argent dropped behind Donna and shoved at her shoulder, wriggling her way in to hug him hello.
"Called everyone who left back," Vic said as he got out of the mob before he hurt someone by accident.
The former members of Young Justice merely shook their heads at the mob scene below. Cassie reached out and touched Kon lightly, knowing how good it was to have old friends back.
Dolphin picked out the boy in jeans and a tee shirt with a bold red 'S'. "So the son of Superman returned as well," she said, smiling as she did. "A good way to begin a new year, by your calender?"
"A very good way, Dolphin," Dick agreed with a smile, then drew a deep breath. "Okay, guys, let go of Garth, the man needs to breathe and we all need more space to stand on before everyone else winds up in the pile!"
"Who elected you leader?" Roy joked. "Last I checked, this was your kid brother's team."
"Ahem," Vick just as politely as he could protested that.
"It is true...If there's a Robin, the Robin leads," Gar said. "It's like a Titan rule."
"Yeah, well, he's not down here, he's got better sense than to join in this mess..." He smirked slightly, seeing that people had moved as he ordered, even if he was getting crap over it. "Besides, the Outsiders're disbanded and it's good to be home."
Several heads, four he had grown up with, and others that had come later, turned his way. "Home?" It was asked in multiple voices.
"You know Dick...it would be a pity to just leave Titan Island empty...and with so many wanting to join...maybe we could field two teams," Vic said casually.
"We just might be able to," Dick agreed, a smile on his lips. "Swap out teaching some of the kids?"
"It will only work if we alternate where we go, week to week," Donna said. "Keep the team as one, but two locations, rotating in and out, senior and rookie," she added.
"Sounds damn good, Donna," Roy agreed.
"Very good," Vic added.
Dick nodded. "Keeps enough of us on call to handle just about anything without putting such a stress on you guys, and if Kyle ever manages to find Kory and get their butts home we'll have at least one more... Oh, Batman is going to kill me if Rob and I don't go with him... Eh. Not the first time he's been pissed at me. What're you thinking, Donna? Reopen the Island obviously, staff both with some of us older ones and jump the kids back and forth?"
"We can work it all out later," Garth said, having wiggled out of the mass hugging and taken his son back. "Arthur does not expect me for two days."
"Agreed." Vic indicated the tower. "Let's get inside."
Dick nodded and headed up with them, though slowly he dropped back a bit, expecting Roy to join him.
The archer did so, one of the last to leave the dock, his eyes still looking out, looking up to the skies.
Dick laid a hand on his shoulder, "What're you thinking, bowhead?"
"Just...she's gotta come home soon, right? Or have we used up all the good karma we've banked?" Roy looked at his lover with warm eyes. "Family's not quite whole by a long stretch....but I can't think Kory's not trying to come home right now."
"She's got to be," Dick agreed with him, wrapping that arm around his shoulders. "She doesn't know how to quit, and you know it." His eyes closed as he thought about all of the ones that weren't coming back, Pantha and Bushido and BabyBeast and the others they'd lost in the fights, "And we don't know anything happened to her. She's just lost out there, and if I know her, she's doing her best to get home." He was quiet a few moments. "If we start up Titans East again, at least I'll be right there... West Coast's not my style."
"Oh we're going to do it." Roy leaned into his lover. "It's just the thing I need."
"Been a little at loose ends?" Dick held him, nodded. "You know... I think me, too. God, Roy, why didn't you beat the crap out of me for being so damn stupid for so long? --Nevermind. Nevermind. You know I'm sorry."
Roy stopped their walk and drew him closer, not caring if any Titans had lingered. "We're together now...and I don't want to dwell on the past."
Dick tucked his forehead against Roy's throat, nodding slightly. "Neither do I. Water, bridges, all that."
Wally turned to see what was holding them up, and noticed the very casual intimacy his two friends were sharing with each other. It twisted at him on one level, remembering too many girls and parties, but somewhere deep inside, he had known and accepted it years ago. Donna turned when Wally did, and laid a hand on his shoulder, tugging him on along. She wasn't sure what was happening right this moment between them, but they both looked like they needed it--and that meant Wally wasn't going to get the chance to yack first and ask questions later.
"What?" Wally walked beside her. "So they went and got married while I was gone."
She steered him away from the others and the kids, smiling widely at Garth when he turned for a moment. "Not that I can see, and if they didn't send me an invitation I will beat both of them," the threat sounded fairly serious, "but I think you'd have had a heart attack if you'd seen them when they walked in... someone trapped the entrance to the den with mistletoe in case you didn't notice." //Are you all right with this, Wally? Or do we need to talk?//
Wally grinned, then started laughing, fully and with his whole body, loving the idea of that.
Donna relaxed, grinning. "You should have seen some of the kids..." as she started to laugh herself, remembering the faces of some of them...
"Oh yeah, wish I had," he said. "Bet Vic's got it on slow replay somewhere..."
"Oh, probably. Good luck bribing him out of it, though."
Dick finally sighed softly. "We'd better head on inside, before the rest of them miss us."
Mia and Rose were off to one side as Dick entered with Roy, the phone at Mia's ear as she used her free hand to mime certain bow activities. She passed the phone to Rose, who spoke almost as animatedly as Mia.
"Trouble brewing, I bet," Roy said. "I overheard the two of them plotting to hook up with Arrowette and Empress after this weekend."
"Robin's got to love that," Dick chuckled, watching them for a moment. Then he went on to find the rest of their team, settle in around Garth, and go back into discussing what they were going to do with the Titans. Dick was hoping he could persuade them to take it easy long enough for him to finish this leg of the trip with Bruce--they'd been almost everywhere, after all, and no-one had said they had to take all year...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 04:11 am (UTC)Have I mentioned I adore this verse?
Wow. I love ever single word.
:-)
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Date: 2006-12-01 04:13 am (UTC)*beams, pleased*
:)
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Date: 2006-12-01 12:43 pm (UTC)So glad it made you enjoy yet again! I think we have just the one fic left, to wrap up New Years. After that, who's to say?
*WEG*
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 05:32 am (UTC)*pokes you* Steph? Cass? Jason? Pweeeeeeease?
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 05:36 am (UTC)As to Steph, she has no deities looking out for her and none of the rest of them were really dead.
Jason, cero's been giving me hints on.
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Date: 2006-12-01 09:00 am (UTC)Jason? *perks up*
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 12:46 pm (UTC)The first and only feasible way of fixing Steph I've come up with...I don't want to use. Give me a little time.
And Cass, she needs her time with Shiva....but the year has to end some time....
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 05:25 pm (UTC)With, uh...the help of Cupid, for Valentine's day? ^_^
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 05:35 pm (UTC)*snicker*
Part A
Date: 2006-12-01 08:26 am (UTC)After a few moments and a few rings, his lover's sleep-rough voice answered
*g* I am absolutely in love with the idea of contemplating what a Bruce Wayne "sleep-rough" voice sounds like.
And I love two additional things about this exchange:
a.) the casual way Ollie is able to refer to Bruce as his lover. Awww.
b.) that Bruce is comfortable enough with Ollie to let that "sleep-rough" voice seep through the conversation - enough to let down some of that Bat guard.
Ollie sighed. "Sometimes, Bruce, I have to wonder what we did to deserve our chances to start over, but in Bare's case...no questions at all."
Nope, cuz Barry is AWESOME.
Also, I completely adore not only the way Barry is rendered here (which I'll get to later), but the way he's used to show off everyone *else's* personality traits as well - mostly good ones, but some of the mmmm less desireable traits (stubbornness, irritability, etc) as well. Using him as a window, the characters shine even more brightly than they already did, which is an awe-inspiring method of story-telling.
Examples? Through Barry, we see the Ollie's loyalty to his friends, Hal's propensity to goad affectionately, and Bruce's desire to heal old wounds. . .all things that have been hinted at, touched on before, and all things that are true, but really stood out in this piece.
Of course, it's also through Barry that we see the unfortunate rifts and screw-ups that DC made. . .and how well you're stitching up those cuts. *g*
I cannot begin to express my joy at Robin!Tim reporting to Oracle. *chuckle.* And oh, how I adored that Nightwing was more than happy to hang out with his friends while baby Bird made the report. Not that there was any reason for him not to, but the "I must be Uber-Bat at all times" of previous years couldn't have relaxed, I don't think, and couldn't have let that responsiblity to someone else.
*is proud of Dick here, and gives him another cookie.*
"That is...interesting." Oracle ticked over all the changes that would entail in the power vacuum left by Bruce and Clark and Diana being absent.
*g* A perfectly Babs like reaction.
"I'm still not happy...oww." Gar glared at Vic's hand on his arm.
"It's been a good night, regardless," Vic said.
oh, Vic, honey, I'm proud of you. And I'm glad Yena and Filly let you grow up a little
unlike canonfrom that arrogant, rash 19 year old that you aren't anymore. Still rash. . .but trying to be a grown up. *cheers.**contemplates the gathering here.*
*laughs at the sheer number of threesomes in this verse.* There's Ollie/dinah/Bruce, Kon/Tim/Mia, and Vic/Gar/Raven. *g*
Raven spared a glance at Robin that said she would handle this. "It may be a shock, but there are very few people Gar doesn't like," she said drily. "And one of those happened to be Slade."
"But she's not Slade. She's a kid that we failed to protect from her father." Vic's words hit Gar hard, Tim could see, as the green one looked up at Vic.
. . . .
I. . .
. . .
oh. Oh. OH. Oh, YES.
Because that's kind of wonderful. It's true - both in content, and in characterization (as it should be, dammit), and OH.
Titans Together, and Family, and OH.
//Are you sure?// He didn't say it, but he felt like it. That wasn't possible. The Speed Force was gone, and Barry had been gone so long...
*hugs Hal, mindful of the inappropriate groping.* I know, Hal. Isn't it WONDERFUL?
Re: Part A
Date: 2006-12-01 01:07 pm (UTC)*shakes head* Brainstorming these convos is hilarious, as I'm invariably getting ready to work...and then I stew on the convos all night at work. So working out the personalities involved is always funny..especially when we write it and I see how closly Yena's impressions match mine. Dick was perfect, but then, look who wrote him.
*is proud of Dick here, and gives him another cookie.*
I'm sure he enjoyed it.
*g* A perfectly Babs like reaction.
I so can't wait to fix her Batty-ness.
oh, Vic, honey, I'm proud of you. And I'm glad Yena and Filly let you grow up a little unlike canon from that arrogant, rash 19 year old that you aren't anymore. Still rash. . .but trying to be a grown up. *cheers.*
Vic is a soft spot in my heart.
*contemplates the gathering here.*
*laughs at the sheer number of threesomes in this verse.* There's Ollie/dinah/Bruce, Kon/Tim/Mia, and Vic/Gar/Raven. *g*
I blame DC for giving us so many men to women. but Mia protests...and the Raven trio refuse to admit out loud they are.
. . . .
I. . .
. . .
oh. Oh. OH. Oh, YES.
Because that's kind of wonderful. It's true - both in content, and in characterization (as it should be, dammit), and OH.
Titans Together, and Family, and OH.
I am so glad that passage works. I was really hoping it would, because that's the Titans in my head.
*hugs Hal, mindful of the inappropriate groping.* I know, Hal. Isn't it WONDERFUL?
Well, he hasn't invited anyone flying yet...
Re: Part A
Date: 2006-12-01 01:10 pm (UTC)I work retail. I listen to the music, day in and day out...can't fully tune it out, because my brain needs music. When that song played, we had begun the first section, and I knew for a fact that was exactly what we needed for the first two parts.
*g* I am absolutely in love with the idea of contemplating what a Bruce Wayne "sleep-rough" voice sounds like.
It's a shame Conroy doesn't *look* like his voice to me...because a sleep rough Conroy voice just sends shivers up my spine.
And I love two additional things about this exchange:
a.) the casual way Ollie is able to refer to Bruce as his lover. Awww.
Ollie is happily owned by both his relationships...I truly see it as being the missing thing he needed to stop straying.
b.) that Bruce is comfortable enough with Ollie to let that "sleep-rough" voice seep through the conversation - enough to let down some of that Bat guard.
I was glad Yena put that there. She's handling Bruce so damn well.
Nope, cuz Barry is AWESOME.
And Ollie is a sap...very big time sap.
Also, I completely adore not only the way Barry is rendered here (which I'll get to later), but the way he's used to show off everyone *else's* personality traits as well - mostly good ones, but some of the mmmm less desireable traits (stubbornness, irritability, etc) as well. Using him as a window, the characters shine even more brightly than they already did, which is an awe-inspiring method of story-telling.
I was trying to refresh my memory on Barry...and found reference to him as DC's first saint...and I had to agree. So your breakdown here, so perfect with what I'm seeing in my mind.
Examples? Through Barry, we see the Ollie's loyalty to his friends, Hal's propensity to goad affectionately, and Bruce's desire to heal old wounds. . .all things that have been hinted at, touched on before, and all things that are true, but really stood out in this piece.
*blush* Barry missed so much as my brain refuses to condense the 20 something years of comics writing from the original Crisis into just a handful of years. It's almost a Stranger in a Strange Land viewpoint.
Of course, it's also through Barry that we see the unfortunate rifts and screw-ups that DC made. . .and how well you're stitching up those cuts. *g*
One of the hardest things of this part was letting Dinah and Ollie tell the stories they did. Because it made me really, rawly aware that recent screw-ups...they've just been steadily building, as I remembered all the problems I had with Jurgens in the 90s, with the entire Superman Dies/returns nonsense.
*has random moment of pride in Ted and Michael for their shining heroism in the storylines*
Re: Part A (1)
Date: 2006-12-01 03:55 pm (UTC)*giggle* Glad you like it. Filly rules. She's so clever, and I was wracking my brain.
*g* I am absolutely in love with the idea of contemplating what a Bruce Wayne "sleep-rough" voice sounds like.
Oh, yes. Many pleasant thoughts about that... *shiver* Just... g'uh. I almost feel bad for Ollie, though... *chuckle* No I don't. He'll get even. Somehow.
And I love two additional things about this exchange:
a.) the casual way Ollie is able to refer to Bruce as his lover. Awww.
b.) that Bruce is comfortable enough with Ollie to let that "sleep-rough" voice seep through the conversation - enough to let down some of that Bat guard.
A) Why wouldn't he? *curious headtilt*
B) Now that on the other hand is so many levels of yes and purr and approval of Bruce's much better behavior. He's doing so well... *waits for the other shoe*
Nope, cuz Barry is AWESOME.
Oh, no, you're not the slightest bit biased... *Grins at you* But yes, yes he is. *hugs Barry--who really doesn't belong in the darkness the DC verse became when they lost him.
Also, I completely adore not only the way Barry is rendered here (which I'll get to later), but the way he's used to show off everyone *else's* personality traits as well - mostly good ones, but some of the mmmm less desireable traits (stubbornness, irritability, etc) as well. Using him as a window, the characters shine even more brightly than they already did, which is an awe-inspiring method of story-telling.
*gigglesqueeflail* You have no idea how happy it makes me that you approve of the Bary, even if I didn't write him. And Filly did an utterly fabulous job with everyone she wrote. I can only claim Hal and Bruce... but thank you so much for letting us know what we were aiming for worked as well as we wished. And yeah, he sees both, so very clearly.
Examples? Through Barry, we see the Ollie's loyalty to his friends, Hal's propensity to goad affectionately, and Bruce's desire to heal old wounds. . .all things that have been hinted at, touched on before, and all things that are true, but really stood out in this piece.
*grins* Barry's wonderful for that. And Hal wouldn't be Hal if he wasn't goading someone into something, troublemaking creature that he is... Ollie's very, very loyal, yes, and as for Bruce... Yeah. He's working on it. *pets her Bat gently*
Of course, it's also through Barry that we see the unfortunate rifts and screw-ups that DC made. . .and how well you're stitching up those cuts. *g*
We're trying... We're so very much trying. 'Cause well, canon sucks a lot. They've done so much bad... *growls in their direction. Barry's getting more and more glad he wasn't around for most of it, I'm fairly sure. Though as I'm not much in his head I'm not certain of that--and then there's that he feels bad for leaving them to it. So all kinds of things going on in his head now.
I cannot begin to express my joy at Robin!Tim reporting to Oracle. *chuckle.*
He's adorable, sometimes. And well, he knows Babs would kick all of their asses later if he didn't fill her in. Unlike a certain not-blonde...
And oh, how I adored that Nightwing was more than happy to hang out with his friends while baby Bird made the report. Not that there was any reason for him not to, but the "I must be Uber-Bat at all times" of previous years couldn't have relaxed, I don't think, and couldn't have let that responsibility to someone else.
*shrug* Dick says Tim had it covered. And goes right back to lounging in the pile of his best friends. Besides, Tim's Babs's henchperson, not him. But you're very right about that. He wouldn't have.
*is proud of Dick here, and gives him another cookie.*
He likes cookies, but not as much as J'onn. Which is why Roy gets half.
*g* A perfectly Babs like reaction.
But of course. That's just how she is. She thinks in advantages and angles, 99.99% of the time.
Re: Part A
Date: 2006-12-01 03:56 pm (UTC)oh, Vic, honey, I'm proud of you. And I'm glad Yena and Filly let you grow up a little
unlike canonfrom that arrogant, rash 19 year old that you aren't anymore. Still rash. . .but trying to be a grown up. *cheers.*I'm fond of Vic. Really I am. And no, he's not that boy anymore. Older, wiser... and very well acquainted with his
boybest-friend's temper.*contemplates the gathering here.*
Aren't they fun?
*laughs at the sheer number of threesomes in this verse.* There's Ollie/dinah/Bruce, Kon/Tim/Mia, and Vic/Gar/Raven. *g*
Tim says "no we're NOT!" ...and so does Raven. But she's blushing.
. . . .
I. . .
. . .
oh. Oh. OH. Oh, YES.
Because that's kind of wonderful. It's true - both in content, and in characterization (as it should be, dammit), and OH.
Vic utterly rules. *hugs him really a lot* He knew just exactly what to say. Also, you rule too.
Titans Together, and Family, and OH.
Yes. That they are.
*hugs Hal, mindful of the inappropriate groping.* I know, Hal. Isn't it WONDERFUL?
Yes. He completely agrees... *chuckle* He wouldn't grope you. He'd be afraid he'd draw back a bloody stump.
Part B
Date: 2006-12-01 08:29 am (UTC)"Fine, then you're hauling us." He changed the construct, willing to let Barry use his speed, though he couldn't help a chuckle. "Aiming to annoy Arthur before you even see him?"
"He won't stay annoyed," Barry said smugly. He obviously knew something.
"What've you got up your sleeve, Bare?"
"That would be telling," he said as he took off running at a comfortable speed.
"Yes, it would, and you can start anytime," Hal agreed. Barry gave a full laugh, refusing to slake Hal's curiosity.
What I said to Yena in IM about Barry's personality in this fic? This is a perfect example. It's such a rich, full characterization of the man - part lovable dork, part loyal friend, part wicked tease, part fun, part duty . . . just perfect.
I adored the entirety of the Hal/Barry/Arthur convo. It just gave off a perfect male friendship vibe.
Also? I love that Arthur was two minutes away from kicking the "imposter's" ass. *g*
Also, I adored all the JLA Year One references - which I'm sure is predicable on my part - especially the bulb wrench. Awww.
J'onn stood back, looking at his Flash with a sense of true relief and happiness. "Good to have you home, Barry. Perhaps now, Hal will stop eating all my cookies." He gave the Lantern an amused smile for all his unscheduled visits to John Jones' house.
Oh. HIS Flash. *sniffle.* Also, a joking J'onn. . . such a welcome, welcome sight. And his first reaction to seeing Barry alive and well was perfect.
"...That man rots your brain," Babs replied, acid etching her tone. "You're supposed to tell me intel this critical. I do not appreciate being among the last to know something."
*chuckle.* OH, Babs, never were you more Bat-like.
Clark looked up at that, shoulders tensing, then he found the visitor in question and it took everything he had to keep under control as he stood up, fighting to keep his eyes from going too wide.
*sniffle.* Clark, I love you when you are good. The way you should be.
It gave her hope every time one came home...and maybe with so much good in their lives now, Clark would get better too.
This is a Lois I believe. . .one that wants *Superman* back, not one that selfishly wants Clark all to her own. . .and thank you for that.
The conversation between Clark and Barry just had me squeeing/flailing/gushing all over myself here. It's just so very clearly *them* and . . .wonderful. Them discussing Bruce and Clark's "What did you do now, Bruce?" just made me giggle.
"That will make Kon happy...
*squee.* I'm glad. . .so very glad that Clark knows his son well enough to know this.
"Really. You didn't expect me not to know, with the boys where they are? Of course, Clark."
Nice cover, Bruce.
//Don't say that,// hovered on the tip of his tongue, but he managed to alter it to, "Don't be so sure. And don't be a stranger."
The entire conversation between Bruce and Barry was perfect. BUT. THIS? Made me sniffle and want to hug Bruce. Good boy.
And. . .GARTH!!! *squee* You gave us Garth back. Oh. Thank you.
Arthur chuckled. "I'll put you to work the day after tomorrow, Tadpole."
Garth, you can glare as indignantly as you'd like, but that line made me want to hug Arthur. Awww.
One loud "Gillhead!" and two yells of "Garth!" blurred together... and a star-spangled black blur hit the pile from the side, staggering all of them.
Oh, my precious, precious Titans reunited. I. . this made me cry, by the way. Just. *weeps.*
"You know Dick...it would be a pity to just leave Titan Island empty...and with so many wanting to join...maybe we could field two teams," Vic said casually.
*coos.* Why, yes, this is wonderful. And death to the post-Crisis Version of the Outsiders, too.
"Family's not quite whole by a long stretch....but I can't think Kory's not trying to come home right now."
I HOPE SO.
//Are you all right with this, Wally? Or do we need to talk?//
This Donna beats every other characterization of her all hollow. I want her to randomly
beattalk to people who so richly deserve it. *begins composing list.**Loves hard on this fic, repeatedly.*
Re: Part B
Date: 2006-12-01 01:26 pm (UTC)You don't know how much that reassures me. I have been too lazy to go dig out Barry's books. I may crack the ICOIE sometime today, to catch that Barry flavor.
I adored the entirety of the Hal/Barry/Arthur convo. It just gave off a perfect male friendship vibe.
Great! Yena makes it so easy to write these kind of scenes, I'm in awe of her.
Also? I love that Arthur was two minutes away from kicking the "imposter's" ass. *g*
That's Barry You don't screw with Barry in any of their minds.
Also, I adored all the JLA Year One references - which I'm sure is predicable on my part - especially the bulb wrench. Awww.
We share an aiding love of that maxi series, I think.
Oh. HIS Flash. *sniffle.* Also, a joking J'onn. . . such a welcome, welcome sight. And his first reaction to seeing Barry alive and well was perfect.
Even though J'onn's been around a long time, I live by the canon he did not fully open himself up until his League came to be. So yeah, he's a tad possessive over barry being his Flash.
*chuckle.* OH, Babs, never were you more Bat-like.
Dinah wants to kick her ass. Or get her laid. She just can't figure out the matchmaking angle.
*sniffle.* Clark, I love you when you are good. The way you should be.
He was a doll for Barry, I think. And Yena's Clark muse impresses me.
This is a Lois I believe. . .one that wants *Superman* back, not one that selfishly wants Clark all to her own. . .and thank you for that.
She should have that feel...this was mure Margot Kidder in my head, from the miute I knew she was narrating the scene.
The conversation between Clark and Barry just had me squeeing/flailing/gushing all over myself here. It's just so very clearly *them* and . . .wonderful. Them discussing Bruce and Clark's "What did you do now, Bruce?" just made me giggle.
Trying to remember the better friendships Barry had, and of course I remembered the old races...which reminded me of Clark's role in Barry's life. That Yena took it and rolled with it so well awes me again.
*squee.* I'm glad. . .so very glad that Clark knows his son well enough to know this.
Me too...immensely.
Nice cover, Bruce.
*g*
The entire conversation between Bruce and Barry was perfect. BUT. THIS? Made me sniffle and want to hug Bruce. Good boy.
Yena's Bruce rules.
And. . .GARTH!!! *squee* You gave us Garth back. Oh. Thank you.
Slowly fixing what ails the DC...as no hero should die for good in the comics.
Garth, you can glare as indignantly as you'd like, but that line made me want to hug Arthur. Awww.
Want to know a funny? It took me almost ten minutes to finally recall the old Aquaman dialogue from his cartoon to remember the pet name.
Oh, my precious, precious Titans reunited. I. . this made me cry, by the way. Just. *weeps.*
I cried to...this entire scene is all Yena, and she truly, truly grabs the Titans and takes them to heart.
*coos.* Why, yes, this is wonderful. And death to the post-Crisis Version of the Outsiders, too.
But I need to do something with Grace and Anissa and Shift...I loved them.
I HOPE SO.
Patience, Grasshopper...*g*
This Donna beats every other characterization of her all hollow. I want her to randomly
beattalk to people who so richly deserve it. *begins composing list.*I miss a Donna who acts like this!
*Loves hard on this fic, repeatedly.*
Let's hoep the third New Year's continues the trend...thank you so much
Re: Part B (1)
Date: 2006-12-01 05:01 pm (UTC)*grin* Filly rules very much.
I adored the entirety of the Hal/Barry/Arthur convo. It just gave off a perfect male friendship vibe.
Good to know I didn't maul Hal's character tooo badly. And Filly, as usual, was dead-on.
Also? I love that Arthur was two minutes away from kicking the "imposter's" ass. *g*
*G* Oh, you noticed that, huh?
Also, I adored all the JLA Year One references - which I'm sure is predicable on my part - especially the bulb wrench. Awww.
Just a itty bit... and *chuckles at Barry* That was a pretty good line, I thought, when Filly threw it out there.
Oh. HIS Flash. *sniffle.* Also, a joking J'onn. . . such a welcome, welcome sight. And his first reaction to seeing Barry alive and well was perfect.
Of course his Flash. Wally's a good kid... but Barry was one of his best friends. *cuddles J'onn, and gives him many, many cookies* Stupid canon go boom. J'onn's not like that. *glares in the direction of several writers*
*chuckle.* OH, Babs, never were you more Bat-like.
Freaky thing? That's my Babs again. She was not a happy little girl. And snapping at Dinah actually made her feel better.
*sniffle.* Clark, I love you when you are good. The way you should be.
Yet another "thank god I didn't murder his character too badly". He's a sweetheart in my head...
This is a Lois I believe. . .one that wants *Superman* back, not one that selfishly wants Clark all to her own. . .and thank you for that.
You're welcome. I like Filly's Lois. She's a doll.
The conversation between Clark and Barry just had me squeeing/flailing/gushing all over myself here. It's just so very clearly *them* and . . .wonderful. Them discussing Bruce and Clark's "What did you do now, Bruce?" just made me giggle.
*cuddles Clark some more* Well... he knows Bruce--he has no idea what's going on, but Bruce is good at pushing people's buttons. And he missed Barry badly.
*squee.* I'm glad. . .so very glad that Clark knows his son well enough to know this.
It was a bit much to miss... everyone knows about that trio of best friends.
Nice cover, Bruce.
HE certainly thought so. Was fairly pleased with himself about it too. *chuckles at him*
The entire conversation between Bruce and Barry was perfect. BUT. THIS? Made me sniffle and want to hug Bruce. Good boy.
Hearing Barry sounding like he might give up on them... hell, no. Bruce had to do something.
Re: Part B (2)
Date: 2006-12-01 05:02 pm (UTC)And. . .GARTH!!! *squee* You gave us Garth back. Oh. Thank you.
Barry's a clever thing. And once they knew where to look... Garth'd done it again, silly creature that he is...
Garth, you can glare as indignantly as you'd like, but that line made me want to hug Arthur. Awww.
Garth just didn't like him calling him that in front of everyone. "Damnit dad I'm not a kid anymore..." //even if you did have to send a team to rescue me...//
Oh, my precious, precious Titans reunited. I. . this made me cry, by the way. Just. *weeps.*
*opens new tissuebox and hands them over* *cuddles all of them* They're... yeah. They really are. ...I pity the first son of a bitch to mess with the reunited teams... wait. No I don't. And they're so not going to let go anytime soon.
*coos.* Why, yes, this is wonderful. And death to the post-Crisis Version of the Outsiders, too.
So much yes to that. Death indeed. No love, Judd. So much no love. And yeah. Dick's being Robbie, and Roy loves it. A whole lot. They have such plans.... *kicks Titans 41 in the teeth even as she loves on it*
I HOPE SO.
One-stop fix-it shop.... *grin*
This Donna beats every other characterization of her all hollow. I want her to randomly
beattalk to people who so richly deserve it. *begins composing list.**chuckle* I like my Donna-girl. She's not so bad... *drags Titans out of stupid quagmire and back to where they belong* Wally protests that he dealt just fine with it and Donna doesn't need to
beattalk to him about anything...*Loves hard on this fic, repeatedly.*
Thank you so much!! *G* Soooo glad it worked for you... We try awful hard.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 03:20 pm (UTC)And thank you thank you thank you for bringing Wally and Kon back! Wally especially, he's my favourite speedster (sorry Barry) and to have him *and* all the other speedsters back... *bounces*
And BRUCE! You guys win teh internets for him here. He's just so... Bruce, it makes me feel warm and happy.
Also, why do I have a feeling that Dinah's problem will be revealed in, oh, about seven or eight months? *grins*
Great job, you two- this is what canon *should* be like!
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 05:33 pm (UTC)...straight through? HOLY Crap! Wow. Man, you deserve a medal or something... Or aspirin for the headache...
This is *amazing*. your characters are so happy, but at the same time they're so IC and non-sachharine and *real*- this is beautiful, you two.
Thank you so very much. *G* The DCU didn't use to be a sucking pit of grief and angst, and it's nice to have the chance to do something about it. They can reboot their world as they want in canon, but *snort* I like our version better.
And thank you thank you thank you for bringing Wally and Kon back! Wally especially, he's my favourite speedster (sorry Barry) and to have him *and* all the other speedsters back... *bounces*
You're very, very welcome. Well, not quote all of them are back, Max insisted on staying behind... But they can get to him if they need to...
And BRUCE! You guys win teh internets for him here. He's just so... Bruce, it makes me feel warm and happy.
*cuddles her Bruce gently* That's my guy. He's got his flaws (namely that he's tempermental, secretive, and still a manipulative thing...) but he's a hero. And he's trying to fix some of the things he's done.
Also, why do I have a feeling that Dinah's problem will be revealed in, oh, about seven or eight months? *grins*
...
........
Um... not unless Filly's keeping something from me.... *big eyes*
Great job, you two- this is what canon *should* be like!
*G* thanks! We like thinking so...
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 07:28 pm (UTC)And you're welcome on both counts.
Bruce is ruled by my estemmable co-writer, to my own joy.
And heavens no...she's been a good girl, went and got all that taken care of teh day after she realized she was sleeping with men she trusted not to provide the protection themselves.
And if canon was like this...whew, I feel sorry for the self righteous censors of what American youth should read....lol.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-02 06:31 am (UTC)Okay, great fic as always.
Ollie calling Bruce to tell him about the speedsters was great, especially because it gave Bruce the abilit to one up Clark when Clark called him to tell him about Barry. Just wonderful, it would not be Bruce if he did not know everything first.
I'm also very proud of Tim for being the grownup and calling Oracle when all of the other "adults" fail to. O is going to rip Dick to pieces over Rose.
I love all of Barry's interactions. I'm so glad he connected with Hal first, then with J'onn and Arthur. The line about Snapper and the bulbwrench was one of my favorite lines. I hate that JLA year 1 is no longer canon. I loved that series so much. The line from J'onn about his cookies was wonderful as well.
Barry going to Clark was wonderful, and I love Lois recognizing him enough to make room for Clark to confirm what she thought. Clark is going to have the story of the morning when it hits the presses first. I'm very glad Barry is going public again, with Wally staying private.
It's so good to see Hal meddling. Bruce and Hal really do need to try and get along, for Ollie's sake. Hopefully it will work out someday.
"I will." Something about that first thing he'd said had put Bruce's back up a bit, if Barry had the eye to notice.
I think I missed something because I have no idea what he is talking about here. Would either of you care to enlighten me?
Garth reuniting with his family, well both of his families was just great. I feel sorry for Dolphin as she got dragged to the surface world when he went to see the Titans.
Seeing the original five Titans together is a beautiful image. I love them together so much, they should be together. *shakes a fist at DC*
I like the idea of them doing two teams and rotating the younger members. It should make for an interesting mix. The semi-quiet moment between Dick and Roy was much needed and I love the image of Dick tucking his head under Roy's chin. I'm so glad that Wally accepts them as together. I never commented on the mistletoe in the last chapter but it made me squee proudly, especially the way the boy hammed it up. They are such kids when they are together.
Hope you get more up soon.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-02 06:59 am (UTC)Thank you!!!
Ollie calling Bruce to tell him about the speedsters was great, especially because it gave Bruce the abilit to one up Clark when Clark called him to tell him about Barry. Just wonderful, it would not be Bruce if he did not know everything first.
*G* Ollie knows to make sure Bruce knows things... and Barry was his friend, too. And yes, Bruce much appreciated the call, when Clark's came in.
I'm also very proud of Tim for being the grownup and calling Oracle when all of the other "adults" fail to. O is going to rip Dick to pieces over Rose.
*chuckle* Tim's Oracle's henchman, it made sense. And... yeah, she probably is.
I love all of Barry's interactions. I'm so glad he connected with Hal first, then with J'onn and Arthur. The line about Snapper and the bulbwrench was one of my favorite lines. I hate that JLA year 1 is no longer canon. I loved that series so much. The line from J'onn about his cookies was wonderful as well.
I really, really need to get and read this... But yeah. Barry is wonderful, and Filly writes all of those men so well.
Barry going to Clark was wonderful, and I love Lois recognizing him enough to make room for Clark to confirm what she thought. Clark is going to have the story of the morning when it hits the presses first. I'm very glad Barry is going public again, with Wally staying private.
*nodnod* Barry had to... and Filly's Lois is lovable. Yes, yes he is, and *nodnod* I squeed at that.
It's so good to see Hal (Barry?) meddling. Bruce and Hal really do need to try and get along, for Ollie's sake. Hopefully it will work out someday.
*crosses fingers, but does not hold breath*
I think I missed something because I have no idea what he is talking about here. Would either of you care to enlighten me?
Handled in IM. *G*
Garth reuniting with his family, well both of his families was just great. I feel sorry for Dolphin as she got dragged to the surface world when he went to see the Titans.
I don't feel a bit sorry for Dolphin because I've never forgiven her for making Garth quit in the first place, but yes. He needed his families, almost as much as they needed him.
Seeing the original five Titans together is a beautiful image. I love them together so much, they should be together. *shakes a fist at DC*
Yes they should---*kills on Didio and his stupid belief that we don't love them or something*
I like the idea of them doing two teams and rotating the younger members. It should make for an interesting mix.
They like it, too.
The semi-quiet moment between Dick and Roy was much needed and I love the image of Dick tucking his head under Roy's chin.
Dick's a cuddler, with Roy.
I'm so glad that Wally accepts them as together.
Me, too. I was nervous about that...
I never commented on the mistletoe in the last chapter but it made me squee proudly, especially the way the boy hammed it up. They are such kids when they are together.
yeah, they are. Except when they're being so very adult...
Hope you get more up soon.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-02 06:38 pm (UTC)And thank you...I'm drawing hard against Year One....but trying to remember more of Barry from before Crisis too.
I never feel sorry for Dolphin. I can't stand her as a character or as Garth's wife. The only good thing from her was Cerdian.
And yes...original titans= the love.
That rotation idea makes much sense in my head.
We will
reposted with correct html this time
Date: 2006-12-02 07:33 am (UTC)After a few moments and a few rings, his lover's sleep-rough voice answered.
Yummy. Sleep roughened just sounds sexy.
"Oh...hey, is that Rose Wilson?!" Oracle was too much the Bat, seeing a threat among her loved ones' supposed haven
Babs, you're supposed to focus on the Flashes being back.
while Mia had managed to move to Kon's side.
*snicker* Still confusing everyone.
"Watch it!" Robin snapped softly at him, flicking his eyes behind them. Not often he'd yell at Gar, but what the hell was he thinking.
I do love overprotective Timmy too.
"But she's not Slade. She's a kid that we failed to protect from her father."
Ooo, that was an awesome line. Wonderfully put.
"Are you going to make me keep running to stay warm, or let me in?" Twelve brief images of his one time friend appeared on the clock points around his shield.
That's just a cool image and wonderfully demonstrates how fast they move.
"Bruce is and has always been a jackass, and it's only gotten worse. I can work with him, when I need to." //Bare, you don't want to know. trust me on this.//
Hey! Part of it's your own darn fault mister goes crazy and tries to end the world, and all that stuff. Sorry he doesn't forget that easily Mister. And he's Bruce, your lucky enoug he does tell you what he's thinking of you.
I think a young kid...or not so young, I guess...is trying to come home."
Yay! Tempest!
J'onn stood back, looking at his Flash with a sense of true relief and happiness.
I love the familyness this group has together, almost as good as the Titans in their own way. And I'm quickly falling in love with Barry.
"...That man rots your brain," Babs replied, acid etching her tone. "You're supposed to tell me intel this critical. I do not appreciate being among the last to know something."
Grrrrr, Babs, I know the males in your family have been removing the sticks from their asses, maybe it's time you did the same thing. And you aren't the last to know, the only people who knew ahead of you were their family. So deal, and get over yourself.
Eventually... even I stopped trying."
And that was the worst move you could have made Clark. You left him with no ties to any of you and then wonder why his sanity was somewhat in question.
though his expression had lightened slightly at the first names.
Oh, you are so in love. So lovely.
//Are you ever happy if you're not meddling, Allen?//
He's got a lot to fix. And I get such a sense of 'Daddy's home time for the kids to stop misbehaving, and start getting along, or Daddy's going to put them in time out' from Barry.
The reunion between Dolphin and Garth and Arthur and Garth was very sweet and dignified. Cerdian is so cute though.
Roy stopped long enough to drop the plate on a table then turned and ran, Dick right behind him. A red blur whizzed by, stopped, turned back, and grabbed them both, hauling them along--and they hit the docks just as one of their missing flung himself out of the water, half-turned to reach down... and the other three grabbed him. One loud "Gillhead!" and two yells of "Garth!" blurred together... and a star-spangled black blur hit the pile from the side, staggering all of them.
Ah, Happyverse, where all your canon woes are solved. They'r reunion was everything wonderful. Rescue Starfire and the Titan's will be good.
"It is true...If there's a Robin, the Robin leads," Gar said. "It's like a Titan rule."
*Nodnod*
Oh, Batman is going to kill me if Rob and I don't go with him... Eh. Not the first time he's been pissed at me.
Dick, the Titan's wil be there when you finish your journey, and you're just starting to regain your relationship with Bruce. Can we not screw it up for oh, three months? Although Bruce probably would like the excuse to be comforted by his lovers.
Love the idea of two Titan's teams, but what about the team Roy was going to be putting together? Obviously he's going to rejoin the Titans but still...
Another excellent addition to your saga and you two are thinking about saving Jason now. Excellent.
Re: reposted with correct html this time
Date: 2006-12-02 07:39 am (UTC)We do try.
Yummy. Sleep roughened just sounds sexy.
That being why I have said that I almost feel sorry for Ollie. Bruce's voice is a lethal weapon.
Babs, you're supposed to focus on the Flashes being back.
Right... Miss Bat focus on anything but the possible source of trouble? *snort*
*snicker* Still confusing everyone.
They seem to be enjoying doing so.
I do love overprotective Timmy too.
*cuddles the Timmy* Yes. He gets that way.
Ooo, that was an awesome line. Wonderfully put.
Filly rocks. A whole lot.
That's just a cool image and wonderfully demonstrates how fast they move.
Once again, I say simply that Filly rules.
Hey! Part of it's your own darn fault mister goes crazy and tries to end the world, and all that stuff. Sorry he doesn't forget that easily Mister. And he's Bruce, your lucky enough he does tell you what he's thinking of you.
Bruce says thank you. Which is RARE for him. And agrees completely.
Yay! Tempest!
Yup.
I love the familyness this group has together, almost as good as the Titans in their own way. And I'm quickly falling in love with Barry.
They're very different... but once upon a time they were like that, too. So am I, by the way.
Grrrrr, Babs, I know the males in your family have been removing the sticks from their asses, maybe it's time you did the same thing. And you aren't the last to know, the only people who knew ahead of you were their family. So deal, and get over yourself.
Not the first to know is the same as last to know when it comes to intel. (personally, I'm with you, even though I wrote the cranky-one).
And that was the worst move you could have made Clark. You left him with no ties to any of you and then wonder why his sanity was somewhat in question.
True, very true... but Bruce slapped him down so many times... Very much fault on both sides.
Oh, you are so in love. So lovely.
Yes. Yes he very much is.
He's got a lot to fix. And I get such a sense of 'Daddy's home time for the kids to stop misbehaving, and start getting along, or Daddy's going to put them in time out' from Barry.
I think 'big brother', not Daddy, but yeah, Barry definitely has opinions of the way things ought to be.
The reunion between Dolphin and Garth and Arthur and Garth was very sweet and dignified. Cerdian is so cute though.
Cere loves his daddy, from what I remember.
Ah, Happyverse, where all your canon woes are solved. They'r reunion was everything wonderful. Rescue Starfire and the Titan's will be good.
*nodnod* Yeah, pretty much. *grins at you, points at lj again* Enjoy...
*Nodnod*
Yeah. It just is.
Dick, the Titan's wil be there when you finish your journey, and you're just starting to regain your relationship with Bruce. Can we not screw it up for oh, three months? Although Bruce probably would like the excuse to be comforted by his lovers.
Tim will probably smack him with that, yes. He's... conflicted at the moment. The planning helped settle him, though. *chuckle* Of course he would.
Love the idea of two Titan's teams, but what about the team Roy was going to be putting together? Obviously he's going to rejoin the Titans but still...
*G* Roy was working one angle... this one trumps it all hollow. And besides, the continuity that was referencing has now been blown even further to hell.
Another excellent addition to your saga and you two are thinking about saving Jason now. Excellent.
Thank you, and that's all you. We just ran with it once you figured it out for us.
Re: reposted with correct html this time
Date: 2006-12-02 08:05 am (UTC)*bows deeply eastern style* Your welcome.
and that's all you. We just ran with it once you figured it out for us.
Eh, you'd'a figured it out eventually. I just made it easier.