<div class="floatleft">(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NoNdRHxwy5g/S8x3Cf3pMxI/AAAAAAAACzc/gvGmp5piH3Q/s1600/flash.jpg)</div><hr/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>  Name:</strong> The Flash/Wally West<br/><strong>Location:</strong>   Bludhaven, Nightwing's Lair. [Eventually]<br/><strong>Tags:</strong>         Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Superman and Nightwing<br/><br/></span></span><hr/><br/><em>Months Ago</em><br/><br/>That night wasn't a story of Nightwing and The Flash. That night was a story of Dick Grayson and Wally West.<br/><br/>"<strong>Dude, what was that?</strong>" the dark haired one starts to complain, but the red haired one waves his hand to cut him off.<br/><br/>"<strong>Hey, none of that was my fault. You're the one who had to go out with a girl who wanted to double date with a friend of hers -</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Wally,</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>I'm not done. And the friend was a palm-reading, aura-"seeing", "crystal healer". Does that even make any sense? But you know what? I would of been fine with that by itself.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Wally,</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>I'm not done. But then she had to talk smack about 80's Speed Metal. In favor of the latest Pop Mutant no less. But then she does the unforgivable -</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Wally,</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Then, on top of all that, she has the gall to suggest that the Patriots - as a whole team - should be kicked back down to the Minor Leagues.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>WALLY,</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Yeah Dick?</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>The girls took the car.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>. . .Ah, hell.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>And for the record, I know they're your team - but the Keystone Patriots suck. A lot. They didn't score a single run tonight against my Bludhaven Bloodhounds.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>A bad night!</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>They haven't managed to score a single run against the Bloodhounds for the last 5 games they played each other.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>So they had 5 bad nights!</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Wally, the last time they even had a winning season you had yellow work clothes. And I'm pretty sure you weren't even born yet the last time they even made it to a Pennant game.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Yeah.</strong>" Wally sighs in concession. Dick was right, and such was the live of the long suffering Keystone City Patriots fans, "<strong>The 80's Speed Metal remarks were way out of line though.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Agreed, Who would win in a wrestling match between Lemi and God?</strong>" Dick asks, an old joke about the lead singer of Motorhead.<br/><br/>"<strong>It's a trick question, Lemi <em>is</em> God.</strong>" Wally completes the joke.<br/><br/>"<strong>You up for a walk?</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>After dark in Bludhaven? You just don't me making you look bad.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Please, you wear bright Red work clothes. Versus Black with Blue? Ask the chicks, I already make you look bad.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Please, I got the "all the best bits of all your favorite track stars at once" thing going. AND its obviously a tribute to the previous guy in these work clothes. That means I'm deep and respectful and stuff.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Says the guy who just had a hippie free-love chick walk out on him.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Shut it. We walking back to your place? And getting food on the way?</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Sounds like a plan,</strong>"<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>Bludhaven, After Dark. They say its at least as bad as Gotham, and in some ways even worse. You wouldn't guess it looking at the two young men out on the town joking and laughing, and avoiding cab travel to enjoy walking. Or that's how they said it anyway. Newspapers were filled of stories like that. Unpleasant stories.<br/><br/>"<strong>So then Captain Cold says, 'I just wanted some coffee'</strong>"<br/><br/>The sound of laughter echoes off the streets for a good 5 minutes easy before Dick starts getting his breathing back under his control.<br/><br/>"<strong>We've been followed, about 5 blocks now. At least 8 guys.</strong>" Dick speaks quietly.<br/><br/>"<strong>I see 'em. How we playing this? Its your town.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Been tracking these guys for a while. Work clothes only excites them, civies should really take them down a few pegs.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>So no powers?</strong>" Wally asks, a bit confused.<br/><br/>"<strong>Just don't make it obvious. Make it look like its Martial Arts.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>I think I can manage that.</strong>"<br/><br/>The steps from the darkness are purposeful steps, powerful steps, steps with purpose. This was more then just a gang of hoodlems. They took their time to dress together and plan together. Dark hoodies, devil masks, and a knife for each of them. 6 men, a couple women. Couldn't tell the races, the masks and clothes covered up all the skin. They giggle among themselves - and faint whispering of "meat" comes out. Dick knows better, the victims that just handed over their wallets usually got away with just some scary looking cuts. The problem is that the more someone fights back, the more excited they get and the deadlier they get. Last time they even saw anything that looked like a superhero costume ended with a bloodbath.<br/><br/>So of course their giggles pick up when Dick Grayson and Wallace West take fighting stances. Dick Grayson was trained by some of the best martial artists in the world, his fighting stance is perfectly balanced and set with grace and power in perfect proportions. Wally. . .looks like a college kid whose seen too many Bruce Lee movies. Neither of them show any fear, and that's what sets the psychopaths off the most.<br/><br/>"<strong>Wwwooooaaaaooooooo.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Dude, stop.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>It is only fair to warn you, I know Kung Fu. And many other Chinese sounding words.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Dude, oh my God.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>MEAT!</strong>" one of the masked psychos with knives calls out and he lunges forward at Wally to send a blade right into a kidney. But to Wally, it looked like the man was slushing his way through wet laundry. He has to remind himself that this has to look like he's a normal human, so he slows down enough that it looks like the knife only barely missed. Dick gives the man a solid punch in the side of the head for his troubles and he goes out like a switch in his head was turned off. That sets off another of the men to try to get Dick in the back but Wally uses his dodge move to set up what looks like a rather dramatic flying side kick. Even moving at the slower speeds Force is still Mass time Acceleration, and the attempted sneaker hits the car behind him hard enough to fall to the ground.<br/><br/>"<strong>Oh, I get it - you're like Ninjas! You wait to attack one at a time.</strong>" Wally taunts, and Dick groans but through a smile. And with that battle is joined, 6 knived thugs versus the consummate professional trained by the best with an acrobat's choices in moves and a loudmouthed idiot who just<em>somehow</em>managed to always be a little too agile and quick to actually land a hit on.<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>The Mad Egyptian that strolled down the street was mumbling words that didn't make any sense with his hotdog cart after the fight was over, ancient words of power to gods of long ago according to the voices he heard. But that wasn't what Wally was talking about.<br/><br/>"<strong>I called the police,</strong>" Dick says, being responsible but Wally is already looking down the road at the Egyptian and his hot dog cart.<br/><br/>"<strong>Dude! Chili Dog Vender!</strong>" Wally excitedly calls out.<br/><br/>"<strong>At Midnight, In Bludhaven, in this part of town? And look at the direction he's coming from - why didn't these guys try to cut up the Chili Dog Guy?</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>I don't care, I'm hungry. You want one, Dick?</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Wally, take a second to think about this. Doesn't it seem kind of creepy to you?</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Not really, look - he's even got the health license thing out and visible. But if you don't want one, fine. I'll take three.</strong>"<br/><br/>And they were the three best chili dogs Wally ever had, if he could never put his finger on exactly why.<br/><br/>---<br/><br/><em>Today</em><br/><br/>Wally was out in front of getting to Nightwing's HQ, naturally. By a long shot, actually. That was alright though, gave him time to look for the Chili Dog Egyptian Guy. He already had a plan in his head, just play it cool and "just happen" to get hungry as he "just happened" to pass by. Brilliant in his simplicity, he thought.<br/><br/>Well unfortunately, the Mad Egyption with the wonderful Chili Dogs was nowhere to be seen. Though he did see a couple with a broken down car in the wrong part of Bludhaven, and visibly starting to panic. Ah, Wally West - World's Fastest Mechanic. The Scarlet Blur comes to a stop next to a sweating husband pouring over an opened hood and a wife whose locked herself in her car.<br/><br/>"<strong>Howdy.</strong>"<br/><br/>Seriously? Howdy? So corny - and the wife was a total babe too. Easy Wally, she's taken. The husband jumps up and hits his head on the hood, and it starts to come down onto him but Wally catches it before that second hit.<br/><br/>"<strong>Jesus, fu- oh! You're The Flash!</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Yep, what's the problem?</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>The car just shut down and stopped dead on it's own! I have no idea what's wrong and this neighborhood. . .</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Is bad even by Bludhaven standards. I read you. Mind if I take a look?</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Sure but -</strong>" the Husband starts, and that's all Wally needs as scarlet gloves move too fast for eyes to follow across the engine. Battery Connections look fine, Alternator looks okay, front cable housing looks fine, unscrewing to look inside takes a bit with no screwdriver but a fast finger manages, looks fine . . .<br/><br/>"<strong> - you're. . .</strong>"<br/><br/>Wally drops four little bits of plastic and metal into his outstretched hand.<br/><br/>"<strong>You blew 4 fuses. Looks like you got this car used, and the dealer put some Chrystler Parts in a Buick. Happens sometimes. Got spares?</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>No, I didn't know . . .</strong>"<br/><br/>A scarlet blur leaves where the Flash used to stand, and the husband and wife are left alone - but just long enough for the wife to open the driver's door and look at her husband confused. The scarlet blur shows back up right next to the hood again.<br/><br/>"<strong>Sorry, there was a line. Try starting it now.</strong>"<br/><br/>And the lady doesn't speak, just stares at the Flash wide-eyed. But she does reach in and turn the key, and it starts like a dream.<br/><br/>"<strong>I don't know what to say,</strong>" the husband starts, "<strong>Except maybe "what do I owe you for the fuses?"</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Don't worry about it. Really, don't. They cost like a quarter each. I found the change on the ground on the way to the Western Auto about 6 blocks over.</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>. . .Thank you, heh - who knew the Flash knew so much about Cars?</strong>"<br/><br/>"<strong>Yeah, I'd appreciate it if that didn't get out much. Bad for the Image.</strong>" Wally jokes, and the three adults get a good laugh about that. Wally smirks, and goes back to his search for the madman with the great Chili Dogs.<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>The Flash gets to Nightwing's HQ with a grocery bag under one arm, inside in neat plastic packages are 38 of the Mad Egyptian's Chili Dogs. And he's STILL beat the others here. Ha! Now, in his defense he got so many because he was planning on sharing. He'd eat most of them of course but there was definitely going to be enough for everyone to have at least one. Still, having one now can't hurt.