Work Text:
Uncle Barry and Captain Cold were exchanging what Wally could only call fisticuffs, the entire city block around them dripping in icicles, and Uncle Barry slowed significantly by the chill.
Uncle Barry and Snart were also having a fierce, vicious ideological argument. So when the League alert went out, Barry flung the communicator to Wally and turned back to his nemesis.
Wally sighed, once, superspeed, and then headed for the Zeta to the Watchtower. It wouldn't be the first time he'd stood in as Flash for a League action, but it wasn't exactly common either.
"Flash, you're on time," Green Lantern said teasingly.
"That's because that's Flash II," Batman grunted.
"Aw, man," Wally complained. "How'd you know?" he asked.
Batman only grunted again.
"You were on time," Black Canary answered, flashing him a grin.
Wally inclined his head, and took Barry's usual seat around the table.
"Okay," Superman began, as Green Arrow took his seat. "Thank you for being prompt," he told the team. "The EU Financial Affairs Council meeting has been taken hostage by an unknown gang of armed men," Superman explained. "The Eurpean Commission has called us in to attempt to resolve the situation safely."
Wally leaned forward. Likely, his speed would be integral to whatever plan Batman came up with.
The thing about the League was that Superman ran the brief, but everyone knew the plan was Batman's. Wally knew Young Justice ran the same way, with Red Robin as tactician and Wonder Girl as field command. The Titans had never felt the need, Nightwing's planning an integral part of his leadership.
So Wally trusted himself to the Bats, as usual, listened to his role in the action, and counted his breath like Nightwing had taught them.
Everything went smoothly on the rescue, until Wally skid into an anteroom to find Superman and Batman facing off against Deathstroke the Terminator.
"Uh," Wally said, peering bewilderedly between Batman's and Superman's shoulders. "Hey."
"Kid," Deathstroke said dryly.
Superman bristled, and tried to side-step to block Wally.
"Just Flash today," Wally said cheerfully, stepping the other way so he could still see Wilson. He gestured at his costume.
Deathstroke's head tilted in acknowledgement.
"Deathstroke," Batman growled. His gloves creaked as he clenched his fists. "We won't let you do this."
Deathstroke crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back against the door Batman and Superman obviously wanted to walk through. His mask was as blank as usual, but Wally could hear his amusement in his slow drawl, "Is that right?"
"What, uh- what is this? If I can ask," Wally interjected.
"Flash," Superman hissed.
Wilson looked him up and down. "Grown up looks good on you, Kid," he said. "Got a contract."
That answered absolutely nothing. "Do I need to call Nightwing?" Wally asked. Slash threatened.
Wilson barked a laugh.
Batman and Superman both stiffened. "Why," Batman growled at him.
Wally looked surprised. "Is that- is that not the protocol?" he asked.
Deathstroke's slouch looked deeply amused. The slant of his shoulders looked like surpressed laughter, the likes of which usually only Dick could drag out of him.
"What are you talking about?" Superman asked.
"Titan protocols for Deathstroke are to call Nightwing, if he's not on scene," Wally said promptly. "Our protocols are built on the League's, so I assumed."
Batman growled wordlessly. "No," he snarled.
"Yeah, Kid," Deathstroke said. "Give Bird a call." His absolutely glee was audible in his voice.
"Flash," Superman growled as Wally pulled out his phone.
"Kid?" Dick asked immediately.
"Protocol D-1," Wally said. "Flash II, on call, Justice League action, Brussels."
"Give him the phone," Nightwing's voice said clearly.
Wally lobbed his cell phone past the two irate leaders of the Justice League.
Wilson's hand shot out to catch it at the last moment. "Hey Bird," he drawled.
"What are you doing in Brussels?" Nightwing demanded.
"Annoying your father and his brightly colored friends, mostly," Wilson answered, leaning his head back on the wall insolently.
"And you have nothing to do with the hostage crisis?" Nightwing snapped.
"Quantify that, Bird," Deathstroke replied.
"Good," Nightwing said, inexplicable even to Wally.
Superman and Batman both looked bewildered, and mad about it.
"There's sixteen gunmen and three hostages left, Bird," Deathstroke said. "I'm just trying to keep your idiot father from becoming swiss cheese."
"Flash," Nightwing answered.
Deathstroke's head tilted in silent agreement Nightwing couldn't see, but somehow knew was there anyway.
"And quit calling him Kid," Nightwing added. "He's working as Flash today."
"Yeah, yeah," Wilson said, huffing a quiet laugh. "See you around, Bird," he added, and hung up the phone. He tossed it back to Wally.
Batman growled again.
Wilson's hands flashed in the Titan hand sign, giving hostage locations as last known, and outlining Wilson's plan.
Wally crossed his arms over his chest. "Not till you tell me who," he said.
Wilson stared back, still and inscrutable in his mask.
Wally didn't have the connection to him Dick did, nor the personal presence of Donna and Garth, or even the casual friendship of Grant, like Roy did. But Wilson nodded sharply once anyway, and said, "Ringleader of the gang has a price on his head," he said.
"You're not here for the politicians," Batman said, sounding obviously startled.
"I'm not killing him," Wilson told Wally, as if Batman hadn't spoken. "Extraction, extradition. Ecuador wants him to stand trial."
Wally nodded. "On three," he agreed.
"Wait," Superman said.
"Three," Wilson replied, and opened the door.
And Wally ran.
By the time the dust settled, Wilson—and the leader of the gang—was long gone. Wally was pleasantly tired after a long run, and all the hostages were safe. The gang—sans leader—were in custody, things with local law enforcement were wrapped, and the League returned to the Watchtower for debrief.
"What the hell was that," Batman demanded of Wally as soon as everyone was seated.
"What was what?" Lantern asked. He was perimeter security, and had been mopping up the runaways as Wally had been working with Deathstroke the Terminator.
"Deathstroke showed up," Superman said tightly. "And Flash went rogue."
Wally opened his mouth, and then closed it again. After a beat, he said slowly, "I'm sorry. What is League protocol for encountering Deathstroke in the field? I defaulted to the Titans' because I didn't know ours. And that's my bad," he added sheepishly.
"What is the Titan's protocol?" Wonder Woman asked.
Wally shrugged. "D-1, encountering Deathstroke in the field," he recited. "If any member of the team so encounters Slade Wilson, alias Deathstroke, in the field, be it friend or foe, the situation is to be handed immediately to Nightwing. If Nightwing is present, he will take over negotiations. If Nightwing is not present, an immediate phone call is required, regardless of time of day."
"Call Nightwing?" Green Arrow repeated. "The Titans' answer to Deathstroke is to call Nightwing."
Wally nodded. "I mean, it's never failed before." And it didn't this time, he thought grumpily, but did not say aloud. He understood that Batman and Superman were afraid, and now they were mad about it. They didn't know Wilson like Wally did. Which was intentional, on both Nightwing and Deathstroke's parts, but it sure was coming back to bite Wally on the ass.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Wally resisted the urge to check it in the speedforce, because he knew Superman would notice. It was Dick anyway, checking in in the aftermath, as was protocol D-1.5. He probably called Wilson first.
He blindly put his thumb on the print reader, and let his phone automatically send Dick an all-clear.
Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman were all clearly trying to work out to say to him next. Wally waited as patiently as he was capable of.
"How. Often," Batman gritted out, sounding like the words were being pulled out of him. "Has protocol D-1 been executed?"
Wally thought.
"Ballpark," Superman said.
"Less than ten," Wally said immediately. "I think it's seven, but it might've been eight. I don't remember if Jericho bothered to call Nightwing the one time he and Arsenal bumped into Deathstroke surveiling an arms dealer." Wally lifted his chin. "Leaving aside the fact that it worked and all the hostages were rescued and Deathstroke did not kill anyone, what should I have done?"
"Although I was not present," Wonder Woman said, "Having had the action explained to me, I do not believe you acted improperly," she said. "You made a call on the fly with the best information you had, and it ended well."
"However," Superman said dryly.
"Hn," Batman agreed.
Wonder Woman nodded. "Next time, please do a better job of elucidating the plan before enacting it, both to the team members present in the moment, and the rest of us on comms."
Wally nodded. Nightwing would likely have said something similar, if this were a Titans debrief. "Yes ma'am," he agreed. "In my defense he really hates Batman and I wasn't sure he'd wait to let me explain."
"Why Batman specifically?" Superman asked, sounding confused.
Wally opened his mouth, and then closed it again. "Nightwing," he said finally.
Superman, who knew Dick, and knew Bruce, outside the suits as well as in them, said, "Ah."
Batman grunted.
"What does that mean?" Green Lantern asked.
"Irrelevant," Batman said. "The debrief."
Wally leaned back in his chair now that he was sure they were done yelling at him. While Lantern and Arrow debriefed their portion of the action, Wally slipped his phone out under the lip of the table.
"U ok?," Dick had texted.
"Ur dad is mean to me," Wally replied.
"SW said B more constipated than usual," Dick said.
"Y," Wally sent back, and then saw Superman's glare, and hunched slightly into his seat. "Sm glaring," he sent, and then tucked his phone away.
When the meeting finally ended, Wally drew out his phone to find a veritable wall of messages from Dick.
"He's a softie," Dick had sent. Then, "He texts LL in mtgs all the time." Then, "Are you ignoring me????" Then, "You are. :(((((" Then, "SW says you did good. I want a full report." Then, "Walllllllllyyyyyyy."
Wally texted back, "Holy crap, wing, let a man debrief!"
Dick sent back a crying laughing emoji.
Wally texted, "tell SW no thank you for getting me trouble with jl."
Dick replied, "Hell think its funny but ill tell him."
"Flash," Batman said forbiddingly.
"Uh," Wally said. "Ur dad is scaring me," he sent Dick. "Batman, hi," he said, waving.
Batman's mouth went, if possible, even flatter. "Why D-1."
Someday Wally would get the courage to ask why he never went up on questions, but today was not that day. "You'd have to ask Nightwing," he said. Then he said, "GottameetuncleBarry, goodtoseeyouthanksbye!" and fled. With Batman, discretion was always the better part of valor.
"Flash!" Batman shouted after him, but Wally had made it to the zeta, and didn't stop till he was safely back in Central City.