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[b][color=cb2525][sup][h1]SPITFIRE[/h1][/sup][/color][/b]
[sup][sup][h3][color=darkgray]P A R T   O N E   / /   [b]V I S I T O R[/b][/color][/h3][/sup][/sup][/center]
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Bart Allen gave Wally a sheepish grin. He knew he was in trouble. He lay in Ship’s medical bay, the only occupant of a bed in a whole sea of them, his costume swapped out for a disposable paper gown. His right leg was in a cast, cheeks bruised and left eye swelling up – smiling probably hurt, and if it wasn’t for his accelerated healing factor, there’d be a lot more purple and blue on his body. The kid had done what he was known best for: saying “Screw it,” and going with the first feeling his gut gave him. He might’ve ditched “Impulse” in favour of the Kid Flash threads, but to say he’d outgrown his old codename would’ve been like saying that Batman didn’t brood, or that Barry hated karaoke. Downright untrue, and kind of insulting.

[b][color=cb2525]“We really need to stop having these talks, Bart,”[/color][/b] said Wally. He still hadn’t changed out of his suit, the red form-fitting armour reflecting the dim lights of the med bay. 

“No, I totally agree,” Bart said, “So… let’s not have this one, okay?” 

Wally sighed. Whether Bart knew it or not, the last thing he wanted was to have a conversation that even slightly resembled this one. But gravity still pushed things down, Earth still orbited the sun, and instinct was still something that Bart relied on too much.

[b][color=cb2525]“You’re not Impulse anymore. You’ve got to start acting like it.”[/color][/b]

Bart’s grin shrank, his eyes carrying a hint of annoyance. Frustration. “I [i]know[/i], Wally. You keep saying that– ”

[b][color=cb2525]“Because you keep making me have to say it,”[/color][/b] Wally said with an exasperated laugh. [b][color=cb2525]“Kori told you to wait for her signal, just like the rest of Gamma Team. But you went ahead and took on Shimmer and Girder by yourself – [i]who broke your leg[/i], by the way – and you want me to stop lecturing you about thinking before you act? [i]C’mon[/i], Bart.”[/color][/b]

“Okay, so I was a [i]little[/i] stupid, sure. But I still took them down.”

[b][color=cb2525]“What?”[/color][/b]

“Girder and Shimmer.” Bart’s grin was back. “I still beat them. I’m pretty fast.” 

Despite himself, Wally felt the hint of a smile working its way onto his lips. [b][color=cb2525]“Fast enough to wear them down, maybe. Lorena and David were the ones that took them out.”[/color][/b]

“Lorena and David [i]helped[/i].”

[b][color=cb2525]“If that’s how you want to put it, sure,”[/color][/b] Wally said, resting a hand on Bart’s shoulder. [b][color=cb2525]“Look, just… try not to be as much of an idiot next time, okay?”[/color][/b]

“‘Try’ being the operative word,” agreed Bart. “Don’t worry, fearless leader. I’ll do my best.”

[b][color=cb2525]“I’ve seen your best,”[/color][/b] said Wally, turning to walk out of the med bay, [b][color=cb2525]“It’s gonna have to try harder.”[/color][/b][/indent]
[b][color=f8cc5d][CENTER][H2][sup][SUB]* * *[/SUB][/sup][/H2][/CENTER][/color][/b]
[indent]With the accelerated healing factor that the Speed Force was kind enough to give them, Wally gave it about three days before he’d see Bart in the infirmary again. Maybe a few more hours until his leg healed, a half hour until his bruises faded, and then two or so days spent sidelined for ignoring Kori’s orders. On the third day he’d be sent out on a mission, and find another way to be heroically stupid. Rinse and repeat, replaying the same scenario over and over like in a video game – probably that old game with the blue hedgehog, Bart’s favourite, or the newer one where the alien hero goes bad and you have to overthrow his new world order. Bart would play those to death if he could. It was up to Wally to make sure he didn’t.

“How’d it go?” asked Roy Harper, standing in front of a holographic screen in Ship’s briefing room. A map of the West Coast glowed up at him in blue-tinged colour, accompanied by lines of text and data; he was reviewing the Titans’ info on the MGH operation that Bart had broken his leg disrupting. Kori and Vic stood on either side of him, turning to face Wally as he walked into the room.

[b][color=cb2525]“He’s gonna try to stop being an idiot,”[/color][/b] Wally said, [b][color=cb2525]“‘Try’ being the operative word.”[/color][/b]

Roy raised his eyebrows, an amused smile on his face. Before he could say anything, Wally continued. [b][color=cb2525]“You making any progress?”[/color][/b]

“No. There’s nothing new to go on,” said Vic. His organic eye met Wally’s. “It looks like the operation’s starting to go underground after today, with their heavy hitters out of the picture. We sent Tyrone and Tandy out on recon to see what they can find, but we’ll just have to wait for the dealers to resurface to get somethin’ concrete.”

[b][color=cb2525]“Wait. [i]Shimmer[/i] was one of their heavy hitters?”[/color][/b]

“It’s not a very well-organised operation,” smiled Roy. 

“Excuse me,” said Ship, the alien A.I.’s voice filling the briefing room, “But it appears we have a visitor. The Titans database tells me that it is a former member of the team. Should I let her in?”

The four senior Titans shared a look.

“Which former Titan, Ship?” asked Kori.

“Artemis Crock.”

As his friends’ eyes all came to rest on him, Wally felt his heart speed up. Given the nature of the Speed Force, it’s needless to say –

– it was going [i]fast[/i].

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