maskormenacelogs | Train-surfing, or Bored Teen Hero at Play [Open]

WHO: Kid Flash (Bart Allen) and YOU!!!
WHERE: Anywhere there's a railroad
WHEN: First Week of October
WHAT: Riding the open rails the wrong way!
WARNINGS: Teenage stupidity, possibly reckless endangerment, will edit if needed

[ooc: Catch Bart anywhere high-speed or light rail is found, because he gets around]

One of the nice things Bart had found out about the way the nanites interacted with the 'net on this Earth was that when he didn't feel like running between places or trusting his luck to the Porters, he could pull up bus and train schedules at a thought, and read as quickly as he wants. Which is what leads to Kid Flash going train-surfing.

Sure, he could have gotten a ticket and rode inside, but on top of the train, he could feel the wind in his face in a way that tended to fade when he ran as his frictionless aura shielded him from pesky things like air resistance and heat. Besides, balancing on trains was fun, and getting on and off took a little timing and precision. Not to mention any fans that caught him on video will enjoy the thrill of it, without actually endangering anyone or spending every free moment catching purse-snatchers and other petty criminals. He does that, too, but this is just about the joy of the moment.

Kid Flash can't help the tight-lipped smile that keeps threatening to turn into a full-fledged grin as he shifts his weight in reaction to the movement of the car beneath him, a map of the rails with current track schedules and timings kept current on an internalized heads-up-display. And when he notices that he isn't alone anymore, that grin is realized, amber eyes lighting up behind the mask.

"Amazing, isn't it?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Tim has had a little time to get used to the idea that people outside the immediate family know their identities, but it still throws him for a second to hear Bart casually reference Bruce as Batman. And then to process the thought of Bruce not being Batman. It's hard to imagine. Alsmot impossible to imagine, really. He wonders if his Bruce has ever given any thought to retirement, or what happens if he gets too old to be Batman. If. Because that's definitely not a guarantee.

But that's pretty tangential to the conversation they're actually having. He goes by Kid Flash now--wait. 'Drop the Kid part again.' What does that mean? Was he the Flash? Tim looks curiously at him. Way too young, right?

"So... Were you the Flash? And now you're Kid Flash? Or is there a 'Nightwing' version of the Flash?"

"A few years back, there was this thing, and I ended up spending the equivalent of four years in the Speed Force, and when I came out, after my powers returned, I stepped into my grandpa's suit. Literally, since it was grown from the same materials he'd used. It had to be done, since I'd had to leave Wally in the Speed Force, and Jay...well, he is almost a hundred. He's slowing down, even with the prolonged youth he got with his powers," Bart said, trying to explain.

"But that me, the me that was the Flash was killed by a group of the Rogues. I remember most of that time, but it's not something I really dwell on. But when I had the chance to come back, I realized I wanted things as I felt they should be, with me as Kid Flash, and Wally as the Flash, and because of how things worked out, I could."

But the other bit, the 'Nightwing' part. That had him smiling, even through the remembered pain.

"No, there isn't a 'Nightwing' version. Although Jay Garrick as Flash has a different look than Grandpa Barry or Wally. But I could choose one of the other speedsters to take up, like Windrunner." One of Max's older names.

There are a lot of names in there that Tim doesn't know--Jay, Max, Barry. The only Flash he's ever heard of is Wally. As far as he knows, there's never been another one, and there certainly isn't a Kid Flash or Windrunner around where he's from. More missing heroes.

But there's some History in there too, and even Tim's not so dense that he doesn't see 'the me that was the Flash was killed' for the sensitive subject it is. Bart is friends with someone who looks and sounds like him, but... they're not friends, and he's not going to ask for the kind of detail that a friend would.

"...Sounds like things have been pretty crazy for you. Is that something you'd want to do? Pioneer a new Flash ID?"

"Pretty much par for the course, really," Bart said, shrugging a little. "I don't know. It's a lot of work, and even then, you can never really leave behind who you were before."

He doesn't know what he wants, although a part of him wishes things would stay the way they were, with Wally and Grandpa and Irey and the whole family finally together in one place. But that was just wishful thinking.

"What about you, boy wonder? Ever feel like stepping out of the shadows?"

He snorts. "I'm pretty sure that's against the rules. Shadows are kind of part of the game. But I don't know. Maybe someday." He shrugs, frowning thoughtfully. "I mean. Nightwing said it first--'no one can be a boy wonder forever.' I'm gonna outgrow Robin someday, and that's probably going to be before the big guy retires and Nightwing steps up. I guess I'll have to figure it out then."

Bart has a hard time trying not to snicker, because he has an equally hard time envisioning this Tim outgrowing anything, at least in stature.

"I think a few of the Legion members could be held up as proof otherwise, but none of them were ever Robin," Bart said, shrugging back. "Not sure anyone could really fill B's shoes, anyways. Although the other one here might be the closest to getting there. If you don't mind quiet and deadly.

"But what do I know? I've already been kicked out of the Batcave." And Gotham in general.

He doesn't know much about the Legion. He knows that the League has had contact with them, but he mostly chooses to file it under 'time travel stuff that gives me a headache.' Kind of like this whole adventure, really.

He smirks. "Yeah, she seems pretty cool. And I'd ask what you did to get thrown out of the Batcave, but breathing the wrong way when Batman's in a bad mood can get you tossed out."

"Does he have other moods?" Bart asks, but he's only half-serious. "I still maintain that the Batmobile is on Beast Boy." A wink. Because there's so much more to that story.

"If she's willing, you should train with her. It's a humbling experience, and worth it. The woman can pick out the slightest thing wrong with your form."

"I have no idea what or who you're talking about, but the way you're saying it--I don't think I believe you." He grins back. It's a little cautious, but they're actually... Not screwing it up for once. That's... cool.

He nods a little at the suggestion. "I'd like to. She seems pretty good."

"Shapeshifting in the car is kinda distracting. Although apparently shipping a Batmobile cross-country is something you can hide in the Batarang budget," Bart said, simply.

"And she's amazing. I think it might be a requirement for Batgirls, but I haven't known that many."

"They're custom, obviously," he replies absently. "And between the three of us, we go through a ton of them every night. You could probably hide a harrier jet in the Batarang budget and it would just get a raised eyebrow and a 'Robin, if you need target practice, do it in the Cave.'"

He shrugs a little and grins. "I've just known the one, and she's the best, but if she's in charge of future Batgirls, I'm betting they're at least as good."

"See, that's one of the advantages you have. I actually have to worry about what a new pair of sneakers cost." Not that he really burns through soles or anything like that. Well, not in a long time.

"At least you guys actually work together. Trying to get my family in one place...well, herding cats is definitely easier."

Train-surfing, or Bored Teen Hero at Play [Open]

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(sorry. November hiatus, but I loved this thread and would love to continue!)

(totally allowed, and it's amazing they're not screwing this up!)

(it's honestly impressive.)

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