(August 9) For Cassie

[slowspeedster]

Kon had given him the the nickel tour of the compound, which had garnered him a Green Lantern t-shirt and some jeans that might survive being worn, if not for too long. Then they'd headed towards where Cassie lived. At least, that's what Kon had said, but he wasn't entirely sure. Besides, his best friend had practically run away after pointing out which structure was hers.

Structure was definitely the word, because he wasn't even certain he'd want to live in something that looked like a reject from Robinson Crusoe. He hoped it was a lot better built than first impressions gave it. There were plenty of huts they'd passed, and this one did look more sound, but it was still something built from branches and palm fronds and things.

And what was the proper way to announce one's presence? Did he walk up and knock, or call out, or clap his hands, or what? He wasn't even sure how to approach before some animal growling from inside the structure made that a moot point. He really hoped it was a dog, but he wasn't going to put any other creature out of the realm of possibility. Stranger things had already happened this day.

"Uh, hi?" he called out, warily.

Comments

[slowspeedster.livejournal.com]

"Uh, wow," Bart said, and he was pretty sure he looked as lost as he felt. "I'm still not entirely sure what I'm supposed to be thinking right now. Or doing. It's pretty strange, even for us."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

It was the lost look that did it. This wasn't the Bart who had broken her heart to pieces. Whatever resentment she still held towards him, Cassie quickly swallowed. "Your probably going to feel like that for a while. Gods, I still feel that way sometimes. But hey, at least you have friends to help you right?"

[slowspeedster.livejournal.com]

"Except for the leg, you look amazing," Bart said, smiling slightly. "And yeah, I've got you. And Kon. It's almost like home."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

At the compliment, Cassie flushed with a smile that flattered when he mentioned Kon. "Yeah. Almost like home." Then she shook her head. "Speaking of Kon, you might want to go find him again, I'm not that best tour guide at the moment." She said, nodding to her crutches.

[slowspeedster.livejournal.com]

"I think I can find my way back to the bleak building with the cheery name all right," Bart said, reaching over to put a hand on hers. "Besides, I owe it to my big sister to visit. If there's anything else I could do...?"

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

Cassie's smile returned as she squeezed his hand. "Don't be a stranger. Thankfully I only have a couple more weeks in this thing. Then, I think I can make room for another training partner if you want."

[slowspeedster.livejournal.com]

"Training? What, like back home? I'm a little slow, now, in case you didn't notice," Bart said, although he was teasing about the last. If there wasn't a place on the island for a speedster, he didn't really need fancy powers. "But you know me, it doesn't bruise my ego to be beaten by a girl."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

The bad joke just made her roll her eyes. "And I'm a little grounded. Still helps to stay in shape. And believe me, there isn't much else to do." Sometimes Cassie felt like that's all she did was knock boys on their asses.

[slowspeedster.livejournal.com]

"It makes things complicated, huh?" Bart said, grinning. "I bet I can work with that. You want to go running, too? Well, once you're allowed."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

"Once I'm up and cast-less, your on Impu...uh, so what are you called now?" Her Bart had been Impulse and the one who had been here before had been The Flash. She had absolutely no idea what this Bart would be called back home.

[slowspeedster.livejournal.com]

"Kid Flash. With both Grandpa Barry and Wally playing scarlet speedster, I can live with being the kid in the family," Bart said, and couldn't help the giant grin that came with those thoughts. "And there's a new Impulse, too. Wally's daughter, Iris."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

"A girl in the Flash family? Now I've heard everything!" She said with a laugh, unable to picture Bart's Impulse costume on a girl.

[slowspeedster.livejournal.com]

"What about Jesse Quick? Well, before she became Liberty Belle," Bart said, remembering. "It's not like it's impossible, and believe me, I was as surprised as everyone else when she picked that out of thin air."

He grinned at that again. "She's a good kid, and already making Wally bite his tongue."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

"Oh right." She'd forgotten about Jesse, probably because she didn't know her personally at all.

"It's still weird...thinking that there's a new Impulse. When I left home, you were still Impulse. And things were so much simpler apparently." With everything she kept hearing about home, she was glad she hadn't had to live through it.

[slowspeedster.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I didn't become Kid Flash until after we joined the Titans," Bart felt he should say. "Wally'd been all on me about responsibility and the like, and after, well. Some things happened, and it made me realize that one day I was going to be the Flash, and I might as well start filling those boots."

He shrugged. "Not everything is that bad, not now. I mean, well, Kon and I come back."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

"Thank god," She breathed out in relief, unable to help herself. Just knowing they'd both died was bad enough, she certainly was glad she'd never had to live it. Crying over Kon's statue had been bad enough. "I don't know how I feel about me being leader of the Titans though. Wasn't like, Nightwing or Cyborg the leader?"

[slowspeedster.livejournal.com]

"You were the leader of Young Justice, too. Well, after we voted," Bart said, smiling slightly. "And yeah, when we first joined up, Vic and Gar and Kory stuck around as senior Titans. As for Nightwing, well, there's been a lot of changes in the lineups since, well, since Kon died, really. It wasn't his fault, and he did what he had to.

"Cyborg's actually with the League now. We've got some fresh blood on the team. It seems a little strange to be the older and more experienced ones for a change, let me tell you."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I lived through that. Still can't believe the voting went that way." Cassie said with a small shake of her head. "Or that we are senior anything. I remember when we had curfews and the adults didn't think we were capable of much of anything."

[slowspeedster.livejournal.com]

"Be glad you didn't live through the embarrassment of your 'big sister' deciding you weren't able to make the decision to join the Titans on your own," Bart said, grinning at the memory, even though he probably shouldn't be. "But we survived it all. Together."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

She reached over and touched his arm. "Of course we did." Of course that thought also made her loose her smile for a moment. Together never had worked on the island, for any of them. She almost felt bad that Bart was going to have experience it now too. "So, you better go catch up with Kon if you want to find a place to sleep tonight." It didn't feel right offering him Donna's room, not to mention Iris would stalk him the whole night.

[slowspeedster.livejournal.com]

"I don't think he has a spare bed, but there's supposed to be a place back in the Compound," Bart said. "Have to work that one out later. Might have to wait until after I get some real clothes. Kon couldn't stop laughing."

He realized she wouldn't know why Green Lantern was funny, but he'd explain if she asked. "I expect Iris wouldn't want me to stay in her house, from the look of it."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, the Crash Room. It'll do till we can figure something out."

She whistled slightly and dropped her hand so Iris would come to her, rewarding the Golden with a scratch behind the ears. "Bring food next time. It's made her like Anatoly kinda."

[slowspeedster.livejournal.com]

"I can probably manage that. She's a lot bigger than Dox ever got. Does she like playing fetch? I used to be pretty good at throwing a tennis ball," Bart offered. "Promise I won't try to come into her house without permission, though. I'd hate for her to feel obliged to do anything more than growl."

[thethirdwonder.livejournal.com]

"She'd good at the fetching part. Just not the bringing it back." Cassie said with a small laugh as she looked down at her dog. "Just don't come in with Kon and you should be fine. She really doesn't like him."