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ajremixTitle from the song I Want to be the One by The Megas. Set in a pre-52 continuity that never actually existed. I WILL NEVER NOT BE BITTER ABOUT IRIS AND JAI BEING WRITTEN OUT OF EXISTENCE. THANKS BARRY.
Title: I Want to be the One (Who Fights Against You)
Fandom: DCU
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1981
Characters: Len, Mick, Iris and Jai West, Wally
In response to: ColdWave Weekend 2018: Guest of Honor
Summary: When Rogues show up at a bank, it's only natural for a speedster to come stop them.
The alarm didn't even have a chance to blare with the thick coating of ice on it. Neither was the electric alarm able to trigger an alert due to a quick splicing. Even with those precautions, the Rogues knew they only had a limited amount of time before a speedster arrived, not even bothering to open the vault's deposit boxes and just dumping them straight into their bags. It would have been easier, or at least the haul greater, with a larger crew but Cold and Mick were both strong for middle-aged, non-powered humans. They could carry one full bag each and, given how many of Central's richest used this particular bank, chances were good that which ever ones they chose would have a good amount of liquid assets in them if not paperwork that could lead them to an even bigger score.
Cold had just finished securing his bag shut and turning to defend the entrance when he felt it: the faint tingling against his skin like building static, followed by the growing scent of ozone. He grinned wickedly, pulling out his cold gun as he announced, "Speedster incoming."
No sooner had he said that then a zigzag of gold and scarlet lightning came in through the door. It would take a keen eye to be able to catch that this one was somewhat smaller than normal, about waist height, but Cold's had been honed by decades of fighting various speedsters. To him it was obvious. And just what he was expecting.
He shot a series of ice patches on the ground but the blur easily wove around them. Then Mick stepped up next to him and laid down a wall-to-wall line of fire. The blur made a ninety degree turn, heading straight for the wall. A veteran speedster would've been able to run up it without breaking stride- make a circuit around the ceiling if they felt like showing off. This one was still young and had to use a nearby counter to wall jump high enough to clear the fire.
The two Rogues kicked their bags off to the side where it wouldn't trip anyone up before dashing to opposite sides, letting the streak pass through they space they once stood. It made a u-turn in the tight confines of vault, narrowly slipping under the safety bars that slammed down in the entrance.
"You'll have to do better than that, Impulse!" Cold taunted, laying out a cold field around him. Impulse hit the very edge of the field, right where the cold started to sap speed and bolted back out, deciding Mick was better to focus on at the moment.
Not that he was an easier target, jets of flame and super-heated floor tiles keeping the kid from getting a direct shot at him. And with Cold taking occasional potshots, Impulse would have to think creatively in order to take the two down.
After a few more moments of futile attempts- including another go at Cold, once again stopped by a cold field he laid down after the first dissipated- Impulse ran straight at, and through, the wall. Mick tried to scramble away from the wall he was next to but Impulse was quicker than him, vibrating through it and slamming into his midsection. Mick was sent rolling across the floor, knocking over a teller's chair.
"You'll pay for that, brat!" Cold growled, backing up into a cluster of tables and chairs, trying to get more obstacles between them. It wouldn't do much against a speedster, even one as inexperienced as Impulse, but it caused enough of a funnel that Cold could predict where the streak would go and he fired off a stream of bone-deep cold.
His aim was off just enough that Impulse was able to dodge the blast, catching Cold with a flurry of blows. It actually wasn't that painful even with the velocity behind each punch, but it sent Cold reeling anyway. He stumbled backward before pitching over dazed on the floor. Impulse shot up on his chest, the blur finally coalescing into a small, pig-tailed girl probably no older than ten. She stood on him, arms raised triumphantly, "I win!"
A voice echoed ominously around the bank, "Not yet you don't." All the shutters on the bank slammed shut with a resounding echo, the room plunged into darkness save for the emergency lights.
Impulse didn't look impressed. "I can just vibrate through the walls, this isn't much of a trap."
"Oh yeah? Well how about now?"
The room was suddenly filled with a low, subtle thrum, heavy enough to cause pens to rattle on their tables but not enough to cause any damage to the building. Impulse stumbled off of Cold, shaking her head a bit. She held out her hand, trying to vibrate it but nothing happened. "Hey!" She cried. "That's not fair!"
"Don't be a baby, you still have your speed." The lights flickered dramatically as a third Rogue stepped into view. "Not that it'll do you any good against me!"
"Pfft. Whatever." Her stance changed, ready to speed right at him. "We'll see about that." In that split instance between Impulse shifting her weight and turning into lightning, the sprinklers went off. It surprised Impulse so much she nearly bumped into a desk and, in trying to avoid it, stepped on a patch of ice and fell.
The new Rogue laughed and started fiddling with a gauntlet on his arm. The alarm went off, far louder than they should've been able to, and the lights shut off while the emergency lights started flashing, washing everything in a red strobe. Between the water- and her bangs -coating her goggles and the cycling lights making it difficult to see where any obstacles were, Impulse couldn't get a good enough bead on her target to give chase.
"You're not playing fair!" She cried out, sounding frustrated.
"I'm a Rogue!" He called back. "I'm not supposed to play fair!"
Impulse gave a growl before dashing forward. Even with only being able to go a few dozen feet in a second before having to wait for the next flash of light, she was still able to cover a good deal of distance. Her adversary, however, seemed to know exactly what she was going to do and managed to duck out of reach every time.
Before either could gain the upper hand, another crackle of lightning came through the wall. It swept up the discarded bags of safety deposit boxes and disappeared them through the vault door before the streak came back out to reveal itself as the Flash. Impulse and the last Rogue stopped, the latter poking at his gauntlet until the lights came back on and alarm and sprinklers stopped. The Flash took in the scene with a critical eye before saying, "I was going to thank you for watching Jai and Irey for the afternoon but now I'm not sure that was a good idea."
Cold abruptly sat up, leaning an elbow on one upraised knee. "You didn't keep the vibrations up?"
Jai looked down at his gauntlet, poking at it for a moment. "Oh, um... oops?"
Cold then turned to Iris. "And you didn't notice?"
She stuck her tongue out and shifted her weight, trying to cover up her embarrassment by acting cute.
"They're still young," Mick said, lounging against the overturned teller chair, "they'll get it in time."
Wally put a hand to his face. "I can't believe my most reliable babysitters are a couple of Rogues."
Mick smiled crookedly. "It's not like we got day jobs."
"Can't you find a better way to entertain them than by playing heroes and villains?" He waved his hand at a beaming, thoroughly unrepentant Jai. "Or at least not treat one of my kids like a Rogue?"
Cold just shrugged, shaking off some of the water as he and Mick got to their feet. "You're the one that won't let 'im play hero just 'cause he ain't got powers."
"Can't exactly stop Irey when she can pull her costume straight out of the Speed Force."
"Not like you don't know plenty of capes that don't have powers."
Wally frowned, this time thoughtfully. Cold certainly did have a point and the Allen-Thawne rivalry/lineage was tangled enough that Wally didn't want one of his own kids adding an extra snarl to it. And Jai was looking at him with such open, vulnerable hope... "I'll think about it."
"He's got a knack for Piper's gear," Mick said pointedly. "Not a bad place to start."
"He definitely has a way with technology," Wally agreed while Jai preened. He put his hands on his hips, an exasperated but fond smile ghosting his lips as he asked his son, "What are you called this time?"
"Short Circuit!" Jai said proudly.
Wally raised an eyebrow, looking up at the two Rogues. "Which one of you named him that?" Obediently, they pointed at the other. Wally shook his head and reached out to pull Jai into a one-armed hug. "You are definitely not keeping that name."
"He'll outgrow it eventually," Mick said mildly. Cold smothered his laughter with a snort.
"Nice dive, by the way," Cold told his partner. "The chair was a nice touch." Mick just grinned and gave a little bow.
"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Iris asked. Though she pulled her punched, she still didn't have the fine control the veteran speedsters had.
"You did fine, doll," Cold assured her. "'Sides, couple of tough old codgers like us don't bruise easily."
"Or stay down for long," Wally added with wry amusement.
"Gotta keep things interesting," Mick told him.
"My life is quite interesting even without the Rogues."
"But would it be as fun?"
Wally didn't want to admit the answer to that, so he didn't. "Alright, let's get you two home and into an actual shower." When the twins whined, Wally just said, "We're going to your grandparents', remember? You gotta wash up if you want samgyeopsal." In an abrupt 180, the two gasped and cheered. "Now, go thank your babysitters so we can go eat, okay?"
Iris zipped up, giving each man a hug. "Thanks for training with us!"
"Thanks Uncle Mick, thanks Uncle Len!" Jai did the same at a much slower pace.
Wally raised his face to the ceiling, still unable to believe his kids had adopted his Rogues as honorary uncles. How was this his life? But, honestly, if another cult came along trying to kidnap the twins again while he was busy elsewhere, at least Wally knew that the Rogues would be able to handle it.
As the Speed Force crackled around the twins like a cradle, Iris called out, "Are you coming to my recital next Thursday?"
"We'll be there," Mick promised.
"Walker will be bringing a camera to record the whole thing," Cold added. Then, for Wally's benefit, "I'll make sure it's just a camera."
"Be sure to get Linda a copy. I know she and Joan are going to be recording it themselves but, well..."
"Walker's got a flare for that sorta thing, we know."
Wally chuckled. He turned his head slightly, then turned back and gave the two a wink. "You promised to be there, so try not to get caught." In a burst of lightning and the lingering farewells from the kids, they were gone. And in the silence that followed, Cold and Mick could hear sirens.
They both sighed and picked up their weapons.
"Next time we see West," Cold said as he adjusted the settings on his gun, "we need to remind him that leaving us to play with cops ain't proper payment for watching his kids."
Mick just laughed. "You know Linda's the one controlling the purse strings. Besides," he slapped Cold's shoulder as they walked, side by side, to the door, "it's still fun."
Title: I Want to be the One (Who Fights Against You)
Fandom: DCU
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1981
Characters: Len, Mick, Iris and Jai West, Wally
In response to: ColdWave Weekend 2018: Guest of Honor
Summary: When Rogues show up at a bank, it's only natural for a speedster to come stop them.
The alarm didn't even have a chance to blare with the thick coating of ice on it. Neither was the electric alarm able to trigger an alert due to a quick splicing. Even with those precautions, the Rogues knew they only had a limited amount of time before a speedster arrived, not even bothering to open the vault's deposit boxes and just dumping them straight into their bags. It would have been easier, or at least the haul greater, with a larger crew but Cold and Mick were both strong for middle-aged, non-powered humans. They could carry one full bag each and, given how many of Central's richest used this particular bank, chances were good that which ever ones they chose would have a good amount of liquid assets in them if not paperwork that could lead them to an even bigger score.
Cold had just finished securing his bag shut and turning to defend the entrance when he felt it: the faint tingling against his skin like building static, followed by the growing scent of ozone. He grinned wickedly, pulling out his cold gun as he announced, "Speedster incoming."
No sooner had he said that then a zigzag of gold and scarlet lightning came in through the door. It would take a keen eye to be able to catch that this one was somewhat smaller than normal, about waist height, but Cold's had been honed by decades of fighting various speedsters. To him it was obvious. And just what he was expecting.
He shot a series of ice patches on the ground but the blur easily wove around them. Then Mick stepped up next to him and laid down a wall-to-wall line of fire. The blur made a ninety degree turn, heading straight for the wall. A veteran speedster would've been able to run up it without breaking stride- make a circuit around the ceiling if they felt like showing off. This one was still young and had to use a nearby counter to wall jump high enough to clear the fire.
The two Rogues kicked their bags off to the side where it wouldn't trip anyone up before dashing to opposite sides, letting the streak pass through they space they once stood. It made a u-turn in the tight confines of vault, narrowly slipping under the safety bars that slammed down in the entrance.
"You'll have to do better than that, Impulse!" Cold taunted, laying out a cold field around him. Impulse hit the very edge of the field, right where the cold started to sap speed and bolted back out, deciding Mick was better to focus on at the moment.
Not that he was an easier target, jets of flame and super-heated floor tiles keeping the kid from getting a direct shot at him. And with Cold taking occasional potshots, Impulse would have to think creatively in order to take the two down.
After a few more moments of futile attempts- including another go at Cold, once again stopped by a cold field he laid down after the first dissipated- Impulse ran straight at, and through, the wall. Mick tried to scramble away from the wall he was next to but Impulse was quicker than him, vibrating through it and slamming into his midsection. Mick was sent rolling across the floor, knocking over a teller's chair.
"You'll pay for that, brat!" Cold growled, backing up into a cluster of tables and chairs, trying to get more obstacles between them. It wouldn't do much against a speedster, even one as inexperienced as Impulse, but it caused enough of a funnel that Cold could predict where the streak would go and he fired off a stream of bone-deep cold.
His aim was off just enough that Impulse was able to dodge the blast, catching Cold with a flurry of blows. It actually wasn't that painful even with the velocity behind each punch, but it sent Cold reeling anyway. He stumbled backward before pitching over dazed on the floor. Impulse shot up on his chest, the blur finally coalescing into a small, pig-tailed girl probably no older than ten. She stood on him, arms raised triumphantly, "I win!"
A voice echoed ominously around the bank, "Not yet you don't." All the shutters on the bank slammed shut with a resounding echo, the room plunged into darkness save for the emergency lights.
Impulse didn't look impressed. "I can just vibrate through the walls, this isn't much of a trap."
"Oh yeah? Well how about now?"
The room was suddenly filled with a low, subtle thrum, heavy enough to cause pens to rattle on their tables but not enough to cause any damage to the building. Impulse stumbled off of Cold, shaking her head a bit. She held out her hand, trying to vibrate it but nothing happened. "Hey!" She cried. "That's not fair!"
"Don't be a baby, you still have your speed." The lights flickered dramatically as a third Rogue stepped into view. "Not that it'll do you any good against me!"
"Pfft. Whatever." Her stance changed, ready to speed right at him. "We'll see about that." In that split instance between Impulse shifting her weight and turning into lightning, the sprinklers went off. It surprised Impulse so much she nearly bumped into a desk and, in trying to avoid it, stepped on a patch of ice and fell.
The new Rogue laughed and started fiddling with a gauntlet on his arm. The alarm went off, far louder than they should've been able to, and the lights shut off while the emergency lights started flashing, washing everything in a red strobe. Between the water- and her bangs -coating her goggles and the cycling lights making it difficult to see where any obstacles were, Impulse couldn't get a good enough bead on her target to give chase.
"You're not playing fair!" She cried out, sounding frustrated.
"I'm a Rogue!" He called back. "I'm not supposed to play fair!"
Impulse gave a growl before dashing forward. Even with only being able to go a few dozen feet in a second before having to wait for the next flash of light, she was still able to cover a good deal of distance. Her adversary, however, seemed to know exactly what she was going to do and managed to duck out of reach every time.
Before either could gain the upper hand, another crackle of lightning came through the wall. It swept up the discarded bags of safety deposit boxes and disappeared them through the vault door before the streak came back out to reveal itself as the Flash. Impulse and the last Rogue stopped, the latter poking at his gauntlet until the lights came back on and alarm and sprinklers stopped. The Flash took in the scene with a critical eye before saying, "I was going to thank you for watching Jai and Irey for the afternoon but now I'm not sure that was a good idea."
Cold abruptly sat up, leaning an elbow on one upraised knee. "You didn't keep the vibrations up?"
Jai looked down at his gauntlet, poking at it for a moment. "Oh, um... oops?"
Cold then turned to Iris. "And you didn't notice?"
She stuck her tongue out and shifted her weight, trying to cover up her embarrassment by acting cute.
"They're still young," Mick said, lounging against the overturned teller chair, "they'll get it in time."
Wally put a hand to his face. "I can't believe my most reliable babysitters are a couple of Rogues."
Mick smiled crookedly. "It's not like we got day jobs."
"Can't you find a better way to entertain them than by playing heroes and villains?" He waved his hand at a beaming, thoroughly unrepentant Jai. "Or at least not treat one of my kids like a Rogue?"
Cold just shrugged, shaking off some of the water as he and Mick got to their feet. "You're the one that won't let 'im play hero just 'cause he ain't got powers."
"Can't exactly stop Irey when she can pull her costume straight out of the Speed Force."
"Not like you don't know plenty of capes that don't have powers."
Wally frowned, this time thoughtfully. Cold certainly did have a point and the Allen-Thawne rivalry/lineage was tangled enough that Wally didn't want one of his own kids adding an extra snarl to it. And Jai was looking at him with such open, vulnerable hope... "I'll think about it."
"He's got a knack for Piper's gear," Mick said pointedly. "Not a bad place to start."
"He definitely has a way with technology," Wally agreed while Jai preened. He put his hands on his hips, an exasperated but fond smile ghosting his lips as he asked his son, "What are you called this time?"
"Short Circuit!" Jai said proudly.
Wally raised an eyebrow, looking up at the two Rogues. "Which one of you named him that?" Obediently, they pointed at the other. Wally shook his head and reached out to pull Jai into a one-armed hug. "You are definitely not keeping that name."
"He'll outgrow it eventually," Mick said mildly. Cold smothered his laughter with a snort.
"Nice dive, by the way," Cold told his partner. "The chair was a nice touch." Mick just grinned and gave a little bow.
"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Iris asked. Though she pulled her punched, she still didn't have the fine control the veteran speedsters had.
"You did fine, doll," Cold assured her. "'Sides, couple of tough old codgers like us don't bruise easily."
"Or stay down for long," Wally added with wry amusement.
"Gotta keep things interesting," Mick told him.
"My life is quite interesting even without the Rogues."
"But would it be as fun?"
Wally didn't want to admit the answer to that, so he didn't. "Alright, let's get you two home and into an actual shower." When the twins whined, Wally just said, "We're going to your grandparents', remember? You gotta wash up if you want samgyeopsal." In an abrupt 180, the two gasped and cheered. "Now, go thank your babysitters so we can go eat, okay?"
Iris zipped up, giving each man a hug. "Thanks for training with us!"
"Thanks Uncle Mick, thanks Uncle Len!" Jai did the same at a much slower pace.
Wally raised his face to the ceiling, still unable to believe his kids had adopted his Rogues as honorary uncles. How was this his life? But, honestly, if another cult came along trying to kidnap the twins again while he was busy elsewhere, at least Wally knew that the Rogues would be able to handle it.
As the Speed Force crackled around the twins like a cradle, Iris called out, "Are you coming to my recital next Thursday?"
"We'll be there," Mick promised.
"Walker will be bringing a camera to record the whole thing," Cold added. Then, for Wally's benefit, "I'll make sure it's just a camera."
"Be sure to get Linda a copy. I know she and Joan are going to be recording it themselves but, well..."
"Walker's got a flare for that sorta thing, we know."
Wally chuckled. He turned his head slightly, then turned back and gave the two a wink. "You promised to be there, so try not to get caught." In a burst of lightning and the lingering farewells from the kids, they were gone. And in the silence that followed, Cold and Mick could hear sirens.
They both sighed and picked up their weapons.
"Next time we see West," Cold said as he adjusted the settings on his gun, "we need to remind him that leaving us to play with cops ain't proper payment for watching his kids."
Mick just laughed. "You know Linda's the one controlling the purse strings. Besides," he slapped Cold's shoulder as they walked, side by side, to the door, "it's still fun."
