[Teen Titans + The World Ends With You] False Dilemma
This is a snippet I wrote to flesh out quickerthanyou's world. It's really nothing that important except me trying to decide how superheroes fit into this Kid Flash's world. (And basically trying to rationalize how a canon update would go for him.) XD I hope you enjoy it, though.
Title: False Dilemma
Fandom: Teen Titans (animated TV show); crossover with The World Ends With You
Summary: Even though he's now a superhero... Kid Flash is still dead.
Disclaimer: Wally West/Kid Flash, Dick Grayson/Robin, Roy Harper/Speedy, Jason Todd/Red X, Gotham City, and the Teen Titans belong to DC Comics, while the Reaper's Game and its concepts belong to Square-Enix and Jupiter. I'm just meshing these ideas together for a quick fanfiction.
Robin had been returned to his rightful place as the leader of Teen Titans. As Kid Flash dashed towards the Tower, all he could think about were the events that had taken place a year ago.
When he had received his powers, Kid Flash (known as "Wally" to the world back then) had died in a gun incident and was forced to reclaim his life in the Reaper's Game. Although the game had been stressful and had taken quite the emotional toll on Wally/Kid Flash, the game had also taught him a lot about people, life, and love.
Before the game, he would've never imagined how much he would fall in love with the lovely Vasanti Nahar (known to the world as "Jinx") and how much he would try to assimilate into her world of Bollywood song and dance. Now, he was learning Hindi! He wasn't exactly fluent yet, but he could manage a few phone conversations with his girlfriend.
Both of them had joined the Teen Titans when the whole mess had ended, and the five of them (Wally, Grayson, Roy, Garth, and Jinx) had found themselves growing closer than ever. The only problem? Everyone else seemed to be aging... all of them except for Wally.
Robin had said he would have the answers today, and Kid Flash was getting impatient. Without even a second for the Boy Wonder to say, "I told you so," the scarlet speedster was standing in front of his former partner.
Raising an eyebrow, Robin coolly remarked, "You're early."
"Could you blame me for waiting?"
"I guess not," Robin managed a smile as he gestured his former partner towards the computer screens. "Even though I was only the Conductor for a couple of months, my pull got me some of the records from Gotham."
Kid Flash blinked, "You're still on speaking terms with the Reaper's Game in Gotham?"
"I told you," Robin stated calmly, "Jason Todd's the Composer now. He doesn't care if we use this information, especially since Gotham's his turf."
(It was weird, Kid Flash mused, to think that Dick was the Conductor for Slade Wilson's Composer. That supervillain had managed to outwit them all for three weeks, and Wally had barely escaped the whole experience with his existence.)
"So?" Kid Flash impatiently tapped his foot. "What's the verdict?"
"Jason said for some reason, you weren't returned to the Real Ground."
"Wait, what?"
Robin shrugged apologetically, "I was so sure I willed everything to be as it once was. Your uncle and aunt didn't notice that you'd died, since I made everything back to the way it was before you died."
"Yeah," Kid Flash sighed, "They thought I fell sick with the weirdest flu bug ever. I'm not sure how you managed to pull that off... but thanks."
"Don't thank me," Robin stared at the screen, "Because we know I wasn't able to return you back to life."
"I know that now," Kid Flash shook his head, trying to will the disbelief away. "Why me? I mean... I'm a superhero now. Jason wouldn't have anything against me, would he?"
"Not that I'm aware of," Robin shrugged. "According to the Producer, though, you'll start aging once you accept the responsibilities of a Warder."
More confusing terms! Except, this one was something Wally had never heard of before. Blinking, he finally commented, "Don't you mean Reaper or Angel?"
"No," Robin shook his head. "A Warder is someone who protects the boundaries between the living and the dead. For some reason, the Angels really liked what you and the rest of us were doing in Gotham... and they wanted you to keep being one for as long as you existed."
Funny that Robin would use the word 'existed' instead of 'lived,' but they had all died once. The only difference was that Wally was still dead.
"So..." Kid Flash finally said after a long silence. "I have to go talk to Jason and Arella again?"
Robin solemnly nodded, "That'd be the best course of action."
Just before Kid Flash dashed off, Robin muttered, "... Good luck, Wally. You'll need it."
+
Gotham hadn't changed in the last year. As Kid Flash slowed to a crawl, he could sense the crime and corruption that surrounded him. But all cities had their own corruption, and Kid Flash knew Gotham had its bright spots.
Heck, he had spent three weeks here as a dead teenager! He knew the best ramen shops, the exciting stores, and could easily chat up some of the shopkeepers he knew all too well. Everyone here was really nice, and he could sense that despite the crime, there were specks of hope that needed to continue shining.
Shaking his head, he continued past the people, the stores, the busy nightlife and towards the abandoned part of Gotham. The Manhattan River - and Jason Todd - awaited him.
The rest of Gotham was a complete blur. He could hear the people cry, "Hey, is that the Flash?!", but he ignored every single word. Their voices didn't matter as long as he was dead.
He screeched to a halt in front of the familiar underpass that would lead him to the Manhattan River. Taking a deep breath, Kid Flash walked slowly through the rest of the familiar sights.
There was the garbage heap that killed Brother Blood. Madame Rouge had fought them until the bitter end in front of the bridge... Jinx had been controlled by Slade right there...
All the memories were flooding back, and Kid Flash wasn't sure he wanted to deal with them all. Yet he wouldn't stop. Jason's lair wasn't far now! Only a few more seconds and the bar would be there.
Indeed, the black-haired teenager was there. Idly pouring some soda into a wine glass, Jason merely glanced Kid Flash down with a somewhat icy glare. "So Robin's told you the whole story?"
Kid Flash removed his cowl, "Everything. So you want me to be a Warder?"
It was humiliating, having to be at this boy's every beck and whim! If it would bring Wally back to life, though, he would take any chance he got.
"Being a Warder would be easier than fully bringing you to life," Jason casually remarked, twirling the wine glass. "For one thing, you'd still have your powers. You know, being able to pass through buildings and use pins in a pinch."
"I wouldn't mind losing them if it meant I got my life back," Wally muttered.
Jason shrugged, "I'll give you your life back after you complete my Warding tasks. I lost my Warder six months ago, and it's been pretty bothersome."
Wally retorted, "Does this mean I'll have to stay in Gotham?"
"On the contrary," Jason laughed, "Not in the least. I'd rather like you to keep tabs on Dickiebird and his motley crew back in Jump City."
"So I'd be a spy."
"More like you're checking to see Dickiebird doesn't want my power," Jason sneered. "I don't need you as a spy. You'd be the worst choice."
Wally wrinkled his nose, "You didn't have to say it like that."
"Either way... the choice is clear, West. Be my Warder for the next three years and regain your life? Or would you rather stay in the Underground forever?"
It wasn't much of a choice, but Wally knew what he'd have to say. "... I'll be your Warder."
"Congratulations," Jason smiled as he gulped down his soda. "You're the nation's newest bridge between the living and the dead."
Something weird pulsed within Wally now. He gasped as his feet lifted themselves above the air-- his clothes were changing--- within mere seconds, his former Kid Flash costume had changed into his former street clothing. Staring down at all his belts and zippers, Wally finally gulped, "This is final?"
"It's easier than bringing you back to life all at once," Jason noted. "I'm not that powerful yet."
That was a lie, and both Wally and Jason knew it.
Tossing a communicator Wally's way, Jason then added, "I'll be needing your help, Mr. West. I'm glad we could come to an agreement."
And as Wally dashed back out of the Manhattan River and back towards the world of the living, he sneered, "What agreement? More like a false dilemma I couldn't worm out of."
Title: False Dilemma
Fandom: Teen Titans (animated TV show); crossover with The World Ends With You
Summary: Even though he's now a superhero... Kid Flash is still dead.
Disclaimer: Wally West/Kid Flash, Dick Grayson/Robin, Roy Harper/Speedy, Jason Todd/Red X, Gotham City, and the Teen Titans belong to DC Comics, while the Reaper's Game and its concepts belong to Square-Enix and Jupiter. I'm just meshing these ideas together for a quick fanfiction.
Robin had been returned to his rightful place as the leader of Teen Titans. As Kid Flash dashed towards the Tower, all he could think about were the events that had taken place a year ago.
When he had received his powers, Kid Flash (known as "Wally" to the world back then) had died in a gun incident and was forced to reclaim his life in the Reaper's Game. Although the game had been stressful and had taken quite the emotional toll on Wally/Kid Flash, the game had also taught him a lot about people, life, and love.
Before the game, he would've never imagined how much he would fall in love with the lovely Vasanti Nahar (known to the world as "Jinx") and how much he would try to assimilate into her world of Bollywood song and dance. Now, he was learning Hindi! He wasn't exactly fluent yet, but he could manage a few phone conversations with his girlfriend.
Both of them had joined the Teen Titans when the whole mess had ended, and the five of them (Wally, Grayson, Roy, Garth, and Jinx) had found themselves growing closer than ever. The only problem? Everyone else seemed to be aging... all of them except for Wally.
Robin had said he would have the answers today, and Kid Flash was getting impatient. Without even a second for the Boy Wonder to say, "I told you so," the scarlet speedster was standing in front of his former partner.
Raising an eyebrow, Robin coolly remarked, "You're early."
"Could you blame me for waiting?"
"I guess not," Robin managed a smile as he gestured his former partner towards the computer screens. "Even though I was only the Conductor for a couple of months, my pull got me some of the records from Gotham."
Kid Flash blinked, "You're still on speaking terms with the Reaper's Game in Gotham?"
"I told you," Robin stated calmly, "Jason Todd's the Composer now. He doesn't care if we use this information, especially since Gotham's his turf."
(It was weird, Kid Flash mused, to think that Dick was the Conductor for Slade Wilson's Composer. That supervillain had managed to outwit them all for three weeks, and Wally had barely escaped the whole experience with his existence.)
"So?" Kid Flash impatiently tapped his foot. "What's the verdict?"
"Jason said for some reason, you weren't returned to the Real Ground."
"Wait, what?"
Robin shrugged apologetically, "I was so sure I willed everything to be as it once was. Your uncle and aunt didn't notice that you'd died, since I made everything back to the way it was before you died."
"Yeah," Kid Flash sighed, "They thought I fell sick with the weirdest flu bug ever. I'm not sure how you managed to pull that off... but thanks."
"Don't thank me," Robin stared at the screen, "Because we know I wasn't able to return you back to life."
"I know that now," Kid Flash shook his head, trying to will the disbelief away. "Why me? I mean... I'm a superhero now. Jason wouldn't have anything against me, would he?"
"Not that I'm aware of," Robin shrugged. "According to the Producer, though, you'll start aging once you accept the responsibilities of a Warder."
More confusing terms! Except, this one was something Wally had never heard of before. Blinking, he finally commented, "Don't you mean Reaper or Angel?"
"No," Robin shook his head. "A Warder is someone who protects the boundaries between the living and the dead. For some reason, the Angels really liked what you and the rest of us were doing in Gotham... and they wanted you to keep being one for as long as you existed."
Funny that Robin would use the word 'existed' instead of 'lived,' but they had all died once. The only difference was that Wally was still dead.
"So..." Kid Flash finally said after a long silence. "I have to go talk to Jason and Arella again?"
Robin solemnly nodded, "That'd be the best course of action."
Just before Kid Flash dashed off, Robin muttered, "... Good luck, Wally. You'll need it."
+
Gotham hadn't changed in the last year. As Kid Flash slowed to a crawl, he could sense the crime and corruption that surrounded him. But all cities had their own corruption, and Kid Flash knew Gotham had its bright spots.
Heck, he had spent three weeks here as a dead teenager! He knew the best ramen shops, the exciting stores, and could easily chat up some of the shopkeepers he knew all too well. Everyone here was really nice, and he could sense that despite the crime, there were specks of hope that needed to continue shining.
Shaking his head, he continued past the people, the stores, the busy nightlife and towards the abandoned part of Gotham. The Manhattan River - and Jason Todd - awaited him.
The rest of Gotham was a complete blur. He could hear the people cry, "Hey, is that the Flash?!", but he ignored every single word. Their voices didn't matter as long as he was dead.
He screeched to a halt in front of the familiar underpass that would lead him to the Manhattan River. Taking a deep breath, Kid Flash walked slowly through the rest of the familiar sights.
There was the garbage heap that killed Brother Blood. Madame Rouge had fought them until the bitter end in front of the bridge... Jinx had been controlled by Slade right there...
All the memories were flooding back, and Kid Flash wasn't sure he wanted to deal with them all. Yet he wouldn't stop. Jason's lair wasn't far now! Only a few more seconds and the bar would be there.
Indeed, the black-haired teenager was there. Idly pouring some soda into a wine glass, Jason merely glanced Kid Flash down with a somewhat icy glare. "So Robin's told you the whole story?"
Kid Flash removed his cowl, "Everything. So you want me to be a Warder?"
It was humiliating, having to be at this boy's every beck and whim! If it would bring Wally back to life, though, he would take any chance he got.
"Being a Warder would be easier than fully bringing you to life," Jason casually remarked, twirling the wine glass. "For one thing, you'd still have your powers. You know, being able to pass through buildings and use pins in a pinch."
"I wouldn't mind losing them if it meant I got my life back," Wally muttered.
Jason shrugged, "I'll give you your life back after you complete my Warding tasks. I lost my Warder six months ago, and it's been pretty bothersome."
Wally retorted, "Does this mean I'll have to stay in Gotham?"
"On the contrary," Jason laughed, "Not in the least. I'd rather like you to keep tabs on Dickiebird and his motley crew back in Jump City."
"So I'd be a spy."
"More like you're checking to see Dickiebird doesn't want my power," Jason sneered. "I don't need you as a spy. You'd be the worst choice."
Wally wrinkled his nose, "You didn't have to say it like that."
"Either way... the choice is clear, West. Be my Warder for the next three years and regain your life? Or would you rather stay in the Underground forever?"
It wasn't much of a choice, but Wally knew what he'd have to say. "... I'll be your Warder."
"Congratulations," Jason smiled as he gulped down his soda. "You're the nation's newest bridge between the living and the dead."
Something weird pulsed within Wally now. He gasped as his feet lifted themselves above the air-- his clothes were changing--- within mere seconds, his former Kid Flash costume had changed into his former street clothing. Staring down at all his belts and zippers, Wally finally gulped, "This is final?"
"It's easier than bringing you back to life all at once," Jason noted. "I'm not that powerful yet."
That was a lie, and both Wally and Jason knew it.
Tossing a communicator Wally's way, Jason then added, "I'll be needing your help, Mr. West. I'm glad we could come to an agreement."
And as Wally dashed back out of the Manhattan River and back towards the world of the living, he sneered, "What agreement? More like a false dilemma I couldn't worm out of."