Disclaimer: The characters are owned by DC. Not mine, never will be. No money is being made from this piece of fiction.

Expectations

By Arlene

Bart:

They think I'm stupid. Well, I guess stupid isn't the right word. I heard Max talk to Superman once. He said I was "naïve."

(I wanted to know what it meant, so I used a dictionary. It was kinda weird using it. They didn't have dictionaries like that in the 30^th century. Did you know they don't spell it like it really sounds? And the letter "i" actually has two dots over it! Don't they know how to spell in English?)

Robin doesn't think I'm naïve. He says I'm hyperactive. (Hyper means very or lots and active means, well, y'know.) So he's saying that I just really like to move a lot. And I do. Rob's a good guy.

(The whole identity thing is kinda frustrating, but he works for the Bat, so 'nuff said. They all need to have more fun an' laugh more, though. I mean, who can stay grumpy 24/7? Well, besides Max.)

But sometimes, he's just like Max. They keep saying "Pay attention" and "Focus." And I do. I really, really pay attention. But there are just so many things to pay attention to.

(Sometimes Wondy's trying out a new costume. And there are always new video games coming out. Those little pieces of lint that float through the air take just about *forever* to get to wherever they're going. Same with ants, the going part, I mean. And outside! So many things to see! Squirrels are like the kewlest little animals.)

Know what? They hardly ever tell me what to pay attention to. Sometimes, during a battle, Rob'll tell me and give me really good directions. I can follow directions like that.

(Vibrate through stuff, make an air cushion, make an air tunnel, hit something really fast, take something away. This is what I live for! Using my speed to actually *do* something.)

But Max, well, he gives me directions and then he says, "Do it slowly," or at normal speed. I know he's trying to help me think better an' all, but it's really not much fun. Especially when it's homework.

(Do you know how many things I can do if I didn't have homework? Thousands! I can go places, do stuff, help people, see things, play games. It's a big world and like, there's so much out there.)

I know I miss things when I go fast. And I know that when I do things too fast, I can forget things. But I learned a whole bunch of things in VR, and I can still remember it. Why can't school be like that?

(Sitting still, being quiet and listening to one person for so long, yuck! Can't teachers find better jobs instead of torturing kids like that? I mean, what did we ever do to them? But at least I get to be with my friends.)

I know that Max expects a lot from me, but I'm not Grampa, although I wanna be as great as he was. I wish I got to meet him. I bet he would understand me.

(People still talk about Grampa. And when they say his name, they don't just say it. They say "Barry" or "Barry Allen" kinda quiet, with respect, almost like it was a magic word. And if they think of just his name like that, it kinda tells you what they thought of him personally. I really, really wish I got to know him.)

Max wants me to work hard because he cares about me, at least I think he does. And I don't mean "care" like in "take care," cuz I already know he does that. I mean "care," as in worry about, think about, care about, and maybe even love?

I know I have to try to think more before I act. I know that I've got to slow down. It's just that it's hard living up to the standards of your mentors. But some day, I'm gonna make Max, Rob, Wally, all of them proud of me.

***

Max:

Did you ever see "The Sound of Music"? There's a song in the beginning called "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" It's about a girl who's constantly distracted. Ah, I think you see who I'm talking about.

(There's a line in the song about trying to hold a moonbeam in your hands. Maybe I should make it one of his exercises . . . Heh.)

Bart is a good boy. There's no denying the fact. He's basically honest, he means well, and he is truly repentant when he does something wrong, or at least what he perceives as wrong.

And therein lies the problem. The name "Impulse" is quite fitting for Bart. The boy doesn't look before he leaps; he often just reacts, be it from external or internal stimuli. This is why he was put into my care.

The boy reminds me of a puppy, always moving from one place to another, getting bored quickly after a cursory examination of some such object. Everything is new to him, something to be explored. If he had a tail, you could be sure it would wag at super-speed.

When he's frustrated, it's interesting to watch his face. He has such an open personality. His outlook on life is quite often cheerful, sunny, and when he's down, it's not for long. Except when it comes to homework or slowing down to do anything. Heh. He doesn't see the need to lie, he's not embarrassed to ask questions when he's confused (which is often), and the boy always tells it like it is. Now this last attribute can cause incredibly awkward situations, especially in public.

I must say that trying to teach him how to slow down and pay attention to details is a challenge for an old man like me. An often frustrating challenge at that. But when the boy gets it, when he understands a concept and actually *remembers* it the next day, that is what I live for. A certain look in his eyes that just screams "Eureka!" or when he smiles even wider because of that little bit of knowledge that he's gained, that is what I consider my reward. Make no mistake, I am proud at how far he has come.

And yes, I work the boy hard. Things actually come quite easily to him, not only because of his ability to speed-learn, but also because of that blasted VR education he's had to go through. Some of that stuff has been so embedded in his brain that it has become instinctive. Thus, I make things harder for him, else he'd lose his concentration completely.

Now, it was a blessing and a curse when Young Justice formed. Under Robin's capable leadership and a cooperative atmosphere, Bart has had a chance to utilize what I've taught him, not to mention having the chance to learn things that he couldn't possibly get from staying in Manchester. But it's also a curse because there are so many dangers out there and I . . . worry . . . about him. So many opportunities to be hurt or killed even. Helen and I have had many a sleepless night because of that boy.

When he first came to me, I'll admit I had my doubts. But like that little puppy, he finds a way into your heart. He may not be my grandson, but sometimes I think of him as my own, which is why I hold such high standards for him. I realize that I won't always be with him, so I want to prepare him as much as I can for the rest of the world when he's older. Who knows? I might just be getting sentimental in my old age.

Of course, sometimes I just want to strangle the boy.

End