Birdflash – Arabian Au
Three kids ran through the dirtied low town Gotham streets, smiling and giggling at each other despite their unfortunate conditions. Street rats, runaways, brats…they have been called many things and they were true, the two red head and the raven haired children were all orphans, they lived on the sandy, dusty dirty streets of Americano but they cared not for their situation.
They had found each other, stuck together, calling each other brothers and watching out for one another as they stole to get by. They were happy together.
"Roy! Wally! Wait up!" The youngest yelled after his brothers as they ran in a game of chase Wally. The youngest among them was an orphan, he once travelled and grew up with a travelling performing troupe with his parents, but after their death he was placed in an orphanage where he was beat, starved and shunned before he ran away. He was a pale boy, slim and on the small side, even for his young age of 7, with beautiful crystal blue orbs that shinned with mischief and innocence despite all the unfortunate circumstances that had surrounded him.
"Sorry Dick! But no one can catch me!" replied the middle of the brothers yet he was still the fastest among them. Wally was a runaway, abandoning his family after another beating from his often drunk and abusive father and neglecting mother. Wally was 9 with fiery short red hair, emerald green eyes and freckles speckled among his cheeks. He was a decent height and though he was lean and thin from malnutrition and running, he evidently had some muscle.
"Come on Dick! We almost got him!" encouraged the eldest to the youngest. Roy was 12, he – like Wally- had red hair (but it leaned a little closer to brown than the other ginger) and light blue, icy eyes that could scare off a grown man if he wanted. Roy was also at a decent height and sported visible muscle and a squarish jaw.
Each of them wore dirty cream clothing, Roy and Wally in tank tops and short while Dick also wore shorts his shirt was sizes too big for him and acted more of a dress then a shirt.
Their game continued, Roy was running ahead of Dick yet still behind Wally and realizing that they weren't going to catch the speedster this way Roy shouted over his shoulder to his brother "Plan B! Manoeuvre number 7!" immediately Roy turned around and cupped his hands together while moving into a small squat. Dick knew what to do already he ran faster and jumped into the offered cupped hands, Roy flung his arms up along with his little brother watching as Dick did a quadruple flip with lithe body flying gracefully at Wally before he landed of the speedsters back, gravity pulling them both down.
"OOF" Wally breathed as he hit the ground, Dick on his back smiling at him, "Got you~" Dick said in a singsong voice before giggling at Wally's bemused expression. Roy ran up to them before playfully pouncing at his brothers, tackling them both and holding each under his arms. They tumbled in the dirt for a while before stopping and laughing loudly, just enjoying the quality time together.
6 years later.
Wally considered himself both lucky and unfortunate, he remembered being ambushed one day as he strolled down one of the usual allies and he was taken as a slave to be sold. Luckily at the designated auctioning place, his uncle Barry (whom he loved) was undercover in the crowd and jumped at the sight of his missing nephew, he then relieved his cover and called in a team of authorities who apprehended the criminals and Barry rescued his nephew. After a lot of confessions about his abusive father later Barry took Wally under his wing with his wife Iris and raised him in a moderately well off environment in Central.
Wally also told his uncle of his brothers and begged for their safety, Barry, seeing his nephew's distress, had Wally lead the way to where he and his brothers used to live in Gotham. However upon their arrival, the shack he once occupied with his brothers was abandoned with no sight of either child anywhere. Wally was devastated; he collapsed on to his knees and fisted the ground crying harshly. Barry had tried to comfort him saying that he'll do what he could to find them but Wally was unconvinced.
Since then Wally vowed to himself that he would find and reunite with his brothers and had search relentlessly even until today.
Now, Wally was 15, he had been taught manners, been given an education in which he excelled at science (thanks to his uncle's tutoring) and still remained the fastest boy around the only person faster being his uncle. However contrary to Barry, Wally wasn't as sociable and spent most of his time either running, studying but mostly trying to find his brothers.
He sought any clues (most of which ended up as dead ends and he was always back to square one) but his resolve to find them seemed to drift further from reality and closer to a distant dream.
Barry constantly worried for his nephew and tried to drag him to parties however the older man's efforts were futile for even if he managed to drag Wally out, the younger would usually stand the corner of the venue and sulk and if he did socialise it would be to his benefit of having acquaintances that he would ask for 'favours' to help find his brothers.
But Barry was determined, now that Wally had recently turned 15 he was allowed to enter the more 'mature' joints (if you know what I mean) and the older man could only hope Wally would find some form of entertainment or a friend (maybe even a lady friend *wink wink*).
Currently Wally was in his room, growling in frustration as he massaged his temples feeling another head ache and a wave of disappointment wash over him for yet another clue on his brothers was lost in the wind for he had hit yet another dead end. It was like a rerun of the same thing every time, he would find some form of hint to at least one of his brothers only for it to backfire and hit him in the heart pushing him into depression. He was no closer to finding them than the time he went back to that abandoned shack.
Wally heard a knock on the wooden door and turned in time to see his uncle push the handle and open the door, Wally smiled to his uncle calming down a bit and the blondes gentle, warm smile directed to him. "Hey Walls" he greeted striding into the room and placing a firm hand on Wally's shoulder, "Hey uncle B" Wally returned hastily gathering the scattered papers into a pile.
"I'm meeting a friend from the Star district and wanted to know if you wanted to come along. He apparently has a ward a little older than yourself. Maybe you two can be friends." Barry said as Wally rose from his chair and pondered the offer, he hadn't had any connections in the Star district yet so this could be a good opportunity to widen his connections. "Alright uncle B" let me just get changed" Wally said and couldn't help the grin his uncle made as he accepted the offer, "Sure thing, we leave in 15" Barry said racing out the door.
Wally smirked and strode to his wardrobe and took out his more casual and comfortable clothes. He wore long, cream, puffy Arabian pants with a silk red sash tied around his waist, a sleeveless yellow tunic with the edges trimmed red, red wrist bands on each wrist, black flats and on his left bicep was a golden ring.
Satisfied with his appearance he left his room and darted down the stairs, as he passed the kitchen he greeted his aunt whom was preparing dinner. The Allen house hold didn't like the idea of slavery and hence had none, if they did 'buy' someone they would immediately set them free after nursing them back to health and securing a steady job for them. Wally quickly grabbed an apple as he strode to the entrance where his uncle, whom was dressed in a strikingly red outfit, was already waiting.
They left into the streets and proceeded to walk towards the more social parts of the Central district. The place was packed with markets, restaurants and a few entertainment joints, Wally wondered briefly how they were going to spot Barry's 'friend'.
After another five minutes Wally spotted two figures, one a blonde in a green tunic, much like his own but with gold patterning on the sleeves and black pants held up with a green belt that was tipped with similar gold patterning.
The other was a red head in a red sleeveless tunic with the edges trimmed black, a black sash tipped red and, similar to the older blonde, had black pants however he had his back turned seemingly looking at one of the nearby stalls, contrary to the one in green was waving enthusiastically in their direction and Wally assumed that they were Barry's 'friends' by the way his uncle waved back just as enthusiastically.
"Barry! It's good to see you!" the man in green said as Barry jogged up to them while Wally kept to his walking pace (who's the older one again?).
Wally stood just behind his uncle as the older men talk nostalgically, "By the way Oliver, this is Wally my nephew." Barry said cocking his head towards the younger; Wally was about to reply when the loud sound of smashing pottery was heard. The three looked towards the sound to see the young man in red and black that had accompanied Oliver, the older men gave the youth a questioning glance but Wally stiffened just like the other. They stared at each other shell shocked before Wally mumbled out "Roy?"
Everything was a blur from there; Wally was suddenly encased in his, once lost, older brothers arms and tears blurred his vision yet a smile creped on to his face and he knew Roy felt the same as he felt a droplets roll onto his shoulder. They stayed like that for a while, still unbelieving they found each other after six years of restless searching.
After what seemed like hours they parted, eyes slightly puffy as tears still threatened to return. Their once confused mentors waited patiently for their designated sons to explain, they were not expecting the explanation from them.
"Uncle B, remember how I've been searching for my brothers? This is Roy! The Roy I told you about! My older brother!" Wally all but yelled leaping into the air smiling wider than Barry had ever seen before.
"Oliver, this is Wally. One of the brothers I've been searching for." Roy said, more calmly and mature but the smile on his face gave Oliver all he needed to know how happy his adopted son was, after all, Roy never really smiled.
They four of them decided to re-locate in to one of the nearest building that offered some privacy, which unfortunately was a brothel. They ordered a room and they each caught up.
Wally: "I still can't believe it's you! after years of searching we just run into each other just like that! God I missed you so much Roy!"
Roy: "Me too, Wally. But I think we need to discuss what happened 'THAT' day." Roy said solemnly.
Wally's smile faded and his face contorted in to a small frown. "I-I was caught that day, by slave traders." Wally started glancing sadly to his uncle across the wide room while Roy stared at him stunned but continued to listen, squeezing Wally's shoulder comfortingly and edging him to continue.
Wally: "After a few days, I was taken to the auctioning location in chains, but it turns out my uncle was in the crowd. He was disguised as a guest and when he saw me he bought the authorities in, I was free and he took me in. After I was able to move freely again I begged my uncle to take you guys in too but when we got to the shack…it was empty." He explained.
Roy nodded in understanding and a moment of silence passed between the two before Roy started.
Roy: "After you didn't come back for a while, we went to search for you and just like you we were jumped. They stuffed us in sacks and-and I tried to fight them. I really did but they hit my head and I was unconscious with the last thing I saw and heard was Dick crying and screaming…" Roy paused as a mental image reappeared in his head of his youngest brother crying his name, reaching for him while they were shoved into the potato sacks.
Wally cringed, he had been taken separately, even though he didn't have any back up or help, at least he didn't have to see the ones he loved being hurt.
Roy took a deep breath before continuing, "I had been taken to be sold off just like you and unfortunately the bastard who 'bought' me was a fucker! Spewing crap about how grateful I should be that he bought me! Well after two years staying with that pig and looting a few things, I managed to run away. Lived on the streets again, stole like we used to, then I stole from the wrong person. I tried to take on Oliver, got my butt handed to me, thought he was going to turn me in or something but he took me in. made me his ward and since then I've been searching for you and Dick."
Roy grinned at Wally before his face fell, "By the way, Wally, have you found any leads on Dick?" Roy asked. Wally flinched before dejectedly looking at his intertwined hands, "No, have you?" he asked and Roy sighed running his fingers through his hair "No, me neither."
They sat in sad silence for a while because even though they found each other their little brother was still lost. Dick was what pulled the three of them together, he was the cutest little thing and when they stole he would usually distract the shop owners with his cuteness or acrobatic tricks while Wally and Roy would steal the goods. He bought sunshine into their dark lives, being a prankster and such helped them on their darkest days but the two red heads loved it most when Dick smiled.
A knock was heard at the door, binging them out of their trance, before anyone said anything the door opened and in came an intimidating man. He wore a deep blue silk…, the edges trimmed silver and was opened just enough to see his toned chest. We wore white Arabian pants and black flats with intricate silver designs that matched his… and a silver bangle on his left ankle.
Wally knew his uncle Barry wasn't poor but he thought Oliver looked loaded, but this guy just screamed wealth. He smirked, striding into the room up to his uncle and Oliver and they greeted each other familiarly.
They must have been wearing similar looks of shock and confusion because Barry soon pointed at us and the three older men laughed before the stranger walked to us holding out his hand with an air of professionalism and confidence.
"Hello, my name is Bruce Wayne. You young men must be Wallace and Roy, nice to meet you." I, still in shock, shook his hand and Roy did the same but he seemed to snap out of it. "Nice to meet you Mr Wayne" I heard Roy say, his voice sounded even and stern but if you listened carefully you could hear the slight tremble and uncertainty.