This isn't my best, I know.
And holy fuck what is with all the angst I've been writing lately... D:
Please review! :)
Aqualad dies first.
It happens so fast, that nobody could really stop it. Wally runs, tries to catch him, but there's a moment where he freezes, just as Kaldur's body hits the cold ground, his eyes blank, mouth open, and everything just seems so impossible.
He doesn't hear Megan scream, or Robin's batarangs exploding, killing Cheshire, he can only focus on the team leader, forever cold.
They split up after five months because Kaldur kept them at peace- he kept them sane- and without him, they are crazy and wild and untrustworthy.
He hears about it in school one day, how Superboy's mutilated body was found in Happy Harbor. Wally attends the funeral, and pretends like he doesn't see the tear that slips down Superman's face. He pretends like Megan isn't hurting herself over this, because she was there and she watched it happen. He pretends like Artemis and Robin are there, that they didn't skip the funeral.
Red Arrow goes next.
Wally never thought it would happen, because Roy was always the strongest of them, and he wasn't supposed to die.
But he does, thanks to Brick, who broadcast's the death over live TV. Wally sees how Roy cries, how he screams, how his mask is ripped off, and for a brief moment, everyone in the world sees that Roy Harper is Red Arrow, and that Roy Harper, is going to die.
And after three hours, he finally does.
He doesn't hear from Robin. Well, technically he's Nightwing now, right?
All he knows is that he and Batman were on a sweep of Gotham, and they were ambushed by the Joker and Harley.
Dick's body was never found.
Wally gets the distress call from Megan, but when he gets here, she's a crumpled mess on the floor, blood flowing from everywhere.
Artemis is there too, cradling the Martian's head in her lap, crying softly, and this must be bad, because Artemis doesn't cry.
Wally squats down then, and calls for the Justice League, but he knows that they'll be too late.
Megan opens her mouth, but blood pours out, and then she stills.
Wally stays with Artemis, both twenty-two and alone; completely and utterly alone.
They stay in a crappy apartment, grow closer, and enjoy the time they have left, because they're both going to die soon.
It's another year before Artemis dies.
She's gone out by herself, out to get food or something, Wally can't quite remember anymore.
She's halfway down the street when he hears the gunshot.
He doesn't get the chance to say goodbye.
"Hello."
Wally knows who it is before he turns around. Klarion the Witch Boy stands behind him.
"Did you like my game?"
Wally doesn't answer. He can't answer.
"You made me unhappy, so I decided that maybe I'd make you unhappy too." Klarion chirps, moving closer to Wally. "So I had some people kill your friends, your teammates. Though the Joker…" the Witch Boy shivers. "Well he had no part in this game. I've no idea what happened with Nightwing. But things worked out wonderfully in the end, didn't they?"
Standing there, Wally stares at the wall, trying to figure out a plan. He has to figure out a plan.
"I killed the fish-boy first. That was probably the easiest," he lets out a laugh. It's not a nice laugh either. It's like nails on a chalkboard. "Then Superboy. That was probably the most fun. Your little Martian friend was there too. I wish I could have been of course, but I couldn't give it away that I was doing all these killings. Red Arrow was next. Or would you rather me call him Roy? Then, of course you know I killed Miss Martian, and then that pretty blonde bitch. She caused quite a bit of trouble, didn't she?"
Klarion laughs again because he can.
He circles Wally, a grin on his face. "She probably never told you. She had so many skeletons in her closet... Not that it matters anymore because she's dead. I had some random mugger just shoot her. It was so easy, and she didn't even realize what was happening until it was too late."
Wally gets hit with something, something powerful, and he sails backward, landing in a heap on the ground, spitting out blood and wiping his mouth.
"I wanted Nabu's helmet. If you would have given it to me, your friends may have been spared." Klarion pauses, and Wally stares at him. "No actually probably not. I would have incinerated you all first."
He's vibrating with rage now, chest heaving with anger. Pushing himself off the ground, Wally propels towards the Lord of Chaos, knocking Klarion down. The two struggle for a second, but Wally's heavier, and he manages to press his knee into Klarion's stomach, his hand wrapping around Klarion's neck.
The speedster sees red. Red everywhere, the red blood of his fallen comrades, the red of Dick's Robin suit, the red of Roy's suit, M'gann's red hair, Superboy's red crest, Kaldur's red shirt, the redness in Artemis' eyes after she held Megan when she died.
He knows what should be done. What the Witch Boy Deserves, so Wally jumps off of him, racing towards the cat, which sees the Flash, but is too slow to run away. Wally takes hold of the cat by its neck, squeezing tightly.
"You know what's going to happen now," he tells Klarion, and the boy screams obscenities, throwing his arms up, but Wally tightens his grip just a little bit more, and the cat squeals while Klarion collapses to the ground.
"I should kill you. Or at least kill your familiar. And I would do it too," Wally tells him. "I would do it in a heartbeat, but I'm not like you. I don't kill for fun or vengeance and even though I wish I could. Even though I wish I could kill you, I won't because I'm better than that."
When the Justice League show up, and Klarion and his cat are both taken away, Wally pretends like he doesn't see the glances he gets from Green Arrow or Black Canary or Aquaman or Martian Manhunter but he does acknowledge Batman when the man says, "They'd be proud of you."
Wally has no nightmares for the first time in years.