Chapter 1: Crushed

Me: Okay, so this one is gonna be a bit depressing (translation it's extremely depressing.) This is in no way related to Sidekicks Take Sick Days Too, so the Team doesn't know who Robin is. Also, this is kinda AU where Roy didn't leave after Auld Acquaintance, and instead stuck around for a while, doing missions with the team. Dick is fourteen, Wally is sixteen, and Roy is eighteen. BTW, originally I forgot he was eighteen. LOL!

Disclaimer: Wow…long intro…ON WITH THE SHOW!

Me: Ahem. Aren't you forgetting something?

Disclaimer: Oh yeah. Omni owns nothing. Wow this is really weird…

Me: What?

Disclaimer: Calling you Omni.

Me: Oh. I see…whatever. TO THE STORY!

Wally was tired. Scratch that, he was beyond tired. He was wiped out. They'd just returned from a mission in the pouring rain, which didn't look like it would clear any time soon. They'd all taken quite the beating, and he'd had a rough past couple of days. He was ready to snap.

So, when Dick rounded a corner and bumped into him, causing him to spill his mug of coffee all over the both of them, he was more than happy to take it out on him.

"Really man? Watch where you're going!" he yelled at him.

"Whoa, chill bro! I'm sorry!" the younger teen yelped, reeling at his friend's outburst.

"Don't tell me to chill! I am chill!" he snapped back.

"Why are you being such a jerk about it? It was just coffee!" Dick cried, a look of hurt crossing his face.

"It's not just about the coffee Robin," he growled.

Dick groaned. "Not this again!"

"You couldn't stay outta my way tonight!" the speedster continued, jabbing a finger at his chest.

"Well I'm sorry for making you miss, but my girlfriend was in trouble! What was I supposed to do, let her die?" he asked, crossing his arms.

By this point, Zatanna and Artemis had heard the commotion and come in. They watched the exchange as both boys began to fume.

"Guys, calm down it's not—" Wally cut Zatanna off.

"And what was that crap about talking to the thugs? Didn't Batman ever teach you to stay focused on the fight instead of petty conversation?"

"Conversation? Wally, I was trying to distract him so Arty could get an opening!"

"It almost got us killed!"

"But it didn't!"

"But it could have! Whether it did or didn't isn't the point!"

"Really? Because in my experience—"

"Your experience?! Oh I get it, you, the high and mighty Robin, mister "I was the original sidekick," think you're better than us!"

"What? What are you even talking about?"

Wally ignored the question. "So you're telling me your experience makes it okay to put us in danger?"

"No, dammit, no!"

"Then why'd you do it?"

"I wasn't trying to put you guys in danger! I just didn't think h—"

"Exactly! You didn't think! You never think! One of these days you're gonna get us all killed, just like your parents!" he blurted without stopping to consider what he'd said.

There was a collective gasp, and the two noticed the others had joined them. Roy growled, low and dangerous. He was the only one besides Wally that knew the meaning behind his words, how much it would hurt him.

Dick was sent reeling. He kept opening his mouth to say something but he found himself unable to form a sentence. After a moment, he whirled away and ran from the room. If Wally had bothered to look, he would have seen what Zatanna had. The tears flowing freely from beneath his domino mask.

She glared at him and raised her hands. "Kconk mih nwod!"

Wally grunted as some invisible force knocked him on his rear. He was about to shout at her, but by the time he got up she was gone, probably after her boyfriend.

Roy stormed forward and grabbed him by the collar.

"If you'll excuse us, I need to talk to Wally. Alone," he ground out.

The others hurried to get out of their range, and for once Conner didn't eavesdrop.

Once they were gone, Roy let Wally go, then flattened him with a right hook. The sixteen-year-old yelped and clutched his cheek.

"What the hell man?" he whined.

"How could you say that to him? You just-I…you heartless son of a bitch!" he spat. "You just took his greatest weakness and used it to crush him!"

"I—"

"Not to mention the fact you did it in front of the Team. In front of his girlfriend. He was crying Wally! Do you have any idea how uncool that was? You know Dick Grayson doesn't cry, not unless he's hurting," he pointed out.

Wally paled as he realized the gravity of his words. Even as he swallowed the blood Roy had drawn with his punch, he knew the archer was right. Dick was fragile, but he rarely showed emotion in front of people. He'd always blamed himself for the death of his parents, and Wally had just used that blame to stab him in the back.

"What did I do?" he groaned, more of a statement than a question.

"You messed up, bad," Roy bit out.

"I…I have to fix this…," he began.

"Yes, you do," he stopped him, shoving him toward the hall Dick had just run down.

He jogged at normal speed and found that it led outside. He expected to see Robin and Zatanna sitting on the beach, knees drawn up to their chests and talking quietly as they so often did now.

Instead, he found several alarming things. Stuck on a tree branch, billowing in the wind from the storm, was Robin's cape. On the ground below it, his communicator. Under the communicator sat a wet piece of paper.

He picked it up, stomach churning at the sight of blood on the corner of the tattered sheet.

'Dear kiddies,

Time for me to clip this birdie's wings. Permanently.

Catch me if you can!

-J'

His heart stopped and he let the note flutter to the ground. He grabbed Robin's belongings and stumbled inside.

M'gann looked up, worry crossing her features as she took in his pale face and trembling hands. "Wally? What's wrong?"

He looked up, his eyes filled with terror.

"R-Robin and Zatanna…they're gone,"

"The Joker has them."

A/N

Me: Wow…*crawls into corner to sob*

Disclaimer: *backs away slowly*

Ezra: *rolls his eyes* I'm gonna go hang out with Jack and Ben…fangirls, now I get it!

Me: *Hera, Sabine, Astrid, Gwen, and Tooth are somehow there, crying with her*

-SWGJOC227