Dick walked outside alone in the snow. His footsteps made soft thuds when imprinted into the fresh blanket on the ground. He looked to his right at the posters that were lined up and displayed proudly on the side of the train. There were new acts and old ones that had never been taken down. Their legacies left behind. This train brought back so many memories. Good and bad. He had lived nine years of his life there after all. Suddenly, He stopped in his tracks. He gazed sadly at the Flying Graysons poster. In his head he heard Haley's prideful voice echo in his head announcing "Ladies and gentlemen the Flying Graysons!" His family used to be the most famous act of Haly's circus. They would always attract the most people whenever they preformed, and they would always put on a great show. He remembered how the crowd would cheer when his family was up on the ropes. After the accident they faded into a distant memory. He didn't know if the poster was left up for nostalgia or just pity. Maybe it was simply just a grim reminder.
So absorbed in his thoughts, he barely heard his communicator ring in his ear.
Dick put his hand up to his ear to answer the call, "Uh, yeah?"
Wally's voice came through from the other side, "Dude where are you?"
"Confidential mission, uh, from Batman," he replied instinctively.
"Wow. You know what I'm doing making a bologna sandwich. Kind of like you just did," Wally said, deadpan. Dick rolled his eyes, knowing that he wouldn't be able to see it over the phone, "I talked to Tornado. You guys not on a mission. Not an official one anyway."
Dick paused a second, "A friend, Jack Haly."
"The circus guy? From your flying Grayson days?"
"I know how much that circus means to you. It's where you grew up. It where you lost your..." He trailed off, knowing that it was a sensitive subject.
"I left you behind because you know my backstory. I didn't want my best pal questioning my objectivity."
"Dude, that's what a best pal's for," he stated strongly.
"Anyway gotta go. Our train is leaving soon," Dick lied to get out of the conversation.
"Ugh," Wally moaned with the sandwich clearly in his mouth, "Don't do anything stupid or I'll run all the way there and kick your ass."
"Message received," Dick chuckled a little and hung up.
He looked back at the poster. His heart felt heavy in his chest. He sighed deeply with the snow still falling gently and occasionally brushing his rosy cheeks. He felt his eyes sting slightly, but he shook his head. He trudged along without looking back.
Disturbing the peaceful scene of the snow Dick saw an abnormal blue flash of light from behind one of the train cars. Could it be the person behind all this? He found himself sprinting to see the origin of the flash. When he turned the corner he saw no crimial mastermind, but a man lying face first in the snow, veiled in the shadows of the train cars. He had to step closer to see the features of the man. His red hair blazed against the white snow. Realization struck him. He knew that hair anywhere.
"Wally?" Dick chuckled a little as he made his way over to his friend who was lying in the snow. As he got closer, he frowned. Why did his suit look like it had been cut to pieces by a bunch of kindergarteners with adult scissors?
Dick saw him try to get up slowly, "Dick? Thank god! I thought I was a deadman." His vision was fuzzy and his head pounded, but he was still alive, thankfully.
"I didn't expect you to actually come all the way here. I haven't even done anything yet from the two seconds you called me..." Something dawned on him, "How did you even get here so quickly? Weren't you in the cave? Or did you follow-" He heard Wally grunt in pain and saw him fall back down into the snow. Hard. Panicked, he rushed his footsteps towards him and came to his side, "Hey, are you alright?" He asked concerned, quickly looking down at his friend's injury.
Wally covered his wound before Dick could see it, and clutched his side, "Hurts like hell, but I'm alive."
"Alive?" Dick didn't like his choice of words one bit, "What the heck happened-"
Wally froze visibly, cutting him off, "Wait a second," he stiffened, "this isn't Antartica..."
"Antartica?! Did you hit your head or something?" Dick tried to prevent his friend from standing up, but he hobbled up anyway despite his friend constantly insisting that he sit back down.
When Wally stood up Dick's voice faded off and he stared at the man before him, "Since when were you so tall?" A trace of nervousness in his voice.
Wally turned to look at him, and realized how much he had to look down. His vision had cleared up and he realized he was staring down at a thirteen year old Dick Grayson. Wally turned away almost at a super speed and took a deep breath before speaking. "Please tell me I'm hallucinating or I'm actually dead because there is no way in hell this is happening right now." He gripped his head in frustration.
Dick watched Wally pace back and forth leaving a bunch of scattered footprints in the snow. Supposedly his injury didn't hurt him anymore.
Dick spoke up eventually, needing some answers, "Ok, what the heck is going on?"
"I'm supposed to be dead, but I'm not and I'm somehow here with you..." Wally froze again, seemingly realizing something, "Great, now I know how Bart feels!" Wally moaned, exasperated and exhausted.
"Who's Bart?" Dick asked curiously.
"What did he say..." He paused, "Oh yeah. Spoilers."