Oh my gosh, I'm am soo sorry about the wait! I said a week, but it ended up way longer. I guess it wasn't a very good idea starting a pic right when school is also starting up... Oh, well here is the second chapter of Two Hells, No Heaven. In total there will be three, so one more chapter after this. I hope you enjoy it :)
Warnings: Implied past rape/non-con, mentioned child abuse, panic attacks
THREE WEEKS LATER
Wally stumbled into training about half an hour late that Thursday afternoon. His dad had been absolutely livid about his recent test score. He had gotten a D! On a science test! These past few weeks had been awful; he could barely concentrate in his 2nd period class with… him. Not that he could tell his dad what his teacher does to him. Wally would end up with a lot more than his currently bruised ribs.
"You're late, Baywatch," Artemis said snootily.
"Way to state the obvious, replacement," Wally said.
"My name is Artemis."
"My name is Wally."
"Okay enough you two!" Black Canary exclaimed, "We'll discuss why Wally is late later."
Wally went to go stand by Robin as BC explained a complicated move that involved grabbing your opponent's upper arm and corresponding leg to flip them onto their back. He tuned out as she explained how to effectively grab, so that you can flip them. Against his will, his thoughts wander to earlier. To after school in Mr. Bates office.
Instead of doing what we normally do right away, Mr. Bates had wanted to show Wally something on his laptop. It was a file with his name on it. What was inside made him want to throw up, and he remembered his palms becoming a little sweaty. Inside the file was pictures. Of Wally. Pictures upon pictures of him in his room, walking home, stepping into an abandoned telephone booth, and even ones of him in the bathroom. The two that really shook him to the core was one of him in his Kid Flash suit with the cowl down, and the second one was of him just coming out of the shower, naked. As well as many of Wally fighting crime as Kid Flash.
Mr. Bates knew everything about him, and that was terrifying. If his teacher could find out that much about Wally, then what about the people with him in this room? What if he found out Robin's identity? It would be Wally's fault. As everything is.
"Earth to the Wall-man?"
Wally jumped and turned to the person who called his name. It was Robin.
"Dude, I've called your name, like, five times," he said.
"Sorry, I was just… thinking."
Artemis chose that moment to insert her comment, "Didn't know you were capable of that, Kid Stupid."
Instead of sending a retort back, Wally just fumed in silence. He didn't miss the odd look that she gave Robin when he didn't give the reaction that she expected. Robin frowned back at her and then informed him that we were splitting up into partners to practice the move BC had just showed us. M'gann went with Artemis, Aqualad with Superboy, which left him with Robin. Of course he was left with the most observant member of the team. If there's anyone up there, then thanks, he thought sarcastically.
"You wanna go first?" Robin asked.
"Nah, go ahead," Wally responded. In truth, his ribs were killing him and he did not want to be flipped by robin, but he normally let Robin go first when they were partners. Why? Because it was a perfect opportunity to pretend that everything was okay and he could throw in a cocky remark.
"Come at me," there's his remark.
Robin smirked and did as he was told. He charged as if to go for a tackle, or a punch, then he ducked down and left and gripped his upper arm along with behind his knee. He used his momentum and his strength to flip Wally down onto the mat. As Robin flipped him, his hand slid a little too far up his thigh and suddenly he was back in that office with his teacher sitting across from him. He barely registered landing hard on his back.
He couldn't think. Not with his hands on him, touching him.
He couldn't speak.
He couldn't move.
He couldn't breathe.
His chest heaved, irritating his injured ribs, and his breath caught in his throat.
His chest heaved again and again, but it seemed like no air was entering his lungs.
By now he was curled up in a ball on the floor, hyperventilating. Normally he only showed this weakness inside of him when he was alone in his room, when he was completely sure that his father was too drunk and tired to hear him. But now it was on display for all of his friends, his teammates, to see. This realization seemed to suck even more air out of him. He struggled to breath past the weight on his chest and the pressure in the back of his throat.
Through his panicked haze, he noticed Black Canary at his side with her hand on his back, telling him to breathe with her. His team stood behind her, but at a short distance. No doubt that BC had told them not to crowd him. It was a thoughtful gesture, but it didn't help.
At all.
He still felt like he was suffocating.
Come on Wally, get a grip, he thought, it was just Robin. Your best friend.
Mt. Justice was beginning to feel a lot less like a mountain and more like a coffin. He felt someone's hands gently grasping both sides of head. Black spots filled Wally's vision, and the last thing he saw before he passed out was Miss Martian's glowing green eyes.
*LINE BREAK*
He first felt the tingling in his hands and they twitched, which was followed by his eye lids slowly fluttering open. He then promptly closed them because the light seemed to burn his retinas. He tried again, slowly letting his eyes adjust. He saw that he was in the medbay from the stark whiteness of the ceiling and the walls and the sound of a heart monitor beeping at a steady, but fast, pace.
He tried to sit up but he was immediately pushed down by Robin, who had been sitting in a chair beside the bed.
"Whoa, no getting up yet. You need to rest," he said.
"How long was I out for?" I asked.
"A couple of hours."
"What time is it?"
"Around 5pm, why?"
Shit. He should have been home by now. Dinner should already have been on the table. His dad was going to kill him for being late. Wally heard the previously steady beeping accelerate.
"Wally," Robin's face was filled with concern, "What's wrong?"
"I'm late!" The beeping increased again, "My dad— I should've been home— oh my god…"
"Wally!"
"Ohgodohgodohgodi'mgoingtobeinsomuchtrouble—"
"Wally, please calm down," Black Canary said as she ran into the room. She was followed by the rest of his teammates wearing civilian clothing. Their expressions were filled with worry, even Artemis (And anger as well for Conner). M'gann looked especially upset.
Wally struggled to get his breathing under control again, and Robin counted to ten slowly with him as he tried to calm him down.
One. It's okay.
Two. He'll be fine.
Three. His dad's not here right now.
Four. Robin's here. He's his best friend.
Five. He's in the medbay, not at home.
By the time they got to ten, Wally was breathing deeply but properly. Great, his team has now seen him have a panic attack twice. Now they'll know that something's up.
"What happened?" Wally asked, trying to pretend he didn't remember why he passed out.
"You had a panic attack in the middle of training," BC stated with concern, "We couldn't calm you down so Miss Martian had to, gently, knock you out and then we brought you here. You would have fainted from the lack of oxygen anyway."
"Oh," He said dumbly.
"Robin thought it would be a good idea if you were dressed in comfortable clothes instead of your suit," Wally only realized now that he wasn't in his Kid Flash suit, but a white short sleeve shirt and grey sweat pants, "And we found that you had a few bruised ribs."
Wally had the decency to look a little bit guilty. He mentally prepared his lie as she went on.
"Where did you acquire your injuries?" she asked, "And why didn't you inform me of that fact?"
"I'm sorry, I ran into Captain Boomerang on the way to training, and I was already late…"
"It's okay, Wally, but next time be more careful and don't hide anything from us."
She paused and then said, "If you ever need to talk, my office is always open. Just let me know."
"I don't need to talk," Wally stated firmly.
"Okay… Just rest up for now. You can go home in about two hours. If you leave earlier, then I'll know."
BC fixed him with a stern, but soft, gaze before she left the room. His team approached him slowly.
"Don't make us worry like that, Kid Idiot," Artemis said angrily, but her tone seems to be laced with a bit of concern. He noticed that she kept stealing glances at his chest area with a look of… Was that understanding? He must be imagining things.
"Yeah, KF, if there's anything wrong you should tell us," said Robin. He seemed contemplative, as if he was trying to figure out some complex riddle.
"Don't worry, I will next time."
"There won't be a next time," Conner said matter-of-factly.
"What do you mean, Supey?" Wally asked.
"I don't like seeing you hurt," it came as a bit of a growl. Wally was a bit taken aback at how much Conner cared, but he successfully hid his surprise with an exaggerated thankful expression.
"Awe, thanks, Supey. It's nice to know someone cares about my wellbeing," Wally looked pointedly at Artemis. She rolled her eyes at him.
"I believe we should allow our friend to rest," Aqualad said.
Obeying his statement, his friends said their goodbyes and slowly filed out of the room. As Robin walked toward the door, he muttered something to Aqualad that Wally couldn't hear. Kaldur gave a curt nod to Robin, and they left the room together. Conner must have heard Robin because his face darkened slightly and he exited with both fists clenched. He was followed by Artemis, which left M'gann as the last person to leave. Except, she didn't leave right away. Wally realized that up until this point, she hadn't said a word which was very unusual for her. She approached his bedside slowly with something akin to fear in her eyes.
"Can I help you, Sweet Cheeks?" he flirted, trying to hide his growing worry.
"Wally… I… W-when I reached into your subconscious to knock you out, a memory called out to me."
His stomach dropped and anxiety seemed to rise up the back of his throat.
"It was so prominent, I didn't mean to look, I swear. I was pulled into it," tears began to form in the corners of her eyes, "What I saw… I-I don't understand…"