I'm overwhelmed by all the positive feedback! I never expected this, so another quick update as a big thank you to everyone who reviewed! (And of course the ones who read it as well). Reviews to feed the hungry author? :3
3rd May, 2008. 04:56
The video lasted 30 minutes, not even one period in school, shorter than one lesson of math. Not even a lot of time in other situations. 30 minutes, a mild warmup, a short ride back towards the Bat cave. These last 30 minutes however, they were an eternity, the longest moment of my life. The longest moment after standing on that pillar, and hearing the crowd gasp, rope snapping.
The longest moment after watching them, watching them fall.
I felt tears streaming down my face and I had no way to stop them. There were so few things that were worse than this, seeing your best friend being tortured like that, continuously. So little things that were even remotely close to the feeling.
The blood and his battered form were still on my mind, his endless screams of pain ringing through my ears. Images and sounds that would haunt me in my dreams for sure, things that would haunt Wally as well. And it would only worsen the longer he was over there.
Next to me Barry was vibrating in his place and the faint smell of smoke was penetrating my nose, caused by all the fraction on the carpet.
"Flash" I whispered, sniffling pitifully and wiping away the tears with the back of my hand. Barry actually, miraculously stops vibrating in place and whips his head towards me. Tear tracks were on his face as well and he looked .. broken. Broken at the sound of his nephew, his son in so much pain. And knowing he wasn't there with him right now.
And still throwing bad jokes, and defying his captors.
The smell still lingers but no more smoke comes from under Barry's feet. Batman turns around to look at the policemen.
"You keep this quiet, if his capture comes out I know where to find you" Batman threatens in his 'Batman' voice, standing up before pushing a button so that the computer would eject the CD. A CD that holds 30 minutes of Wally's torture. He carefully picks it up so not to break it or damage it in any way, putting it back in the case.
"We won't tell" The woman whispers, the man too shell-shocked to respond verbally, instead he just nods his head as an agreement.
"Robin, Flash" Batman calls out, struggling to keep the emotion off his face. And by now I think even the man and the woman could see his mask breaking, emotion seeping onto his face after hearing Wally scream like that. I nod absently, following Batman into the shadows again.
However, before either of us could even exit the building Flash sped past us, leaving a trail of dust and flying papers around us. Within seconds, he was fully gone, the mess that had been made the only evidence he had ever been here.
Batman gave me a look but I knew what Flash was doing, he'd meet us back at the cave again. Batman just wanted to make sure that I understood as well, so I gave him a short nod as well.
We quickly made our way back to the zeta tube and appeared back in the bat cave again. When we arrived Flash was already pacing, going back in forth in speed that wasn't human anymore but still slow enough for us to see him as a human instead of a red blur.
Luckily there were no carpets, or they'd be gone right now.
"Flash, stop pacing" Batman commands, glaring at the speedster before walking over to his monitor and putting the same disk in. The screen once again showed up, this time on the huge monitor instead of the small screen back in Central City. I wince upon seeing Wally's battered form again. I snort mentally. His battered form.
This was nothing, nothing. At the time I thought it was battered, but this was from before the capture. Before they started beating him, shocking him, cutting away his costume to get better access to his sensitive and vulnerable sides. The video started again, Robert and Alan coming into once again. Hesitantly I walk over to Batman.
"I really don't want to see that again Bruce" I whisper, standing next to him. Bruce turns around, the cowl hanging at the base of his neck, and puts a hand on my shoulder.
"It's okay Dick, I can do this alone. You can go upstairs if you want" Bruce tells me but I shake my head.
"He's my best friend" I only say but I know it's enough for Bruce to understand that I wouldn't leave. His face softens slightly and he pulls me closer. I smile weakly at him and climb onto the chair without question, positioning myself against his broad chest. He wraps his arms around me, and I smile slightly as the feeling of safety washes over me.
Until I remember that Wally definitely sharing that feeling.
"We'll get him back, I promise" Bruce whispers in my ear, planting a kiss on top of my head. I nod against his chest and Bruce turns his chair so we were facing the monitor again. I carefully reach for my mask, peeling it off and putting it in my belt. I blink a couple of times at the brightness of the monitor but relax seconds after.
Only a couple of people were able to see me and Bruce without a mask. Barry being one of them, and now Roy and Wally as well.
"What do we know so far?" Barry asks, standing next to Bruce, his cowl at the base of his neck as well. His usual blue eyes were now red and swollen, tears wiped away but still evident on his face. His fingers twitching from time to time, wanting to do something right here and right now. Not wanting to sit still and wait for his nephew to get back.
"The two men were called Robert and Alan, we suspect them to be linked with the gang we are after." I fill Barry in.
"The bus incident?" Barry asks, swallowing back the lump that had been in his throat the whole time. Bruce only nods in agreement and Barry mumbles an 'oh God' in response, knowing the gang that had plagued Gotham for the last months, and knowing the vial things they had done so far.
"They have been missing ever since, and so are their families."
"Do you think they got kicked out for failing?" I butt in and I can feel two sets of eyes on me. Bruce narrows his eyes slightly.
"It's possible" Barry says, causing Bruce to turn to his blonde friend. "They failed their mission, which mostly leads to a bullet through their skull. They got scared and ran off, trying to find their money from somewhere else"
"By exposing our secret ID's" I add and Barry nods at me. "So their family is with them? I don't think they are aware of what's happening though, especially the kid. And their wives had clean records"
"Robert and Alan had clean records as well so we can't rule out that their family knows of Kid Flash' capture. But we don't know for sure if they are aware of what's happening"
"Does it really matter?" A new voice suddenly cuts in and we all turn to look towards the stairs leading to the bat cave, revealing an angry and pissed Roy. Or rather Speedy because he was wearing his full costume except for the domino mask. He looks around the room, his gaze locking onto Barry's as if they were silently communicating before making his way down the stairs and towards us.
"Roy!" I exclaim, scrambling out of Bruce's lap and meeting him halfway. "What ar-" I start but Roy beats me to it.
"Why haven't you told me?! Why did no one tell me? It's been four freaking hours!" Roy rages and Barry flashes up beside me before I could say anything in return.
"Roy.. we've been a bit busy. I'm sorry" Barry tries, putting a hand on my shoulder as some kind of assurance, for which I'm grateful. No matter how much we cared about Roy, and how strong our bond was, it was never fun to be on the receiving end of his anger.
"It's been almost 5 hours Barry, sure you had time to inform that my little brother has been kidnapped and is possibly being tortured right now." I grimace slightly at Roy's words. If only he knew what exactly had happened to Wally.
"Roy" I mumble, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "He's my brother too, I'm worried too" At this Roy's face softens considerably and he stares at me instead of glaring at Barry, no doubt noticing the tears that were slowly gathering in my eyes. And I knew what he, and probably Bruce and Barry, were thinking. Robin never cries.
Roy scowls slightly and sighs.
"I'm still mad" Roy says but walks up to me and wraps his arms around me, crushing me against his chest for a few seconds. I relax in his hold slightly, I trusted Roy with my life. I h ad entrusted him and Wally with my identity, and I knew I could trust them. Trust them to catch me if I'd fall, now we had to show that trust to Wally.
"Tell me how I can help" Roy cuts through my thoughts, directing his gaze towards Barry but I ignore him, instead wrapping my legs around Roy and the latter easily picks me up. This was something I would often do with either Roy or Wally, not only in times like this.
But it felt familiar, safe.
If only Wally could share that feeling.
Barry seems to catch on on what I was thinking and he flashes me a smile, eyes twinkling with pain. Roy carries me over to Bruce and places me on the ground, keeping a comforting arm around me.
Bruce quickly fills Roy in on what has happened, and I consciously tried to block out the conversation. I already knew all of it anyways, and I really didn't want to hear everything again….
My conversation with KF, his message to Barry before he got kidnapped. The CD and the link between the gang that was currently roaming throughout Gotham City. And somewhere I was glad Roy knew about the gang, it'd help when we were talking about them, but knowing meant that he knew what they were capable of.
And Roy was visibly hurting from that piece of information.
"What is going to happen now?" Roy asks, anxious to get his little brother back as fast as possible.
3rd May, 2008. 02:46
Everything hurt.
Every part of his body was aching, emitting waves of pain every time I moved, every time I took a breath. I grunt softly, feeling the power cord once again connect with my bare back. My back was aching, hurting and continuously sending stabbing pain to the rest of my body. As if that didn't hurt already to begin with.
I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling a fresh wave of tears stream down my cheeks.
"I'm getting impatient boy, you better tell us-" The man cuts himself off midsentence, striking the cord against my back again. "Soon" He finishes, placing a hand on my back and I hiss in pain, twisting in my bonds to get the hand off my back. And to my horror I could feel blood streaming down my spine.
"It's-... been- hours. I-I won't... t-tell you" I stutter, not even bothering to lift my head to the two man that were in the room. The one with the black hair snorts behind me, dropping the cord and allowing it to clatter on the ground. I take a shaky breath, choking back the sob that was threatening to escape.
"Grow up kid, it has only been 30 minutes"
"A-And I.. s-still ha-.. ven't said a t-thing" I retort, glaring at the man that was now standing in front of me.
"Yet" He replies, socking me in the gut. "They aren't coming, why don't you just give me the identity of the Batman?" He rages, satisfied by my grunt of pain.
"N-Never" I state, focused on the camera instead of the man. To assure Robin, who was undoubtedly seeing the video, to assure Batman that I wouldn't give away his identity. To prove him wrong, to prove him that I would never give away his secret identity. I wouldn't break the faith Dick had in me.
And I wouldn't confirm Bruce's statements, I wouldn't confirm his doubts.
"Maybe the kid is right" The short haired dude suddenly butts in, looking uneasily behind his computer. The black haired guy raises an eyebrow at the comment, taking a knife out of his belt.
"Well I couldn't give a flying monkey" The man snorts, placing one hand on my bare chest, sending shockwaves of pain through my body before pushing the blade into the skin just below my ribcage.
"Nnngg" I grit my teeth, spasming against the shackles holding me up as waves of pain originated from my bare stomach. My costume has been cut around the waist, the top part being completely removed while the lower part was, thank God, still on.
My cowl had long been gone, and it had only been just minutes ago that the short shaved guy stopped with the torture. Instead he had grabbed his laptop to go through the list of teens in Central City, having seen my bare face. And hopefully coming up with my secret identity that way, and I really really hoped that someone would be here before that moment.
I don't even know what I'd do if they knew my identity, what would happen to KF, to Wally?
"No seriously, he's like 12. Maybe we should stop"
But instead of listening the black haired man drew another knife, carefully pushing it into my abdomen. I grunt in pain, jerking and shivering violently as blood starts to run down my stomach in small rivers. Barely enough to kill me, but enough to weaken me.
And to hurt me.
The man glares at no one in particular and turns around, walking over to the camera. "You better reveal B-man, he doesn't look good." The man says before shutting off the camera and throwing it towards the other guy.
There is a silent conversation going on between them before the short haired guy turns to the laptop again, connecting the camera and putting in a clean CD. And I quickly realised that he was going to put it on the CD.. to give it to Batman, or Flash. And I had no idea which one was worse.
My attention was forced back to the black haired man as he walks over to me again, reaching for a couple of more knives on the way here. I close my eyes tightly, turning my head away with the knowledge that talking wouldn't help, pleading wouldn't help and neither would joking. If anything, it would only worsen the situation.
I try to block out the knives being buried in my abdomen, noticing grimly how accurately they were pushed into my abdomen.
"If you want to know, they won't kill you. I'm a surgeon. I know where I can and cannot stab" I didn't reply, I didn't look at him, only grunting and twisting in pain as every knife was driven and forced into my body.
"Look at me!" The man hisses, slapping me across the face, hard. I jerk again, blinking heavily and struggling to focus on the man in front of me.
"Robert, that's enough okay!" The short haired guy yells and Robert direct his gaze from me towards the short haired guy.
"Enough?! What are you saying?" Robert grits his teeth, pulling out another knife and pointing it at the other.
"I'm saying that he's just a kid, Wally West, 13 years old. Look at him! He's a mess" The guy yells, gesturing to my battered form. I can feel myself pale even more, they knew. But strangely, that wasn't even my biggest problem right now.
"If you haven't noticed, that's the whole point of torture" Robert yells back but the short haired guy doesn't flinch at the shout.
"And it stops now, we can't continue like this"
"And then Alan? Then what? Let them murder our family, your wife, your kid?! And go into hiding for the rest of our fucking lives?" Robert grits his teeth, hands shaking slightly. "We were fucked up enough to get ourselves drugged and get involved in a fucking gang, this is nothing"
I blink a couple of times, a gang, could that be the gang that was plaguing Gotham? The gang that Dick told him about, the gang that the dynamic Duo were investigating?
Because of course they would want Batman's identity, seeing that they were the only one able to stop the gang.
"You're crossing the line. And yes! I want my family back. But not like this. Not by ruining another" Alan yells.
"There is no other way, we only have 2 hours before time is up. They gave us another change after fucking up, and like hell I will blow it."
"I can't do this Robert, let the kid go" Alan grits his teeth, drawing a gun from seemingly out of nowhere. Robert doesn't flinch, not moving an inch. "Drop the knife and step away Robert, I've had enough" Alan takes a step forward as a warning and Robert responds by putting his hands up and slowly bending to put the knife on the ground.
"Then I have no other option, because I will see my family again" He says, and within seconds a gun is in his hand as well and a bang echoes through the basement.
My eyes widen, body thumping to the ground with a bullet hole in his forehead. Alan now lying death on the ground. Robert stares at the body for a few seconds before walking over to the computer. He takes out the CD, putting it in a package and putting my cracked goggles in as well.
"Time to give your mentor a nice surprise" Robert says, and I swallow nervously. My body wracked as I start to cough, sending fresh waves of pain through my body.
"We can s-save your f-family y'know" I mumble as the coughs subside, weakly looking at Robert, almost pleading. But the man snorts.
"Batman can't catch the gang, what makes you think he can rescue my family?"
And with that sentence he's gone, leaving me all alone with the dead body of Alan, a person who I felt bad for despite having been tortured by him for 30 minutes.
And when the door to the floor above me shut, Robert's steps fading away, I break down. Heavy tears rolling down my cheeks and I sob openly, ignoring the waves of pain it caused because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get myself to stop. Everything hurt and I just wanted to go home.
Be safe, free from the pain.