And we have here another tale of Wally and the Rogues, as the series is about lol, in relation to the episode 'Failsafe'. Am I the only one who thought that, despite them being heroes and undoubtedly seeing shit, they got over that simulation turned 'real life' a little too soon. I don't know, I feel like if I were forced to watch as my family was killed and then my friends were picked off one by one until only myself and one other remained, I wouldn't be so cool with it. But that may just be me.

Anyway, whatever, that's just my unnecessary ramblings lol! Once again, huge major shout-outs to the readers and favs and followers and special mention to:

Cutie602 (who commented on both chapters you rock! For real! Thank you so much for your kind words they mean so much!),

Ailyn Vel (thank you so much my friend, I was super worried, I am soooooo happy that you liked it!)

Elsey, (Thank you! Aren't they!)

and roxassoul (absolutely, I actually have that in the works but it may take a bit longer then the others lol! but I thought it would be cool too! Thank you so much! SO happy you like it so far!)

for the reviews and feedback, you are all awesome and I love you (hope that doesn't sound weird lol), I hope I can continue to meet expectations!

So here we have, where Wally has come to the conclusion that he had watched two of his families die in that fateful dreaded simulation, and he's had plenty of time to check on one but has not had the moment to check on the other, until now.

There was something comforting in the knowledge that his uncle had not agreed and was furious at Bats for his failed simulation. Even the hard pressed members who had agreed (Bats and Black Canary) to the failsafe simulation had taken a step back from their over confidence in their teaching methods. No one had thought of the possibility of M'gann unconciously taking over the simulation and her guilt would eat at her for the next coming weeks whilst she worked with her uncle to gain better control.

But, like he said, there was something comforting in the knowledge that Uncle Barry had been one of the more vocal mentors against the whole shabang.

Though his protests, mixed with a many few, were drowned out by the others who agreed, it made Wally feel safer knowing that his uncle and mentor had his best interest at heart.

Two weeks since what the team had started refering to as the 'incident', two long and miserable weeks, and he was just managing to stay in his own bed during the night. Despite how childish it was, after having witnessed his uncle die whilst trying to save his Aunt I, and having it feel so real, having felt that pain and grief and bone numbing loneliness, they hadn't complained one bit when he crept down the hall and climbed his way inbetween them at some odd hour in the morning.

He needed to feel them, hear their breathing, feel the rise and fall of their chests as they inhaled and exhaled, as they lived, and they understood that perfectly. Aunt I would curl her arms around his, tucking into his shoulder as Uncle Barry pulled them both closer, until his red head was tucked under his chin, and they were well and perfectly smooshed together, and then they slept. They understood his need for these little things and never said a word about it.

But then Wally got embarrassed, a week into this routine, nearly well onto the second, and he was still crawling into bed with his aunt and uncle like he had when he was six and had just moved in with them.

So now he lay in his own bed, comforter pulled down at the end, his feet and legs illuminated by the bright full moon outside, nearly three in the morning, and though he tried to sleep on his own everytime he closed his eyes he could see the wave, the flash, as his aunt and uncle were taken from him. His family, his safety, they were both gone.

They hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye.

And, so, he lay there, staring at the ceiling, wanting to sleep but not able to force such actions on his worn and exhausted body. He watched the lights dance over the ceiling above as a car drove down the street and heaving a great sigh, he sat up. He wasn't going to sleep and he wasn't going to sit here and stare at the ceiling for the rest of the night either, he peered over at the clock, staring at the green blinking numbers for a long minute, too long, and pushed himself off his bed.

Silently, he tiptoed across the room, snagging a pair of shoes from his closet as he cautiously opened his bedroom door and peered carefully down the hall towards the master bedroom at the end, he was just able to see through the crack in the door the two figures curled up under the blankets fast asleep. He made his move, heading down the stairs, and to the front door. Grabbing his keys off the side table and his hoodie off the hook by the door, Wally slipped into the night.

The moon illuminated the street better then any of the street lights did, and he sat on the stoop to put his shoes on, slip into his hoodie, and think about where he wanted to go. It was 3:25 in the morning and everyone he knew was sleeping, just as he should be, and his options were very limited at the moment.

But it was also a Friday night.

School that week had been hell. Bullies and teachers, bullying teachers, it had been trying on the nerves.

He smiled to himself as he figured out his next stop, stood from the porch steps, and stepped down to the sidewalk. Wally silently made his way down the street, careful not to alert any outdoor dogs of his presense and send them off barking to wake their owners, and at the end of the street, he gazed one last time over his shoulder at his aunt and uncles house and stepping off the curb in a blur he was gone.

Saints and Sinners.

A run down bar in the bad section of town, not the worst place for a popular destination to be in, but not the best either. Wally hid back in the shadows of his hood as he walked along the alley wall towards the bar. Window on the right cracked, screen door adding to the character, and the soft chatter of left over patrons who had no where else to go until they closed up at 5 am and opened again at 1pm the next day.

It wasn't fancy, it wasn't on the destination list for Central City Tours, but to Wally, it was a second safe haven.

That and the abandoned warehouses down by the docks.

The bar was empty, nearly, save for a body or two in the back of the room, folded over on their tables either passed out or sleeping (he couldn't tell from here), but his eyes were drawn to the colorful figures that took over a booth in the farther corner, hidden in the shadows there much like he was in his hoodie and in the door way of the dank bar.

His heart soared, seeing the familiar colorful characters, whom he was sure in that damned simulation he would have come home to find in the same sort of way as his Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry.

Everyone was dead.

Sometimes his mind forgot that it wasn't real, that no one was lost, no one that hadn't already been so, and it was hard to bring his mind back around to the truth.

He opened the screen door, drawing the attention of Harry at the Bar, the grizzled man nodded at him once, drying a glass with a rag that had seen better days, and turned away from him all in one motion.

At that booth in the corner, slumped over on his folded arms, was his green clad red haired friend, practically an older sibling they were so close and had known each other for so long, his mask crumpled in his pocket. There was a glint of silver, a flute, leaning against the wall beside him, his green eyes shut as though he was trying to sleep there (Wally wanted to sleep).

Next to him was a colorful jester, blonde hair, purple highlights, leaning into the green teens side as he fiddled absently with a new invention in the works and sipped lazily at his soda (something that they found hilarious-they were allowed to rob banks-but not allowed to drink underage?), muttering to himself softly as he worked.

Beside him was an older man, decked out in a clashing orange suit with green gloves, his green hood bunched around his neck, leaning back in the booth with beer bottle in hand, discussing something with the man across from him.

Green like the teenager, but chest adorned in yellow stripes, he sat, across from the other man, responding with whatever had been said. Dark coat the only piece of civvie clothing in the bunch. In costume but not.

On his right was another man, white suit, orange trimmings, goggles sitting a top his head sipping at an odd colored drink was the hottest man in the room.

And on his other side, sat the coldest, blue and white parka, hood down and glasses shoved in a pocket, Cold Gun tucked away, his blue eyes were skimming the page of the book he'd procured from somewhere.

Nerd. (he'd never say that to his face)

He knew these people (and how dead they were), he knew their life (how they lived), and he watched them chatter among themselves, doing their things, but a group in every meaning of the word (dead, long gone, nothing left of them but memories), and completely totally alive.

"You g'nna join 'em kid?", he jumped at the sudden sound of the voice, elbow knocking the glass out of the man's hand, Harry was unimpressed but didn't say anything about the now broken glass, "They ain't g'nna bite you.", Harry knew him, not personally, but knew that he sat with them enough to know that they were okay together. He didn't say much, Harry the Bartender, never had to. The sound of the breaking glass had heads turning, from the back, the ones sleeping and not passed out entirely, and from the booth in the corner.

"Ki-Wally?"

Great, almost 3:30 in the morning and he was caught at a shady bar in a shady part of town and by his villians no less (but they were alive, eyes peering up at him, shining, worried, but oh so alive), not exactly how he had thought this would go down.

Pop in, check up on them, see them living and breathing and alive, and slip out just as unseen as he had been when he'd arrived.

But that hope was thrown out the window because of the jerk bartender and the stupid glass, six sets of eyes had him in their sights, and he knew it was no use running away now (did he really want to though?) they would either come after him or bring it up at their next skirmish.

Ice blue eyes took him in, pale face, bloodshot eyes, dark bags under said eyes, and he frowned.

"Join us kid?"

Sam let him slide in next to James before taking up his end seat again, Wally sat there, feeling smaller then ever (even smaller then that one time he'd been turned into an 8 year old) unsure about this now and staring at his hands. They didn't pry, though the concern was evident, and he was grateful for that, he wasn't sure how to say it anyway (how do you tell someone that you watched them die?), Sam and Mark went back to their conversation, Mick to staring into his drink and taking a sip every now and then, James back to his toy, Hartley laying on his arms, and Len to his book.

They knew him enough to know that prying got you no where and he would spill the can of beans when he was ready to and not a second before, but the mere presense of the group surrounding him was just as comforting as sleeping in his Aunt and Uncles bed had been. Sam's warm arm behind him on the back of the bench, he leaned his head back against the warm, solid, real arm and felt fingers tug at his ear without so much as missing a word of his conversation. James solid real body next to him, a warm calming presence, and he felt his eyes slowly droop.

"You guys were dead.", silence took over, he felt their eyes, but still they said nothing, "Everyone was dead."

A slight rustle, either from Len shutting his book or Hartley sitting up, he didn't know exactly. Sam tugged on his ear harder, "What?"

Wally shivered involuntarily, James wrapped his arms around him, the strong arm behind him tightened only slightly, and a dark coat was passed over from the other side of the table and draped over his shoulders (he swam in it but thanks Uncle Mark) and he tugged it closer at the familiar scent of ozone, cigarettes, and cheap shampoo. After a moment he looked up to meet all of their eyes for a mere heart beat before gazing back down.

And told them everything.

The simulation.

How it had been a test.

A failsafe.

How he'd watched his Uncle die saving his Aunt.

Central City being completely wiped off the map.

That they'd all been picked off one by one, his team, until only him and Robin remained.

He'd lost everything and he'd had to watch as he lost it.

Silence rang around the booth, none of them were sure how to respond to that, they knew that the kid had been fond of them, cared for them even, but to see him as distressed at seeing their demise as he had been at seeing that of his Aunt and Uncle hit them somewhere deep inside, and it was a good feeling, knowing that he cared that much.

"Well", James broke the silence, "That's just dumb. I plan on going out by a stampede of elephants. Not being blown up.", he ignored some of the strange looks he got and focused instead on his younger friends darkened green eyes, "So obviously it was a fake Wally-bally, so don't be sad, cause we're hard to get rid of. Like a rash. Even after you put ointment on it. Still there."

Len didn't look impressed, a shared expression from the others (well save for Hartley as he just looked amused), "Thanks James.", the jester type villian smiled at him obliviously (a ruse completely and totally-most of the time) and went back to his tinkering.

"Harry, lets get a shot of something strong over here," Sam called from his right, the bartender grumbled but complied, pouring a clear liquid into a small glass and setting it on their table as he made his rounds to kick out the roudy one in the back corner, woken when the glass shattered and now trying to cause problems with the peaceful neighboring table.

Wally's eyes were closed, and he missed whatever had been added to the shot (of water-seriously-they were criminals and he a hero-but still wasn't allowed to drink underage) and he downed it in one go (with a sort of ease that had them narrowing their eyes slightly) and he felt the effect immediately, his eyes drooping, he glared accusingly up at the man next to him, Sam smiled at him, pushing his head down, "Sleep kid. We'll take care'o you.", he slumped against the man unconsiously, eyes falling shut, and vaguely heard the conversation pick back up over his head and the new voices that joined it.

"What did you give him?"

"Sedative."

"But-"

"For an elephant. It'll knock him out. Not kill him. Chill, Cold."

There was a soft snort and silence (he felt the glare) and his world went black.

Blissful sleep.

Sometime later he woke, going cross eyed as he stared at a faded hideous red flower, Wally was warm, warmer then he had been in just his hoodie and sweat pants. His sneakers had been pulled off, and he turned to peer over his shoulder and found them in the pile of boots next to the 'front door'. Various coats were hung on the hook, his hoodie mixed in there somewhere, colorful and bright in their own right. He smiled softly to himself, memories flashing before his eyes, Wally turned to look in the other direction, where the bed rooms were. They were all shut, save for the one at the end, the door like the chair at the head of the table, and it was cracked just in case.

He shook his head faintly, Cold was such a worry wart sometimes (another thing he'd never say to his face), a thick blanket had been draped over him and he was still buried in the large over sized black coat that belonged to Mark.

With the happy memories came the dark ones, the ones that felt so real (because they were real), that haunted his mind every time he closed his eyes (the charred burned flesh of his Aunt and Uncle, the Rogues, his friends, everyone), he rubbed at his eyes as he pushed himself up from the couch. Still much too groggy, where did Sam even get elephant tranquilizers?, and he stumbled down the hall. Though the door at the end was cracked, he stopped at the one half way down, stickers shimmered in the pale moon light, Piper and Tricks, they always knew how to make things better.

Sighing, Wally turned the door handle, and he peered into the dark room. They were well off for being villains, but even then, Hartley and James shared one king sized bed and it was the only thing that was shared commonly between them. Hartley very clearly had his own side of the room and James the other. But the bed was the middle ground, piled with various colored blankets and pillows, stuffed animals for James (Hartley denied it with a burning passion but it was no secret that the stuffed dragon was his), Wally loved their room.

He felt a burning fire of shame take over him, here he was, sixteen years old and a hero to boot, and he was standing in the door way of the two closest beings he had for older brothers (well, not including Roy obviously, but then again his place on that list was very iffy as of late) and he wanted to climb in with them like he did with his aunt and uncle, to feel the rise and fall of their chests, hear the inhale and exhale of breath, feel them live. Wally took a tentative step forward and two steps back.

No more jokes, no more darts, no more music and fun and laughter. All of it was gone.

Steeling himself, he took another step forward, and then another, and another, until he was crawling up from the end of the bed. Clutching the blanket around his shoulders tightly and still drowned in Mark's jacket, he collapsed between both of the older teens. They hummed and grunted, his sudden flop rousing them only just, and Hartley turned over, closer, throwing an arm over his shoulders, James leeched onto his left arm, and the three of them sighed out long and deep. Wally smiled softly, burrowing down in a large pillow shaped oddly enough like a unicorn horn, turning into the older red heads shoulder, feeling him snuffle into his wild red hair and fingers dig into his shoulder lightly, he finally let his eyes slide closed by his own will.

They were alive.

Booommmm Shakalocka! I'm going to try and make regular updates here, no promises, but I work long hours and don't get home most nights until late at which time I eat, shower, and sleep. But like I said, gonna try for regular updates, I have a few in the works that are nearly ready for public viewing lol! That being said, my list of ideas is running short and if you have any please let me know, I love doing them lol!