DEF: Okay, what are my excuses now? Xmas day was for family shit, Boxing Day we went to visit family down south, the day after my entire right arm seized up on me, I strained the muscles really bad and yesterday we went to return the shoes my parents got for me for xmas, the only gift btw, because they were an entire size too big. I mean seriously? Couldn't they check the size of my school shoes or something!
Vita: Yeah, yeah, you and your lame ass excuses but seriously it was scary with her hand. She couldn't even flex her fingers, and from elbow to wrist swelled a bit. WE don't own DC Comics but well, I dunno someone does I guess?
Central City's orphanage was one of the few buildings in the City other than the Flash Museum that Bruce was well acquainted, the latter because of that fiasco on Flash Appreciation Day, not something he wanted to repeat. The former because of how much time Wally spent there in the first place, he'd gone done to Central more than once to blow the kid out of the water for his latest prank and found him surrounded by children.
In a way it was like Wally's own personal therapy, he knew exactly how those children felt, abandoned, hopeless, worthless, it made sense that he would try to help them. After all Bruce Wayne did something along those same lines, donating vast sums of money to local and international children help organizations.
Batman had done it as well, first with Dick and now with Jason, he had a soft spot for children and tended to work harder on cases involving them. Only, unlike Flash, he was reserved and closed off from children with their innocence that made his heart ache, how could they be so blessedly oblivious to the hurt of the world? At one he'd stayed away from Wally because he shared this trait, that all loving trait that drove the Bat up a wall.
"Hey Bats, I thought you'd be the one to come get me," a quiet voice murmurs and now he's spinning around to the playground where Wally's sitting crouched on the jungle gym bars. There's a smile fixed in place on his too pale face and it's cold, but God it's one of those smiles that's just trying too hard. It's one of those smiles that you slap on when people ask 'Are you alright?' and you just can't tell them what's wrong so you just say 'Yeah, I'm fine' but everyone knows something's really wrong. It's a smile that practically screams 'Everythin' Ain't Alright!'
"And how did you work that one out?" he asked swinging up next to the red head, the bars were attached to a little play tower that provided some shelter from the harsh rains that had begun to pour from the heavens. He sat under the overhang while Wally lay on his back, face to the freezing cold rains, an expression of intense concentration gracing his features.
"Cause you're the Batman, you say you don't need people and you don't but you don't want to loose people if you can help it. Yuh know when I was little and dad started beating me, I would always look up to you," Wally added with a shrug. The Dark Knight quirked an eyebrow as a silent request for more, Wally sighed long and heavy through his nose as though it were something he'd been contemplating for a while.
"Well, I mean Flash was my idol, I totally wanted to be like him and everything but he wasn't the type of person who'd understand what went on at home. Then when I found out he was really Uncle Barry, that didn't change, if anything it got worse, no way I could tell him, he'd take me away from mom and I didn't want that," Wally explained distractedly.
"You stayed so Rudolph didn't turn his abuse on your mother," Bruce clarified glaring at a tree in the distance, to his surprise, it withered and died.
"I always knew that glare of yours could kill Bats and yes I stayed because of mom. I didn't go to the police, couldn't, Rudolph always threatened to kill mom before I could and that was a strong enough threat, even when I became Kid Flash," he explained.
"This place, you can control it can't you and you've been watching us since we first got here so why not get yourself out?" The Bat suggested. He already knew the answer but wanted to have Wally confirm his suspicions before he decided on a plan to get them both out of here.
"I think you know Bats, I like it here. There's no worries, no one's trying to kill me and I can be with the people I love here, mom, Barry, Iris. They exist in my memories and since I control what happens, I can blot out Rudolph, I live life the way mom wanted," the speedster whispers and there's a hope so profound in his tone that it almost hurts to listen to it.
"Flas-Wally, this place, it isn't real, you have to remember that, you control everything here but what happens when you loose control?" he questions harshly. Unfortunately that's the only way to get through to Wally right now, the expression of pure bliss, of want, there's nothing he wants more than to stay here and that's dangerous.
As Batman he had more than enough experience with psychopaths, they saw what they wanted, it didn't even have to be something illegal a job or lover they've had their eyes on. When they finally do get what they want, they're happy, for a while at least and then they start to think, 'what more can I have?'. Or in other cases, they begin to think, 'what'd I do to deserve this?' and their self esteem drops away like the ground when you take that last step to the epic plunge.
The point was, they always got bored with what they wanted so they decided it was time to reach for more electrifying highs, bigger thrills but realized that something was holding them back. If Wally stayed here, he would be happy for who knows how long, he was Wally, but one day he would realize, it was all a lie. He was the one in control, he was the one that dictated the lives of all the people inside here and then he would break.
J'Onn had said if Wally remained here, he would go into a coma but one day he could decide he wanted to leave and knowing the persistent little shit, he would probably find a way out. The Wally that made it back to them wouldn't be their Wally, not by a long shot, no way no how. He very well could blame the League for what had happened to him and he would turn on them, and an angry Flash was not something he wanted to live with.
He knew what it was like to not care what happened to yourself when all you cared about was vengeance, he knew very well and he'd killed. He had killed more people than he wanted to admit out of hatred for one man but now if he killed, which he tried to avoid, he did it out of duty. All Wally would want would be their deaths and after the incident with Luthor, he didn't doubt for a second that Flash could take them all out. He knew them too well, knew their weaknesses, knew how to use their sympathy against them, damn clever bastard.
Wally knew how to counteract J'Onn's mind reading abilities, just speed up his thoughts until they were all a jumble, combine that with super speed and the Martian stood no chance. He knew how to get Diana and Shayera to hesitate for that one crucial second that it would take to vibrate his hand through their chests and rip out their hearts. He knew how to play the innocent for John, to get him close and vulnerable before he crushed the man's throat.
He knew how to play the injured little boy for Clark, Clark the big blue boy scout who lived to save the weak and helpless, Wally would play him like a violin. Where super powered maniacs had failed to kill him once and for all, Wally would most definitely succeed, if there was one thing Clark couldn't recover from, it was a lobotomized brain especially if the missing portion was his entire brain. Gotham's Dark Knight would be left for last, the red head would strike from the shadows, poetic justice he supposed, but Wally would make it painless.
The Bat nearly shuddered at the thought, how paranoid had he become if he could deduce all of that, about Wally no less, and still know he was right? He really needed to avoid monitor duty with Question from now on. That man was going to send then all insane, if they weren't already. But still he would attack according to who he blamed the most, the ones less at fault would be shown mercy and those who should have done something would be forced to suffer for God knows how long.
"Then I guess you'll have no choice but to take me out," Wally replied levelly, Bruce grit his teeth to the point of pain, damn it the little shit had him figured out!
"How are we supposed to do that exactly? Only Clark can keep up with you and when you come back you'll have a grudge to settle, you won't care who you hurt anymore. You could kill Shayera in cold blood, you could burn Central City to the ground just to make sure J'Onn got caught in the blaze," he hissed.
"I didn't say you guys, I said you. Come on Bruce, we both know you have a plan to take out each and every one of us, Diana, Shy, Gl, J'Onn, Supes. Hell you probably have a plan to take out yourself if something happens," Wally sighed finally sitting up.
"Bats, Bruce, I wanted to be like you, not care what people thought of me, just get in, get out and live my own life but I couldn't. I cared too much, I wanted my dad to love me and when he didn't I dunno, I guess I accepted it, I mean what's so good about me?" Wally questioned.
The older man breathed through his nose heavily, here was Flash, the idiotic, annoying younger brother of the original seven basically saying he was unlovable. A coping mechanism, he simply accepted people's world view of him, he put on a show and as Orion had so eloquently put 'played the fool to hide the warrior's pain'. Everyone saw the puppet that danced and cavorted for them while no one ever thought to look behind the curtain for the broken little puppet master.
"Wallace West, you are the heart and soul of the Justice League, why do you think Luthor chose to kill you? You're death would be the only thing that could push Superman to kill, Diana to give up her gifts from the Gods, me to change my costume to include freakin' reflective tape," he growled.
"Oh yeah, why? I mean, everyone says I'm just the comedic relief and they're right, so what if I wasn't there for the first attack? You guys still would've won, you had Supes and GL and Shy and Di and J'Onn, what difference did I make?" Wally demanded green orbs flashing with anger but it was directed internally.
"Why? God Wally! Can you imagine Clark going around making sure his villains took their medication? Or Shayera taking the time to get to know everyone in a City, what about J'Onn agreeing to play mini-golf with some random person? I sure as hell wouldn't give the very weapons that had almost killed me back to the people who wanted to kill me in the first place!" he yelled.
"You care too damn much for your own good and that's why we need you! You're the only one who can smile when we're about to die, the only one who would've held back on killing Luthor when they had the chance, when they were about to die because of him! The only frickin' person I know who would go to visit their abusive father in jail and endure even more of his fucking abuse!" he screamed the words at the boy hoping that it would crack through is thick skull and affect him.
"B-Bruce I, what if I go back and everyone still hates me?" Wally whispered and for once there wasn't any false bravado or irritating smirk, the only thing left was an eight year old boy and his fear of rejection. The Bat nearly choked on how familiar this scene was, Jason, Dick, he'd seen it with both of them, the hopelessness and fear and utter desolation. He had seen it in their eyes, heard it in their voices and in the very way they held themselves and experienced it for himself, seen it in the mirror, so he knew what needed to be said.
"They don't hate you Wally, no one hates you and anyone who has the balls to even hint at it will have to answer to me," he hissed, Wally gave him the look of a kicked puppy and he realized he'd forgotten one.
"Don't worry about Rudolph, he won't bother you anymore and I'll make sure he doesn't find out you were involved," he explained neatly. He didn't say that Rudolph was going to meet the infamous Batman or that he was going to be hung upside down from a bridge for the better part of a night. He didn't say that Rudolph was going to be subject to a few choice Thanagarian and Grecian tortures carried out by two very angry women.
He didn't say that Rudolph would enjoy the company of Nightwing and Red Arrow respectively and in tag team once he got back to the real world. Didn't say that a certain Martian Manhunter would be plaguing Rudolph's dreams for a while, or that Earth's Green Lantern would be brushing up on intergalactically feared…practices on a new 'volunteer'.
He didn't say any of these things but figured he didn't need to, after all, what you don't know won't hurt you now will it? Just the man who needs to be hurt.
"Thanks Bruce, for everything, for coming to get me. I know the others were with you but you off them didn't you, you psychotic Bat," Wally mumbled and the rain that had been pounding down on their heads abruptly turned into fluffs of white.
"What can I say? It's my job it get inside a person's head and completely mess it up," he smirked catching a handful of the snow, it wasn't cold and didn't weigh a thing, strange but then again he was in Wally's mind.
"Damn right, I'll probably need years of therapy to get rid of some of the images I can see now. I'm sorry I had Dick lie to you, I just didn't want anyone to know, I thought I could handle it on my own and totally screwed up," the speedster muttered.
"I could have died and I didn't care, my muscles were oxygen starved because I didn't give them enough time to adjust, some of them just stopped responding after a while, too much lactic acid build up. When Barry called me out to help him with the anti-matter cannon, I was fully prepared to die, I expected my muscles to fail," he sighed running a troubled hand through fiery red locks.
"Barry got hit and he went away, he managed to escape to the Speed Force just in time, the cannon grazed me but instead of killing me, it caused all the lactic acid to dissipate. My muscles were fully developed by then but I had to relearn how to use my speed, that's why I only ran just above the speed of sound for so long. Even when I regained complete control I was afraid of using it, I didn't want people to forget Barry's sacrifice. I thought if I acted like a kid and wasn't as good as him, they would always remember him, respect him and it worked until Luthor came around and killed it," he finished in an undertone.
"Don't make me hurt you West. Do you really think anyone in Central City will ever forget what Barry did for them, how much he sacrificed and gave up so they could live happy and safe lives? They loved him, nothing in the world could ever make them forget him," Bruce reassured him brusquely. The red head was silent for a while, staring up at the dark skies, the clouds above obscured the moon as the fluffs of white began to fall more heavily.
"I know Bruce, trust me I know-I can't focus here, I can't...concentrate, I'm tired. I just want to slip away forever, not have to move again, no more running for my life, for someone else's life. Just a little nap I promise," the red head mumbled finally, slumping forward
"God damn it Wally, don't you dare fall asleep or I'll follow you wherever you go and strangle you," he growled grabbing the kid by his shoulders and shaking him hard.
"Sorry, just so tired, can barely keep my eyes open," came the whispered reply, the Bat cursed under his breath, he needed to do something fast before Wally got trapped inside his own mind forever.
"If you die on me now, I'll tell the entire League about your crush on Superman and I'll show them all the pictures I have of you as Kid Flash," he threatened, God they couldn't loose him, they couldn't afford to.
"Wasn't a crush and I burned all of your pictures," the red head protested.
'Batman, you need to get out of Flash's mind now, he is going into a coma.' J'Onn warned through the telepathic link but Bruce couldn't leave, he needed to get Wally back to the real world.
"Come on Wallace, you know Dick backed all of those up on the BatComputer, I still have them, all of them, even the one where the two of you were stuck in a net over a vat of pea soup," he taunted, think Bruce think, you're the frickin Batman for God's sake!
"Evil bats everywhere, mom I really miss you," was all the garbled answer he got then he understood, this was all about Mary, he had to convince Wally that his mother was alright but he couldn't lie.
"Your mother wouldn't want you comatose or dead Wallace, trust me. I met her once remember? If there was one thing she wanted, it was for you to make her proud and you can't do that if you're dead now can you?" He meant it as a question but it came out as a scathing accusation, on the defensive again, violence was always the answer right?
"but I don't know how to get out." Wally whimpered and the snow all around them was whipped into a frenzy, chilling him the bone but he couldn't leave.
"Don't give me that West, man up and get your ass back to the real world. Take my hand and when I tell you to, you let go," he ordered as the snow changed to blood, it was suffocating and tasted like copper but sharper. He'd tasted blood before, too many times to count, more times than he cared to remember and blood didn't taste like this, like salty tears and sweet chocolate, or smell like something foul that had been rotting for weeks, or felt softer than silk.
'J'Onn Black Wings but I want you to take Flash halfway with me' he explained hoping to the high heaven this worked because if it didn't they were all fucked, no pressure.
'Understood'
And then the blood was gone and he was moving without moving, it was slightly akin to the teleports only with Flash standing next to him clutching at his arm as though his life depended on it. He knew he was leaving Wally's subconscious so he couldn't take the red head with him, it would damage his psyche, send him insane all that shit but at the moment it damn well looked like it to was happening. He could hear voices, the voices of Diana and Shayera were closest, then John and it was time to put his master plan which consisted of only one step into action.
'Flash let go, now' he murmured, please work, he had enough angst in his life without adding 'Wally West aka the Flash's death' to the list.
DEF: There's just one more chapter after this I think, still playing around with it. This is probably the closest I came to BatFlash in this story but it was more friendship. OH! I checked my email after a few weeks, it's all backed up with people favoriting and subscribing to either me or the story. DON'T BE A FREAKIN SILENT READER!
Vita: Merry Late Christmas to all our reviewers and silent readers, God bless you guys.
~Ho!Ho!Ho! Santa's a pimp~ Here's a challenge: Can anyone spot the title in there?