Chapter Twenty-One: Resurgence.
It had been two weeks.
Dick sat in his room, the curtains drawn, a chink of winter sunlight seeping through a gap.
Two weeks. Fourteen of the quietest days he had ever known.
When the police had arrived, he had numbly complied with everything they had asked of him, explaining his story to all and sundry until his throat bled, writing out a transcript of the conversation as best he could, sitting in the police station for hours on end, all without complaint.
Since then, he had thrown himself into his new role. He didn't sleep at nights, only napping during the day. He'd practiced his taolu again for the first time since he'd given up the art, a couple of years ago, and was almost disgusted with how out of shape he had gotten. He had been forced to drop his study of martial arts as had interfered with his schooling.
No chance of that now. School had started again. He hadn't gone. No one questioned him.
Every evening, after his mother had gone to bed, he would stay up. Initially, he'd relied on caffeine to keep him up, but after five or so days, he'd adjusted. It hadn't been pleasant, but he had barely noticed, and wouldn't have cared if he had.
He had a job to do, and by God he was going to do it.
But it was the middle of the day, now, and so by all rights he should have been sleeping, preparing for his nightly vigil. Instead, he was sitting on his bed, thinking.
Zucco.
He'd asked about the man at the police station, and received one officer's off-the-record and off-duty opinion that the man was head of a crime ring in the city, and the sole survivor of the small war Gar and his team had waged on the organised crime in the city. Of course, that was just one man's opinion.
You think the police can take him?
Not a chance. He was too well-connected.
Then who?
Gar, Kory and Wally can take him down. It's their job, after all.
So, what? You're just going to hide behind your friends?
But what could he do? He was just a guy.
A guy with six years of Tai Shing Pek Kwar experience, and acrobatics training from an Olympic-level gymnast. You're bright. What's stopping you?
Dick got off the bed, and started idly rifling through his wardrobe for some black clothes.
--
Starfire glared at the smirking Jinx as the HIVE reformed around the pink haired girl. Her hands bunched reflexively into fists, and spheres of green energy formed around them. Behind her, Wally sat up, shaking his head to stop the ringing, and stood. Gar was more uncertain, his legs deciding halfway up that he would be better off just lying down, and his knees sagged. Nonetheless, he stood on the second try, and blearily glared at the criminals.
"Y'know, I don't get you," Jinx said, conversationally. "I mean, we've fought how many times? Must be in to the double figures by now. And in all that time, the best result you've got is when we've left without stealing anything. Not exactly stellar.
"But you're still here. I mean, I think we all know how this is going to go down. We'll fight, you'll try some new idea, which will sort of work, at least until we pound you into the dirt, and then we'll leave." Jinx frowned, honest confusion breaking across her alabaster features. "And you still show up every time we cause trouble. I mean, what is it? Are you just slow learners?"
Wally spoke first. "It's the job. Bad guy shows up, we fight them. And you're the bad guys in this scenario."
Jinx raised an eyebrow. "So, what, you're a bunch of glorified cops?"
Wally shook his head. "Cops are paid, for a start. No, it's about responsibility. We've all got abilities that make us stronger, faster, in some cases smarter, and generally better than any normal human. What we do is about reminding people that that doesn't make us more important. So we try and stop people like you, who think that just because they can bench press a bus, or shoot lasers from their hands, or even make a robot out of a toaster, that gives them a licence to do whatever they want, and ignore the consequences."
Jinx scowled, and only Kid Flash was fast enough to see the offended look that rolled across her face like a cloud. It was utterly wiped by the catlike smirk plastered over her face, and she raised her hand, her fingers ready to click.
"Whatever. You know, you're cute when you get all preachy, you know that?"
Kid Flash was about to unleash a witty response to this insult when he realised it wasn't technically insulting, and this alone flustered him enough that he was completely distracted until a pulse of energy hit him in the stomach.
He doubled over, and his team mates sprang forwards to meet the surging HIVE. As everything went dark, Wally heard what had to be the strangest battle cry ever.
"Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos!"
--
Yeah, it's short, but I wanted to end it there. Next chapter will be up in 2/3 days.