Hahahahaha everything I know about the military comes from Captain America soooo apologies for the indescrepanicies

set in either WW1 or WW2... WW1.5 I guess? Probably more like 2 I guess tho.

*thirties slang for ill be seeing you *pally:chum, buddy

oKay I'm too excited to use 30s slang there's a lot in here


Dick was thirteen when he had the idea to go off to war.

It was when Roy had first left Haly's Home for Boys that the overseas battles had become real.

That the headlines on the papers had become something more than ink.

"Abasynnia*!" The red-head had called, wishing Pop Haly well, and telling Kal to take care of them, and for Wally to lay off the booshwashing. Roy had tucked Dick into a hug before that, shoving his favorite yellow hat down on Dick's head.

"Be real good for me, pally*," the older boy had said. "We both know you're the real one in charge."

Roy was like his older brother, he'd taken Dick under his wing when he'd first been thrown into the orphanage at nine.

After that, Kaldur had been sent off with the papers, and then, just two years later, Wally had left, leaving Dick with the new kid Conner who only had a year left in him before he'd be drafted.

That year went by quickly.

Dick was sixteen when he first put his plan into motion.

He knew he was weak and as skinny as a rail, but he was flexible like no other, and he remembered way back, being able to do somersaults in air. And honestly? The army was desperate. They'd take what they could get.

They didn't even double check his falsified records.

The red headed man at the desk, old, weathered, and with a handle-bar mustache, just told him to get on the scale.

100 pounds.

The man - had he heard someone call him Gordon? - frowned at him, looking over his bony body worryingly. He took a pen, marking off where Dick hit on the height chart.

Dick gave him a hopeful look.

"I don't know kid."

But five minutes later, he had his papers.

He would be deployed in a month. He skipped back to the orphanage.

That would be the day.