So... This is a one-shot, character death fiction. Happy Valentine's Day everyone. o.o Just realized how morbid I am...
Young Justice does not belong to me. Thankfully. Or things like this might happen.
Wally West loved Dick Grayson. Or, to the rest of the team, Kid Flash was in love with Robin, Boy Wonder. They spent all their time in Mount Justice together. Either they were snuggling on the couch, or hanging out at the beach. Playing video games in Robin's room, or sharing a piece of cake M'gann had made. But whatever they were doing, they were together. Always.
Wally nuzzled the side of Robin's neck with his nose, grinning as the younger boy swatted him away. They were on patrol in Gotham, Wally finally having gotten on Batman's nerves enough to let him share a patrol with the Boy Wonder. Wally was doing his best to concentrate, but it seemed to be the only slow night in the history of Gotham's streets. Dick, of course, was taking the patrol as seriously as a lawyer in court, but Wally was bored. It was only natural for him, of course. When you move at the speed of light, you tend to develop an impatience larger than Jupiter.
He nuzzled at Rob's neck again, only to be swatted away. Again. Grumbling a bit, he leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms in a pout. Finally, Robin turned to him, slightly annoyed. He was tired of this. KF was just one big huge distraction, and now he was a bored distraction. Worst. Combination. Ever.
"If you're so bored KF, why don't you just run around or something? Burn off that energy. You're totally not asterous right now." Wally could almost see the dull look in his boyfriend's eyes, even with the little bird's trademark mask covering them.
Wally propelled himself over the edge of the building, running down the wall and then along the ground. He zipped past, waving to the Boy Wonder as he did so. Robin simply rolled his eyes, or Wally supposed he did, and watched him until he disappeared into the streets of Gotham.
Wally paused for a moment, opening the secret compartment on his uniform that contained food. He leaned against one of Gotham's crumbling walls, munching on a banana. Today had been a pretty good day, aside from getting turned away from his boyfriend. He'd been able to relax at Mount Justice before the patrol, a rare thing in recent times. And, of course, he'd been able to spend that day with his adorable –don't ever let him catch you thinking that- boyfriend, Dick.
"Ow!" Wally winced and slapped the side of his neck. Stupid mosquitoes. But… Wait. He felt around the area he'd been hit. He was wearing his costume. Combo latex and body armor. No mosquito could penetrate that. He felt a tiny needle protruding from his neck, and pulled it out just as the world began to swim before his eyes. The last thing he saw as he blacked out was the charred sleeve of a suit reaching out for his shoulder…
1L
2L
Wally awoke in Mount Justice, in one of the hospital beds. He wasn't strapped to any machines, but he still felt the normal nervousness he felt whenever he was in a hospital. After he'd gotten his powers, he'd been in a coma for a few days, and he'd never gotten over the scent and what it did to him. He sat up, meeting the concerned eyes of Kaldur.
"You're awake." The Atlantean said simply. "How are you feeling?" It was odd to Wally how utterly calm the boy could be, being in a hospital wing like this. Couldn't he smell the cleaning chemicals? Why didn't that make him as tense as it made Wally?
Wally held his head as it swam a bit, then looked at the team leader. "Fine. I think. How long was I out?" He was starving. Had they fed him while he'd been under?
"Three days, I am afraid. And you must be hungry. We couldn't supplement your IV with your normal rations of food, so you have been living off of a normal human's diet these past few days." He helped Wally to a sitting position, and called out to the door. M'gann walked in with three trays of food floating around her. She set them on the bed and Wally proceeded to scarf, after asking the Atlantean what had happened to him.
"We're not sure." Kaldur replied. "We were hoping you could tell us. Robin found you in an alley in Gotham, unconscious. Do you not remember anything?" Wally shook his head.
"No. All I know… Was that I was drugged." He thought hard, trying to remember anything. If only he could get that stupid sleeve out of his mind. But really… Any of the enemies of Gotham would have a field day with the knowledge in a drugged Wally West's mind. He knew the location of the Justice League headquarters plus how to get in, he knew the location of the current Young Justice League's headquarters, and he knew the identities of both Batman and his Boy Wonder. He just hoped that whoever it was that had drugged him wasn't looking for any of those things.
"Where's Robin?" He asked. If he had been drugged, and knocked out for so long, surely his friend would have been there when he woke up.
"School, of course. He still has to go, you know, even if you got to get out of it for a few days." Kaldur replied, again as if it was obvious. Wally mentally shrugged. Course he was at school. His dedicated little birdlette was always studying for something. Even though he was pretty much a genius.
Wally stood, a little wobbly at first. Finally, he stumbled out of the room and into the kitchen, to find more food. His stomach was still growling at him. As he opened the fridge though, he was cut off by the alarm bells of the Mountain. Standing from his crouched position, he sped into the meeting area. Everyone else arrived shortly after, blinking up at Batman, their mission director.
"Young Justice Squad, we have a situation for you. Normally, I myself would have dealt with this. But Superman requires me for a League mission." His eyes narrowed, but that was normal Bats behavior. It was when his narrowed eyes connected with Wally's that the speedster noticed the hurt hidden deep within his face. And that's when his breath caught in his throat.
"Gotham Academy, the school of Gotham's famous Dick Grayson, is under attack. We believe that the group is led by Two-Face. You must mount a mission to defend the building and its occupants. Let no one get through, and let no enemy take a hostage." Looking straight at Wally, he added. "I'm sure you understand the severity of this assignment, and the consequences if you should fail."
Oh yes. Wally did. Wally understood completely. Fail to protect Gotham Academy... And he would lose his Robin, his Dick Grayson, to one of Gotham's worst enemies. Two-Face.
1L
2L
Wally stood before Gotham Academy, hidden by a hedge. Above him in a low-hanging tree sat Artemis and Kaldur. Supey sat to his right, and M'gan was hidden somewhere, invisible. Wally himself was vibrating in place. The screams and shouts from inside the school that were slowly dying out were not doing anything to help his attitude.
Two-Face's cronies prowled the school in their mismatched outfits, predictably walking in lines of two. All of them were armed with double-barreled shotguns, .22 semiautomatics, and some sort of pistol. Wally itched to run forward, but with Robin conveniently "sick" he didn't have anyone to run after. Now he actually had to wait for Aqualad's go ahead.
Said Atlantean's voice sounded in his head. –It is obvious that these are Two-Face's henchmen. However, without Robin, we don't know much on the su-
-Uh, pick me?- Wally asked. –Rob's best bro here. You know, his boyfriend? Know quite a bit.-
Wally could almost feel the eye roll from Artemis. –Alright Kid Fail. Share with us your infinite knowledge.-
-Well, Two-Face like to do things in, well… Twos. He makes it kind of a thing. See? Two guards per patrol, and if there's more you can bet that they consist of two girls and two boys. They also use double-barreled shotguns, or .22 semis. Or whatever those pistols are. Something to do with a two. But, the point is… We need to get in there. Dick's the perfect match. There's two people in his family, him and Bruce, and he's a billionaire to boot.- Okay, so it wasn't the most extensive knowledge on Two-Face, and probably nothing compared to the encyclopedia that Rob could write. But it was something. Enough to let Kaldur have them start moving at least.
Technically, he was still supposed to wait for Artemis, his partner since Robin was indisposed. But that lasted all of five seconds before he was off like a rocket, zooming past the guards on their blindsides.
His little bird was in trouble, and he wasn't going to let anyone get in the way of saving him.
1L
2L
Rushing into the school, he slowed and blinked. Gotham Academy was huge. How was he going to find one kid amongst all its hallways, let alone the other students? Not to mention that the school was a ghost town, except for the occasional crony. Wally quickly dispatched them, generally with a superspeed kick or tackle into the wall. He knew that the rest of the team would follow the trail of unconscious bodies, like they normally did when it was him and Robin running off. They'd know where Kid Flash had been.
As he ran, molecules vibrating at the speed of light, he whipped his head back, forth, and looked quickly into each room. It wasn't until after dispatching a particularly large group of guards that he saw a face plastered to the glass. He stopped before he ran off again, and went over to the door.
A girl looked out at him, and a quick look over her shoulder told him that a good portion, if not all, of the school was here. He motioned her to the side with his hand, backing up as he did so. Her eyes widened and she skittered away as Wally ran forward, throwing his shoulder forward. He slammed into the door, listening to the hinges crack, and then backed up again. He zoomed forward again, and finally fell through, the door coming with him.
He stood and brushed himself off, glancing around the gym. He could tell by first glance that there were much too many students for him to be able to locate one small, raven-haired boy.
He turned his attention to the girl that had looked at him through the door's glass. "Do you know where Richard Grayson is?" He asked quickly. Dick had told him time and time again that he wasn't that popular at the Academy, but Wally hoped that Bruce Wayne's heir was at least important enough that someone would pay attention to him.
The girl shook her head. "N-No, sorry. My class was one of the-the first to be put in here. I-I can get the principal though. He'll know." Wally nodded at her, encouraging her to leave, and she scurried off. His stomach, the insatiable one that all speedsters have, began to growl, and he pulled out a chocolate bar from the secret compartment in his uniform. Wally watched the Gothamites around him. Many, particularly the males, were trying to stand tough, stick up for themselves and their girlfriends. But he could tell that everyone in the room was very scared.
He only hoped that there was a frightened little bird somewhere among them.
An official-looking man in a suit that looked more expensive than the uniform Wally was wearing stepped out of the crowd, following the girl from earlier. " Kid Flash!" He exclaimed. "Thank goodness one of the team finally showed up! I would rather it have been the League of course, but they must have better things to do, no?" Oh, Wally couldn't stand him already. Big shot, better-than-you, my-house-could-fit-five-of-yours-and-
"It's a pleasure, Principal…"
Pescar. Principal Pescar of Gotham Academy." He grinned proudly for a moment, before his face fell slightly. He leaned forward, whispering. "To be honest, I never expected a villain like Two-Face to attack. Completely unprepared." He leaned back, stringing his fingers together. "I was told you were looking for someone? One of my students?"
"Richard Grayson." Wally said quickly, silently cursing when the man's face fell eve further.
"Ah… Yes. Mr. Grayson. He was…. Um… He was taken." The man paused. "Mr. Grayson and three other children. Two boys, two girls."
Wally gritted his teeth as he finished his last bite. "I'm going after them. Stay here, keep the rest of the students here. Have someone watch for my teammates. They'll… They'll get all of you out safetly."
And he was off, like the shot out of a gun. –Hey, found the students. They're in the gymnasium.- He thought to the rest of the team as he practically flew through the school.
-If they are, then why are you headed away Wally?- M'gann asked.
-Because I- Wally was cut off as a shot pierced his thoughts. The world stopped as he crashed into the floor, going from 250 to 0 in seconds. He didn't care though, as he popped back up from the floor, head swinging quickly in the direction of the shot.
-Wally, what was that? A gunshot? Hey, where are you- Wally blocked M'gann's thoughts from his head as he rushed in the direction the shot had come from.
No! No, no, no, no, no! He can't start killing them already! I have to-
Another shot. Another dead kid. Dammit, dammit, dammit! God, he wished Rob were here. Then, not only would he be safe, but the little bird could explain to his speedster boyfriend the exact probability of a coin landing on tails four times in a row. It Probably had something to do with their chemical makeup, with the metals used within-
It'd been too long. One kid had to be safe. Maybe. Or maybe, blessedly, Two-Face was taking his sweet time. He was so close. Almost there. Just a few seconds-
God damn it, couldn't these feet of his go any faster?
He burst through the door to the auditorium, a shot ringing in his ears, preceding his arrival by a mere breath. And for once, time slowed to a crawl for the speedster.
Two-Face raised the pistol to his lips, blowing the smoke from the discharge away and turning slowly to face Wally. Behind him, a crony let go of the student he'd been holding still. Wally's breaking heart was met with cold, lifeless, beautiful blue eyes as Dick Grayson's dead body tipped to the side and flopped gracelessly onto the stage.
Two-Face turned his eyes on the speedster before him, even as a strangled sound left Wally's lips. "Ah. I was wondering when you were going to get here, West." The man was absently flipping his coin, the one that had decided Dick's fate. He stepped away from the pooling blood from the wound in the boy's head, keeping his eyes on the other teen, making sure he wasn't to try anything. But Wally was trapped. He was trapped in those eyes, those two pools of endless blue, staring out at him from the raised floor of the stage.
"It's a sad thing, seeing the one you love die. And knowing it is all your fault. You know that, right West? You realize just who drugged you that night?" The man chuckled wickedly, the scarred side of his face twisting when he sneered. "You lose West. Little Robin trusted you with his identity, but it seems he trusted the wrong person!" Wally glanced at Two-Face, but there was no snarky comment on his lips. No response at all, just pain. He could only fall to his knees, the tears already flowing from his cheeks. Two-Face rolled his eyes. "Pathetic." He looked at the rest of his troupe in the room, and motioned toward the outer stage door with his pistol.
One flip of the coin, and Two-Face began following the villains out himself. "You're very lucky the coin was gracious to you this afternoon, West. Or, unlucky, depending on how you look at it. Seems you'll be waiting a bit longer to rejoin that boyfriend of yours." Wally's breaths came in pained gasps, every one hurting him and straining the hole in his chest. Two-Face shook his head, and left. Wally himself had barely registered the man's presence, except for his words. And every one had been like a knife to the heart. Or, at least what was left of his.
Finally, when Two-Face and his henchmen were long gone, Wally stood on shaking legs. He limped his way over, his normally highly trusted appendages barely carrying him. He mounted the stage and made his way to the body, only to crash to his knees again. Thank God the only saved kid had passed out. Right now… Wally West didn't care about secret identities.
He pulled his hood off his head, and let that head fall onto Dick's chest. He didn't want to watch the blood pool from the head wound. Didn't want to see those dead eyes staring out over the invisible, macabre audience.
He leaned back, another horrid sound ripping from his throat. He pulled Dick from the ground and nestled the boy's head in the crook of his own neck, the place Robin had always left his head when they had cuddled. He ignored the stickiness in the raven hair as he ran his fingers through it, ignored the deep red that slicked his palms and uniform.
"Dick… Dick… It'll be alright. O-Okay? Everything'l be fi-fine. You'll see. You're just… Y-You're just…" He broke down again, rocking the limp body in his lap. His whole body was numb; the only places with even the tiniest feeling being the blood-coated hand still clutching and stroking at the boy's hair, and the arm wrapped around Dick Grayson's slim waist.
It wasn't fair that those arms, those perfectly pale and amazingly graceful arms, wouldn't ever wrap around his neck again. That those now-grey lips wouldn't ever again quirk into the Boy Wonder's trademark grin. That he would never feel another joule of heat from that small body.
Footsteps approached him, and a hand touched his shoulder. He ripped away from the brief comfort, wanting to be alone with his pain and heartbreak. He curled up defensively around the corpse. He wasn't about to let anyone take it either.
"Wally… Wally, come on…" That was M'gann's voice, utterly confused. But the speedster barely acknowledged her presence, simply shaking his head quickly.
"Wally…" Artemis began, but her voice stopped midway through her thoughts. It was blatantly obvious to her, and everyone else, that Wally wasn't going to be letting that body go any time soon.
Wally shook his head again, harder. "No! No, he's not gone! He can't be! He can't… Can't leave me…" The team around him shared a look. More and more puzzle pieces were falling into place. Every one of them was quickly connecting Wally's utter anguish over billionaire Dick Grayson to his absolute adoration of his beloved boyfriend, Robin. They weren't stupid, after all. M'gann tried to touch Wally again but he pulled away, standing and cradling Dick's body against his chest.
Sniffling, the speedster began to walk slowly out of the room. The rest of the team followed in silence, Kaldur cradling the unconscious girl, and Connor carrying both of the other dead bodies.
"The League on it's way?" Wally asked, looking backwards at their leader. Kaldur nodded solemnly; he'd called them shortly after getting to the gym, and before running after Wally and the gunfire.
"Good." Wally replied. He meandered through the school, walking out finally into the sunlight. Squinting against it, he spotted the League waiting off to the side, pointedly away from the collection of Gotham Academy civilians. Wally walked over, not caring if the Gothamites noticed his identity or not. He figured that they were too busy watching the bodies Superboy was carrying anyway to care about one red-head in the Kid Flash uniform, and the not-so-popular Dick Grayson. He crossed to Batman, seeing the flinch in his eyes and facial structure as he registered that the corpse in Wally's arms was, indeed, his adopted son.
Wally didn't stop moving until he reached Bats, at which point he collapsed back down on his knees. Fresh tears in his eyes he looked up at the Dark Knight.
"B-Bruce…"
1L
2L
Wally was still numb. So very, very numb. He was sitting on the couch in the Rec Room, straight-backed, not saying a word to anyone and not moving either. That was how his teammates really knew there was something wrong. When Wally West, speedster and annoyance extraordinaire, was silent and still? It was not a good day for him.
Even as the rest of the team prepared to go to Dick Grayson's funeral, Wally just sat there, staring desolately at the screen. M'gann glanced across towards as she smoothed out her black dress. She shared a look with the rest of the team, and blocked her mind from Wally.
-He needs to go, doesn't he? Why doesn't he want to go? Richard was his boyfriend! Out of all of us, he should be the one to want to go…- She looked at them again when no one moved or responded, and rolled her eyes. She moved towards Wally, putting a hand on his should again. "Wally… Robin's funeral is in a few hours… You're… You're going, right?"
Wally turned to her with puffy, red-rimmed emerald ones. He stared at her, blinking. "No, M'gann. I'm not. I… I can't."
M'gann cocked her head to the side. "Why Wally? Don't you… Still love him?"
Those red-rimmed eyes narrowed at her. "Is there a question? Of course I fucking love him. He was my whole life." The eyes fell back to his lap. His empty lap. The one that would never be filled again.
"Then why don't you go?" Artemis asked, stepping forward. She looked at Wally with her hands on her hips. "I'm sick of depressed West! You've been moping around the Mountain for days!"
Wally's head shot back up, and he sighed. "I can't go… Because… It's my fault, okay? I told Two-Face Rob's identity! I told him, after he drugged and kidnapped me!" He stood quickly, rushing past M'gann's hand and Artemis' angry look.
"Let him go." He heard Kaldur say as he ran off. "He needs… Some time alone."
Wally hid in Dick's room, locking the door behind him. He flopped onto the bed, the tears once again falling and his stomach clenching painfully. He hadn't eaten much in the past three days, which was a very long stretch for a speedster. But he'd rather starve to death now and join Dick wherever he was, than eat but live alone.
He raised his head briefly, sniffling lightly, as his nose caught a delicious scent. He followed it to Dick's pillow. It still… It still smelled like him. He wrapped his legs and arms around it, curling around the pillow and burying his face within. It was a mixture of just pure Dick: sweat from training or the most recent mission, some of that fancy, expensive shampoo he used, and the faint, wonderful cologne that Alfred sometimes made the kid use when they went on dates.
His tears stained the pillow. "I'm sorry Dick… It was… My own fault… That night… In the alleyway! I left you! And then… I went and got myself abducted by Two-Face… It was entirely… my… my…" He choked on the rest of his words, gasping.
It was his fault though. Dick had been killed because Wally had known the boy's identity. The very thing Boy Wonder had been worried about when he'd told his speedster boyfriend. Wally was the only person that knew his secret identity outside of Dick's immediate family. And Wally had failed him. Entirely. He'd gotten himself kidnapped, and revealed everything!
He punched the pillow, screaming angrily. That's why he couldn't go to the funeral. He couldn't go because… Because he'd killed him. He'd caused the death of the boy he loved. He couldn't face everyone at the funeral. He couldn't face the team, face Alfred, face Bruce. He couldn't face any of them, knowing that Dick Grayson's death was on his hands.
He curled back around the pillow. "…Dick…" He'd do anything to have him back. Do anything to hear that cackling laugh again. He'd even die just to have back one of Dick's stinging insults. No matter what part of him it was. He just wanted some part of Dick back. Something… Anything…
But that wasn't possible. Because Dick was dead. Dead from a bullet-wound to the head, currently being buried six feet under.
Dick Grayson was dead, and it was Wally West's fault.
1L
2L
The grass crunched under Wally's feet as he walked. The funeral was long over; he'd heard the team return to the Mountain hours ago. Thankfully no one had tried to talk to the speedster, to console him… And he'd been able to sneak out easily enough.
He sighed as he watched the rows upon rows of graves passed him by. Normally, he hated graveyards. He avoided them like the plague. They totally creeped him out, because the scientist part of his mind was running through exactly what was happening to the corpses buried only six feet under on either side of the path he was walking on. Super morbid.
But this… This was Gotham Cemetery. Resting place of Thomas and Martha Wayne, and now… Every member of the famous Flying Graysons.
And that was why he'd come all the way out here, a safe amount of hours later. He couldn't face everyone at the funeral, this was true. But that didn't mean that he wasn't going to come and pay his respects. He still loved Dick with all his heart. That simple fact would never change.
He just wanted it to be private, like their relationship had always been. With no judging looks. Everyone knew they were dating, but…
He came to a stop, simply staring down at the three graves in front of him. To the left, Mary Grayson, and to the right lay John Grayson. And right there, in between his feet, was Richard. 'Loving son and even better friend'. Wally stepped to the side, sliding off of the grave.
As with most graves after a funeral, the ground in front of him was bathed in flowers. And settled inside them all was a picture of Dick, cheeky grin shining out at the world. Wally reached down and turned it around. The last thing he needed was that trademark smirk staring out at him while he paid his dues. It made his heart ache too much.
"Dick… I know you've probably heard this a lot today… But you were a great friend. The very best bro a teenager could ask for. And… And when I finally realized how you felt about me, and I felt about you? It was perfect. You were… All I needed in a partner. My voice of reason. The hand to hold me from rushing off head-strong. The one to cuddle up with me after I just couldn't save everyone…"
He sat down, laying alongside the grave and throwing an arm over it. He rubbed at the fresh dirt.
"Do you remember? After the Failsafe mission? You sat in my lap, and I held you, for like… Hours. We both cried… We hadn't been… dating that long. But that was the first time it really hit us that we could… die. I tried to ignore it. Tried to lighten the mood. But… It was always there. When you were on duty with Bats… Every time you ran off on a mission… But in the end… It was all my doing. If I'd just stayed with you, maybe waited out my boredom, maybe-"
"Two-Face would have just kidnapped him later." A voice replied. Wally jumped up from the grave, startled, until a large hand settled on his shoulder. He found himself staring into the blue eyes of Bruce Wayne.
"Bats, I-"
"Don't, Wallace. Don't apologize. It was not your fault. Two-Face is one of Gotham's most devious villains. He had been planning that for weeks. If it had not been you, then, he would have just grabbed Robin himself and found out his identity from the source."
"But…" Wally shook his head, tears falling again. He wiped at his eyes, sniffling.
And suddenly he found himself surrounded by Bruce's huge arms as the man brought him into a rare hug. Wally blinked for a second, before lowering his face to Bruce's upper chest and sobbing into the suit there.
Bruce patted his back, sighing. "I know Wallace. I loved him too. But you cannot dwell in the past. Richard would not want you too, and you know that."
Wally sniffed and raised his head to look at the man. "But Bruce… I can't… Can't forget-"
"I am not asking you to forget." Bruce held the boy at arm's length, looking at him. "You will never forget him. And neither will I. He would not want us to. No. Remember him. Cherish him even. But do not dwell on things that you cannot change, Wallace. I, of all people, should know how the past can rule you if you let it."
Wally's eyes fell to the ground. He looked down at the grave and he reached down, turning the portrait back around. Bruce stared at him, and he stared at Dick's smiling photo. Finally he knelt, touching the face in the frame tenderly.
"Wherever you are, my little bird… Happy Valentine's Day."
Please review! This is my first death fiction. And I was totally depressed while writing it. : I think I made my beta cry. I apologize GraysonTodd!
Now on to happier things! Like Beauty and The Speedster!