It was days like this Wally really wondered what he was doing everyday.
Unlike other new employees who were baffled to find that some seemed to have tiedied their workspace, he acted as though it had always been like that. Truthfully, after being on a team with an Atlantian, a Martian and more questionable individuals, he was pretty blind to such basic abnormalities.
This unfortunately gave him some unwanted attention. Many of the older employees grew curious about his lack of reaction to the occasional spectacular prank. To him, he would mutter how sloppy an execution was or comment how it was a little lacking.
While he knew that it sent some attention his way, he wasn't aware of exactly whose attention he was getting. That is, until he ran into who he assumed, was whoever was pulling the pranks.
"Don't use Elmers."
"Excuse me?"
"You're applying a thin layer of glue on everything that isn't your prank. And glue makes it all to easy to find your prints. The joke kind of ends when people know whose pulling the prank."
The dark haired man with the Ollie goatee stared at him in disbelief.
"Do I know you?"
"Probably not. But I usually just hide away in the lab until the sun goes down. Can't exactly ruin my incredibly pale nerdy look by basking in the sunlight can I?"
The man smirked many women would swoon at and gave him a once over.
"So what's your name?"
Wally gave his own heart melting grin.
"Names Wally-"
He was interrupted by his phone's alarm alerting him he was going to be late,
"Shoot! Sorry! I've got to go. Can't be late again," he rushed out turning on his heel to get back to the lab. The man had a wild glint in his eyes.
It had been about a week since Blue Beetle had flown and performed his last act of vigilantism. He had taken his time to build his non assuming civilian identity while the city searched for him. He had done his best to remain at arm's length from the Parker's much to the Beetle's delight. For all intents and purposes, he was an average runaway and possibly orphaned child. Though, Peter had been acting a little funny. The scarab wasted no time to express this notice to Jaime.
As it stood, Jaime was the only one in the Queens house with Peter out and his Aunt working. He could hear the scarab whisper how they were wasting time lying on the couch. How they should be getting a new safe house and begin taking action towards the danger that surrounded them in the city. Eradicating the threats.
Jaime groaned and through a pillow over his head.
"Would you please shut up?"
'Negative Jaime Reyes. There are threats in the territory you have placed us in.'
"Sorry, ese. But I don't want to be caught by the police. I hear what they say about those "vigilantes" like Spiderman." I'd rather not be put into that category. They don't treat heroes here, like they do back home," he finished with a sigh. A pang of longing echoed in his heart.
He looked down at his hand. With little thought, he allowed the scarab to stretch his armor over his left arm. After so long with the invasive parasitic back bug, he had finally felt at ease with the armor covering his flesh. It had only taken going to hell and back followed by running as far from home as possible to get there.
He shook his head and forced the scarab to retract the armor. He shoved his hands into his hoodie pocket and walked out the Parker home front door, hoping to blow off some nervous energy the scarab seemed to be emitting.
He spent about two hours walking when he had found trouble in the core of the center of New York City. The super kind of trouble.
There seemed to be a fight, a large man in bulky armor was fighting a group of smaller costumed individuals including the spider he had run into before. A man with a glowing fist, a large African American, a girl in white, the spider and...
Jaime felt his back flare. The armor reacting almost in desperation to cover his skin once he noticed the flying individual. The scarab practically screamed that he was a threat. Well, one of the biggest threats. The energy pulsing around his body, the ability of flight, the beams of energy he used as a weapon... All made the scarab fidget and try to send out the armor. Jaime knew he could keep it at bay, but the scarab wasn't fighting Jaime as hard, as the largest threat, was the large man in bulky armor the flying boy and his comrades were fighting.
Jaime watched as people watched in awe and terror, some screaming and running away. He watched as a car was grabbed the larger man and thrown at the flying man. The man dodged and the vehicle hit a building. The building's structure began to give. Jaime could see people inside the building panicking as rubble began to fall.
It was a split second decision as he took a few steps back into an alley, and allowed the scarab to cover his skin. His back grew the distinctive wings the scarab favored and flew quickly. He passed the distracted individuals and landed beneath the gaping hole. He took a deep breath and allowed the scarab to bulk up their armor.
He raised his arms and held the crumbling building despite the scarab's warnings to destroy the building or leave the humans behind to die. Jaime had a different idea.
"Everyone! Exit the building quickly. I'll hold this up as long as I can but you need to get out!"
There was hesitation from the people in the building. Not a one trusted him. More bricks fell and he groaned feeling more weight was compressing his spine. That seemed to get people moving as they ran out in a frenzied panic. Jaime took deep breathes as he held still to avoid letting go of the rubble and not harm any of the individuals leaving. He didn't know what happened during his hold up of the building. He didn't know how many had got out, or if all the ones in danger made it out, when his scarab screamed at him to move. He didn't have time to question when rubble struck his head, knocking him out and to the ground. The weakened wall collapsed around his armored body.
I feel like I'm going mad. Who else thinks so?