GSOG Chapter 41
"What do we do about this…?" Selina asks. "What if… Slade actually does it? We wouldn't know until it was too late."
"I told Dick I would pull him back if I felt necessary, and this is necessary. He is not going anywhere near Slade. I will inform Vandal of that so he can tell Slade as well." Bruce explains.
"Do you think Vandal will listen?"
"He wants me as part of the Light more than he wants Slade as his agent. He will listen."
"How can you be sure?"
"I have more money and sway in the general public than even Lex Luthor. I believe it's also how they can keep an eye on me, to ensure I'm not communicating with Batman or the League. They believe I'm a sponsor, even though I publicly call Batman a nuisance."
"He is a nuisance." Selina says, crossing her arms, though smiles widely. Bruce smirks and shakes his head a bit.
"Can you go check on the boys for me while I reach out to Vandal?" Bruce asks. Selina nods and steps out of the Study, going up the stairs and down the hall to Jason's room first, but he's not in there. Before she panics, she goes down to Dick's room. Sure enough, Jason's in there, cuddled up to Dick. She sighs with relief, seeing them so adorably cuddled and comfy. She steps up to them, grabbing the blanket and pulling it up them more, tucking them in a bit. Isis jumps out of nowhere and curls up by their legs. Selina smiles softly and scritches around her chin.
"That's my good girl, watching our babies." Selina praises softly. Bruce calls up Vandal, waiting for him to answer.
"What do you need, Mr. Wayne?"
"I need your help with Slade."
"What has he done?" Vandal asks immediately and firmly, as if almost concerned.
"The other day, he pinned Dick to a wall, and I've heard many nasty rumors about him from my connections. Slade is not to be trusted and I want him nowhere near my son." Bruce says.
"If that is what you wish, I will make it so." Vandal states, though there a hint relief in his eyes.
"Thank you. I appreciate it." Bruce states.
-The following Monday, March 7th, 2011-
It's after school for Wally. He's returning home, on the phone with Dick as he walks to his house.
"Ok, I'm about home, I need to get some things and I'll be right there, ok?" Wally explains.
"See you soon, Love. Be safe." Dick farewells. They disconnect and Wally sticks his phone in his pocket and climbs the steps to his front door, but he stops just short. The door is cracked open, his mom never left the door cracked open for him after school… He pushes the door open, it creaks as it swings. There's clutter all over the floor… That's not like his mom at all, she always keeps a tidy house!
"Mom?" Wally calls out. He hears a slam upstairs. He zooms up them and gets to the top, going at normal speed. "Mom?!" He calls out again. He then hears a muffled scream, and a cry. Wally runs down the hall, pushing the door to his room open, seeing his mom sitting in his desk chair, her arms and legs are duct taped, and she's been gagged. She looks up at him, then looks behind him, starting to scream. "Mom!" He shouts, going toward her, but before he can get close, a strong arm wraps around his throat from behind, putting him in a chokehold. Mary screams out for Wally as she struggles against the duct tape, trying to save her baby. The figure holding him uses his other hand to place something cold and metallic against his head.
"I got a message to deliver that I want you to pass along. Tell that pretty lil' boyfriend of yours that 'is uncle T's comin' for 'im." The man says, his breath smells like cigars and beer… A nasty combination. "And jus' so you know we ain't messin' 'round…" A man steps into frame with a knife, grabbing the back of Mary's head by her hair and pulling her head back.
"N-No… Please… I…" Wally chokes out. "I get the message… Don't…" But the man strikes the knife across his mother's throat. Her bright green eyes widen with fear. Color steadily drains from her face. "N-No…! No…" He cries. He yelps out as the man holding him squeezes his neck tighter, cutting off his ability to breathe completely. He passes out within seconds. The man drops him into a crumpled heap. He gasps for breath immediately, waking back up just enough to start coughing. The men grab his arms and drag him into his room. His arms are pinned above him, so they're on the arm of the desk chair and he's duct taped to his mother who's gone limp by now. Some of her blood drips onto Wally's head, which soon starts running down his face. He would throw up if he wasn't so incoherent… He tries to force himself back up, he's a speedster, he's supposed to recover from things like this quicker!
"We killin' the kid's dad?" One of the goons asks.
"Fats' orders, leave the kid alive so he can pass on the message, less witnesses the better." the other says. Wally pretends to pass out, so he can listen to them talk. "I gotta tell ya, feels good bein' in the saddle again."
"You can say that again. Kid unconscious?" The first one asks.
"Yep, not even reactin' to 'is ma's blood drippin' down 'er mouth. Y'know I'da been pukin' if it were Ma." The other says.
"Y'know, Pino, this kid kinda remind me of that little Todd kid. Din'e have red hair one point?"
"Yea, but it grew dark on 'im. Dang, I miss that kid. He had spunk."
"Fats wants 'im too, wants to take 'im back in with the Maronis with lil' Lin, for Lissie's sake 'tilli gets out. Ma Gunn already got rid of Cathy for bein' a lil' snitch."
"Good. Bitch had it comin', puttin' ole Lis behind bars… Can't touch Wayne, but we can get 'is kid."
"Wally?! Mary?!" A voice calls. Shit… The two men hide away, waiting for Rudy to come up. One of them grabs Wally and forces him awake, though he's been awake the entire time.
"Wake up, ginger." The guy says, making him sit up. He grabs a bat off Wally's dresser and smacks his leg with it, hard, causing him to scream out.
"Wally!?" Rudy shouts louder.
"Dad! Go! Call Barry!" Wally shouts. One of them grabs the back of his head, forcing his head back sharply. He winces, gritting his teeth. "Why is this happening…?" Wally thinks as he stares up at the ceiling, seeing his mother's lifeless, grey face just barely in his peripheral.
"Oh god…" He hears his father say.
"Welcome home, Mr. West. You got a minute? 'Course you do!" The one holding Wally's head says, gripping his hair tighter, pulling his head back more, which makes Wally gasp as he tries to breathe.
"I'll give you whatever you want, just let my son go, please!" Rudy begs.
"Oh, no, we don't wan' nothin' from you. We just want a message delivered, and your lil' boy is our messenger. Don't mean we can't rough him up a bit, you best comply, capiche?" He asks.
"I will, I will do anything, please…"
"N-No…" Wally chokes out shakily. "P-Please… Run…"
"That's enough outta you!" The other one says, taking the bat and swinging it into Wally's chest, making him cry out. Rudy just sees red and attacks the one who has the bat, seizing it from him and starts beating him with it. There's a gunshot that practically deafens Wally. He gasps, barely able to see his dad collapse backward, blood spewing from his chest. The guy lets Wally's head go and steps up to Rudy, firing a few more rounds into his body.
"Son of a bitch!" The man shouts. "You good, Berty?"
"Yea, yea, I'm good." The other says, getting up, nursing his head. "We best get outta here, someone'll 'ave reported them gunshots soon."
"Knock out the kid n' let's go!" the first one orders. Wally snaps out of it just enough to see one of them aim for his head with the bat. He closes his eyes, bracing for the hit. He's not quite knocked out but very dazed. He blurrily sees the the two men scramble out of the room, leaving the West family, or what's left of it. Wally tries to rip out of the duct tape, but his brain can't force his body to do anything. This can't be happening… it can't… It has to be a bad dream! Wally gasps out in a sob, then once he starts, he can't stop, crying out in anger, fear, and just overall sadness. He's purely agonized. Tears won't stop falling from his eyes, washing away some of the blood from his lower face. He lifts his head to look at his father's unmoving body, his chest bleeding from several spots. He's probably dead…
"Dad… Please…" Wally softly cries out. "Mom…" It feels like decades before he can hear what sounds like a rush of heavy footsteps. The sound of metal?
"We got one!" A voice says. Wally lifts his head, not realizing he passed out, looking at two officers who've come in, one had fingers placed on his neck. The other is helping to undo the duct tape around his wrists. His body feels too numb to move.
"Easy, kid, we got ya." Another officer says, helping support him. They lay him down flat on the floor of his room.
"Mom…" Wally calls out weakly, reaching for her. "Mommy…" He cries out softly, like a scared little kid, then starts sobbing.
"Talk to us, Wally, what happened?" An officer asks.
"M-Mom… throat… they… slit her throat…" Wally explains, sobbing throughout.
"Who's they?" The other asks.
"I don't know…" Wally answers, another sob escapes. The house is given the all clear, allowing paramedics in. They're trying not to disturb too much as it is an active crime scene. The moment they try to move Wally, he cries out in pain, his chest lighting up as if burning from the inside out, his leg isn't much better. They carry him out in a stretcher and place him on a gurney once outside, rolling him up to the ambulance to check his body functions. The blood isn't his thankfully… But there does seem to be broken bones in his chest and possibly his leg too given the size of the bruise.
When he got the call to investigate a crime scene, Barry steeled himself, readying to see dead bodies and lots of blood. But when he learns where the crime scene is, he feels like everything's slowed down for once. He couldn't leave his lab quickly enough, getting there as quickly as possible as a civilian.
"Not late for once, Allen?" One officer teases. Barry comes through without acknowledging his jabs.
"Hey, lay off." Another officer says. "Don't you know they're family?"
"Oh shit, right…" Barry sees the ambulance, and a familiar teen lying on a gurney, being checked over.
"Wall…" Barry mutters. He runs over to him quickly, without super-speed though. "Oh my god…" Wally looks weakly over at his uncle.
"They're gone…" Wally says. "M-mom… Dad… M…" he sniffles. "M sorry… I failed them…" his voice cracks.
"Shh, don't talk like that…" Barry says softly, taking his hand. "It's not your fault." Though Barry can barely keep his voice straight too. "Please, don't blame yourself…" He gives his hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll be right back, ok?"
Back in Gotham, Dick sees the time and knows Wally can be late sometimes, but it's not like him to be this late. Dick has this sinking feeling, and nausea in his belly. Something must've happened… Dick has tried texting him with no answer, then tries calling him, no answer. Worry turns to fear and he heads down to the Batcave, messaging Bruce real quick that he's going to Central from the Bat-cave's Zeta-tube. He then sets the coordinates and enters, beaming over to Central City. Once he's there, he exits the Zeta teleporter that's hiding in plain sight, and then starts running toward Wally's house.
He gets there, only to see a big crowd massed outside what should be his house. Cop cars are everywhere… Dick's mouth gaps in terror. Please no, say nothing happened to Wally! He runs forward, weaving through the crowd, thankfully he's small, and he gets through, ducking under the line.
"Hey! You can't be here!" An officer shouts. Dick ignores him, going to Wally as he lies in a gurney. Barry is beside him.
"Wally!" Dick shouts to him, coming up to him. Barry turns and sees the young teen, relieved he's here, that he can be with Wally while he investigates. "Are you hurt?!" Wally turns his head to look at him, tears running down his cheeks. Barry pats Wally's shoulder, indicating he's heading in. "Talk to me, please…"
"I failed them…" Wally says softly. "I… I failed my parents… They're dead… I wasn't strong enough…"
"Oh, Wall…" Dick speaks softly. He reaches a hand up to his cheek. "It's not your fault." He turns his head, making him look at him. "I know how easy it is to blame yourself, you want to find blame in yourself so someone can be accountable for what happened, but you're not to blame. Whoever did this, they're the killer, they're the one who did this…"
"They… left me alive… on purpose… They wanted me to tell you something…" Wally explains, looking weakly into Dick's eyes. "S-Someone named Uncle T i-is coming for you… You… nd Jason… And Mel… All of you…" Dick's mouth gaps a bit, he can piece together immediately what he's talking about. "It's Zucco… isn't it…?" Dick's mouth shuts, his eyes narrow.
"I think so…" Dick says softly. "I'm… So sorry…"
"It's not your fault too… If… I can't blame myself, you… can't blame yourself either… got it…?" Wally says, trying to sound firm, but he's so weak. Dick nods though, understanding. Dick leans in, kissing him, hoping to help perk him up a bit, and to show relief that he's alive at least. Though he's heartbroken over Mary and Rudy's death. Dick separates from him after a moment, but presses his forehead to his.
"I'll stay by you, ok? I'll be right here for you." Dick says.
"Thank you… I… I don't wanna be alone…" Wally says softly, another sob breaks from his throat. Like before, once it starts, it doesn't stop. Dick hugs him carefully, unsure of his injuries. He just holds him, letting Wally cry. Wally lightly grips onto him, trembling. Dick starts singing the lullaby his mother would sing to him as a child, running a hand through his hair, at least what's not covered in blood.
After some time, and some questioning from Police, Wally is taken to the hospital, Dick obviously rides with him, staying by his side the entire time until he has to be taken in for x-rays and tests. Dick waits in the waiting room, going in a circle around the line of chairs while fidgeting his fingers, waiting for news. Iris arrives at the hospital and was directed on where to go. Dick looks up at her when she comes in. He runs up to her, hugging her. She hugs him back, very tight.
"How is he?"
"They just took him back for x-rays. But otherwise, he's traumatized… He watched them die…" Dick explains. He separates from her, looking up at her. "How's Barry holding up?"
"He's still investigating the scene last I heard, but I'm sure once work mode switches off, he'll be a sobbing mess…" She explains, tears fall from her eyes as she talks. She quickly wipes them away.
"I'm sorry for your loss… I… Can't imagine what it's like… Do you need anything?" Dick asks, brows knit in concern.
"No, sweetie, I'll be fine." She assures, patting his head a little. Dick nods, though he still worries. She takes a seat while she waits. Dick checks his phone to see if Bruce got his message.
D: Code H-TZ, KF.
B: OMW
D: H dt C, G.
Dick puts his phone away, then sets his watch so Bruce can track him, in case he needs help finding the way. He then resumes his pacing, nibbling his nails while he waits impatiently.
"Do you have ADHD?" Iris asks curiously as Dick passes by. He takes his nails out of his mouth quick enough to answer.
"Yep." Dick answers, then goes back to biting.
"I thought so, Wally tends to do the same thing." She mentions.
"I also have anxiety, and depression, so just a trifecta of what the frick is going on in my brain." Dick states, going back to biting again. The door opens and a doctor steps out. Iris stands. Dick stops his pacing and comes running over, hopping the chairs to get there faster. Iris makes it to the doctor first, though obviously it's not a race.
"Friend." She gestures to Dick, then Iris. "Aunt." Iris nods.
"Boyfriend." Dick corrects, a little spastically really, mostly just impatient nerves.
"Alright, come with me." She says and leads them to a quiet room. She turns on the light screen and places the x-rays up. "So, we have several cracked, bruised ribs, but thankfully none are fully broken. Even more, none punctured his lungs." She explains, pointing to the spots with the back of her pen to emphasize. "Thankfully his skull is fine, I don't think they hit it hard enough to break anything, but he does have a concussion. Now his leg, you can see the fibula broke in two places, leaving a chunk right here, we call that a segmental fracture. The tibia is cracked, but that should be fine. We'll have to operate to fix the bone back into place, though he should still be able to make a full recovery."
"That's a relief." Iris says.
"When can we see him?" Dick asks.
"He's a little out of it right now, but I can still bring you to him." The doctor says. She brings them to Wally, he's staring off blankly. Dick lets Iris approach first, they're family, and she hasn't seen him yet. Wally's been cleaned up, but there is still some blood staining his hair.
"Wally…?" Iris starts. She grabs a chair and moves it so it's beside the bed. She takes a seat, looking at him. "How're you feeling, baby?" Wally turns his head to look at her. He doesn't say anything, just looks at her. She brings a hand up to his head, brushing the hair out of his face. He leans into her touch, gasping out and closes his eyes, starting to cry, sobbing softly. Iris climbs onto the bed now and hugs him carefully. He hugs her back, shoulders trembling. Dick watches them mournfully. The road ahead for Wally isn't going to be easy, but he won't be alone. Dick will make sure of it.
Later, after undergoing surgery, Wally is asleep, having been given a sedative so he can rest. Dick is by his side while Barry and Iris get everything set with custody paperwork and ensuring that the guest room is ready for him. There is also a Will that Rudy had made, life insurance policies on both him and Mary that are to be paid out in a specific manner. They're pretty significant policies too. As well as any other forms of wealth which mostly goes to Wally, with some going to Iris and Barry. But the official Will reading will be held another day.
Dick holds Wally's hand while he sleeps in the hospital bed. He's considered at-risk of self-harm, so he's to be constantly monitored. There's a gentle knock on the door. Dick looks up, Bruce enters the room, stepping forward.
"How is he?"
"Traumatized…" Dick says softly. "And… It's possible that Zucco is responsible…"
"What makes you say that?" Bruce asks, very concerned.
"He said that uncle T is coming for me, Jason, and Melinda." Dick explains. "The attacker left him alive just so he could deliver me that message…" Dick bows his head. "I should never have gotten close to him… Or anyone… I should have just closed myself off… So… So that no one would be hurt…" Dick's voice cracks. He closes his eyes. "Now the love of my life is experiencing one of the worst things someone can go through, watching those you love die…"
"It's not your fault, Dick. And I'm sure Wally doesn't blame you either. Besides, you can't prevent everything. Bad things happen regardless of how close you are to someone. I realized not that long ago that it's better to have formed those bonds than to never had had them." Bruce explains. He steps over so he's by Dick's side, placing his hands on his shoulders. "You helped me realize that. Even though I fear every day that I could lose you, it just means that I love you. And that love is worth everything to me." Dick nods a bit. "Wally is worth that risk, right?"
"I love him so much…" Dick says softly. "He's everything to me… and seeing him suffer hurts, but… I refuse to abandon him. I'll do everything I can to be there for him, even if all I can do is be there. I'm too in love to back off, and I'm too selfish to let him go…"
"I don't think he'd let you anyway. Not for his sake. For yours, maybe, but I know he loves you as much as you love him. Which is why I haven't gone all papa bear on him." Bruce comments, smiling a little, giving Dick's shoulders a gentle, affirming squeeze. His little joke makes Dick smile a bit, then it drops, he opens his eyes, looking at Wally. He looks so peaceful while he's asleep.