MASK OR MENACE IC INBOX

[runningstart]

WALLY WEST
"You've reached the personal voice mail of the Wall-man. The honor is yours! Leave your deets, I'll holla back atcha."
[ BEEP. ]

KID FLASH
"This is the contact for Kid Flash. If it's an emergency, call Robin; he'll know where I am. Otherwise, leave your info and I'll get you back ASAP."
[ BEEP. ]


[ voice | text | email | action ]

( Please specify in tag subject line if the contact is for Wally West or Kid Flash! )

Comments

[runningstart]

Dammit, I knew that too. I hate it when it's something easy to find. [Wally starts erasing his work, leaning back in his chair and glancing out of the corner of his eye.]

So. Got anything you wanna ask? Or say?

[runningstart]

uh absolutely i can

i can get at least robin bart beast boy and gogo to do it

do u know anybody besides them crime fighting

[performance]

A lot. But I should probably start with I'm sorry. I mean... I know you've been dealing with a lot. And... I can't imagine how hard it's been.

[ He shifts closer, still balanced on the arm of the chair, but rests a hand on Wally's far shoulder. A token of goodwill, or... Something. ]

I'm not good at not knowing things. At... not being Batman. So I guess you were right about me. You're right about me a lot. But dude, I don't want that to get in the way of us. I want to make that absolutely clear right now. Okay?

[runningstart]

[A knot rises up in Wally's throat and he curls a hand into a fist atop his worksheet. It's too quiet in the lab, gives him too much room to think and that's all he's been doing in here for weeks: sitting and thinking and spinning his wheels.

There's just a second of hesitation before Wally leans his head against Robin's side.]

I...

Okay. Yeah. [He tries to swallow. It doesn't work well. The words aren't coming the way he wants them to, it's taking too long.] Same here.

[performance]

Look, Wally, I...

[ Dick exhales slowly, squeezing Wally's shoulder. He's been thinking a lot, too. Not all of it productive, and an awful lot of it scared and self-pitying, but... his thoughts are a little more in order, at least. And not seeing Wally every day has made his priorities clear. ]

... you weren't wrong. About me fixating on the problem, I mean. And I kind of get it, I think— that you didn't want me to look at you differently, or for things to change for you and me. Am I on the right track here?

[runningstart]

No- I mean. It's part of it. Not the main part. [That goddamn knot is still there, he still can't swallow around it. It hurts. How is he supposed to get the words out like this? Why can he just talk about his death like it's no big deal with Laurie, with Trickster and the Shade?

...shit. He knows why.

His pencil creaks when his fist tightens.]

It's just not fair.

[performance]

[ Dick frowns, a little crease forming between his brows. Are they still talking about him? Them? Or just the fact that Wally has five years left, back home, and there might be nothing either of them can do about it? Or does the what even matter, when— ]

None of it's fair.

[ He pulls Wally closer against his side, like maybe if he can just hang onto him, that'll be enough. Maybe he can protect him from the world with nothing but determination and the sure, solid knowledge that he has to keep Wally here, safe, with him. ]

[runningstart]

[He'd meant Robin...but maybe he'd meant all of it, too. He's so tired of all of all of this.

Wally just leans against Robin's side and lets himself be held, closing his eyes and trying to collect himself before he does something stupid. Seems like he's been doing that a lot lately. That, or failing at it completely.]

...anyway. I can tell you all the stuff I know now, if you want.

[performance]

You don't have to. Not now. We can do the info dumping thing later.

[ He bites his lip again, silent for a moment, before finally letting himself ask... ]

Have you really talked to anyone? Or just... told them? I mean... I guess I'm asking... are you scared, too?

[runningstart]

[Are you scared?

Wally looks down at his hands and sees them shaking. He curls his fingers into fists, reassures himself that they're still there, he's not disappearing. The swear-in had been...hard.]

The people I told on purpose, I...mostly told because I had to. Because I wanted to see if they knew anything that could help. With finding an answer, not...

[This time Wally manages to swallow.] I didn't tell anyone I thought would care all that much.

[performance]

[ It isn't as reassuring as he'd hoped it would be, when he was feeling more bitter about the whole thing. All it means is that Wally's been alone in this, in all the ways that really matter. He hadn't had Dick, but he hadn't had anyone else, either. ]

Why not? Wally, you deserved— I don't know, something.

[runningstart]

Dick, [Wally sighs, pulling back far enough so he can look up at Robin,] I didn't want the people who would care to know. I wish Bart didn't know, I wish Jaime didn't know. I dunno what the something you think I should've had is supposed to be but if it's all my friends and family knowing this, then I don't want it.

[performance]

Dude...

[ Dick gets it, he does, but at the same time, it's frustrating. Is this how it feels being on the other side of what he does? He's starting to understand why he gets shouted at for it, now. ]

... Don't be me, okay? It's lonely.

[khajidont]

[...DOES THIS MEAN HE AND ROBIN AREN'T FIGHTING ANYMORE? Inquiring minds want to know! Do you usually tell people you're fighting with to go out in a beautiful blond wig?]

Well I mean there's flash, gl, superman, etc. but those guys probably won't be good for it. I basically only know one other person and I just finished lecturing them about how serious this thing is

I feel like telling him to go out in a wig would be sending mixed messages

[runningstart]

This- It's not the same. It's not the same at all. Like- if you had cancer, and all the doctors said you had five years left to live unless some miraculous cancer cure came around, would you jump up to tell anybody you ever loved that you were gonna die? Or would you look for a cure?

[Reasonably, most people would at least the first, possibly attempt the second. Wally is the type of person who throws himself whole hog at the second one. Solve his own problems and all that.]

[performance]

... Are you asking what I'd do, or what someone should do?

[runningstart]

jaime ur screwing up my prank with ur need to be responsible
and also a lone wolf

isnt blue the second his buddy do u think u could get HIM to do this

[khajidont]

I don't know why you keep calling me a lone wolf when I patrol with two people!

[khajidont]

Ted never did patrols and

Well it looks like he's been ported out.

[Back to being dead. Bye bye, buddy.]

[runningstart]

Uh. Not what you'd do. Or what someone should do- Okay look. [this again] I'm just- Okay, maybe the answer is tell your friends and family and look for a cure but I just-

We've established that it's really, really hard to tell someone something like this, right?

[performance]

And it's hard to hear it. But... don't you think maybe the right thing to do is to trust your friends and family enough to let them help you look for a cure? Or at least...

[ He hesitates, a sick, swimming feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. ]

... it's just it sounds like it happens fast, and no one gets to— to say anything, and... people end up with a lot of regrets that way. Things they didn't do or say or... you know.

[runningstart]

aw dude really

im sorry man
you okay?

[runningstart]

[Wally gets that cold elevator-drop feeling in his stomach when Robin starts on that, the happens so fast and a lot of regrets and Wally takes too long but he's half out of his folding chair, one hand gripping the backrest tight and the other clapping over Robin's mouth on the tail end of you kn- before he can finish.

He knew it. He goddamn knew it. He's practically already dead.]

Don't even start, [Wally manages, his voice is shaking. And he looks angry but his eyes are like a prey animal's as it drags itself away from a predator: desperate and wounded but still fighting by some instinct it doesn't even understand.] Do not start. Not you.

[performance]

Mm—

[ Robin's too startled to do anything but stare for a moment, his heart pounding in his ears as his eyes lock onto Wally's. He doesn't move, doesn't breathe, doesn't even blink. Everything feels very cold, suddenly — the back of his neck prickles, and goosebumps stand out on his arms.

So that's it. Wally is afraid.

Robin pulls away from his hand, finally, slow rather than jerking back. ]

I'm sorry, [ he says, measured and quiet and careful. ] I... shouldn't think like that.

[khajidont]

Yeah it's okay.

[WELL, HE'S DEAD, BUT...]

Well it's not but you know what I mean. It hasn't been very long so he might wind up coming back. You can never be sure until at least a couple weeks pass