runningstart | MASK OR MENACE IC INBOX

[The air goes from tense to uncomfortable and it's pretty clear that Bart really doesn't know, so Wally shrugs and fishes out his wallet to flip through the bills inside. Okay, he's good.]

There's a good place nearby, makes southern stuff. Baked macaroni, fried chicken, honey biscuits. I'll get you something from there, is that good?

Yeah- [You're not crazy.] Yeah, dude, that's totally what happened. Kaldur and Artemis- they must've faked it. Maybe- maybe something's going on- what else did Bart say about Kaldur? [If you're crazy, we both are.]

r u secretly a puppy

... That he lost someone. That his dad's Black Manta, part of the Light. That that was enough to push him over the edge.

But, dude, you don't think that's true, do you? I mean, I know family's family, but— if it was Bruce— e-even if it was my real dad— [ impossible and insane and laughable as that is ]

He wouldn't. He just... there's no way. He's Kaldur.

we do have a lot of things in common

i am adorable and attract many babes

]Artemis rolls her eyes.]

You do remember I was there, right? I know what it looked like. Why do you think I was so freaked out?

do u also get poop stuck to ur butt

Exactly. He's Kaldur. [Hearing that- about his dad, it's...maybe it would've been a blow, before Artemis. But now it's all just parts of a whole, pieces of a sum. And that sum would never, ever kill a teammate. He'd die first.]

He's the best of all of us. He'd never kill any of us, not Artemis, not you or me or anyone. There's gotta be something going on, some kind of plan or...or something. He just wouldn't.

He wouldn't. Exactly. Exactly.

[ His fists clutch the pillow, his head bowing low. ]

... If it's true, I'm done. I can't— I can't lead a team where we're turning on each other. Where we can't trust each other. I don't want a team without Kaldur, or Artemis, or you.

There has to be another answer.

Yeah. [He both looks and sounds relieved that Wally's offering something instead of letting Bart choose. Because, honestly? He doesn't even feel hungry. Even though he knows he should be.

He's falling back on old habits.] Yeah that sounds crash. I can uh- [He gestures vaguely to the room around him.] I'll take care of this didn't think anyone was coming by everyone's just been calling or texting.

If you want. I'm fine with it. [Wally rests a hand atop Bart's head for just a second before heading for the door. It's only after he's left that he realizes that Barry would do that to him to reassure him.

Whatever.

Wally feels like he's been spending the last week lost in thought, so as he runs to the Porter and then the restaurant he allows his mind to go comfortably blank. He calls ahead with his order, sits down in the waiting area and taps his toes against the tile. It was raining earlier, so his boots leave little wet, dirty patterns wherever he steps. A song gets stuck in his head and he can't get it out, so he doesn't hear his name the first time it's called. He collects, pays, steps outside and looks up; clouds still cover the sun so he can't blame the sunlight for the fact that all of a sudden, the feeling needle-sharp, his eyes tear up.

He gasps, grits his teeth and shoves his fist against his mouth, head bowed until he can manage to stop shaking. An elderly couple exiting the restaurant ask if he's okay, if he needs a ride somewhere and the homesickness that caused the tears in the first place wells back up and he has to wave them away before he darts down the street to find somewhere quiet to breathe and reign himself back in. He's okay. I'm okay, I'm okay. M'okay.

He's back at Bart's fifteen minutes later, spoils in hand and two sodas he'd picked up at the convenience store on the way.]

You're gonna love this stuff. I tried their baked mac n' cheese a couple weeks ago when we were scouting our new place, and I think I've dropped maybe fifty dollars on the stuff alone since then. [He sets the bag on the floor and starts unpacking.]

Edited 2014-09-08 17:43 (UTC)

I dunno. I just don't get why you think we'd turn on you, just because of who your dad is. You're not your family, y'know?

only when im in a hurry

[She shrugs. It's hard for her to explain, especially now that she knows she was wrong.]

That's what Robin said. Of course, he knew the whole time...

Dude, [Wally murmurs, and wraps an arm around Robin's shoulders from behind, resting his forehead against the back of his head. It hadn't really occurred to him- he hadn't really heard much about it, but of course Rob would be the one leading the team in the absence of Kaldur. And if all of that was happening while he was in charge-

Jesus, Robin takes enough blame onto himself without actually being the one in charge. If Artemis- But she's not, she's not, because Kaldur would never.]

It's okay. It's okay, dude. She's not gonna die, Kaldur's not gonna go bad. We'll figure this out.

[ Dick's breath hitches, just once, and he hates it. He's so, so good at keeping it together, and maybe part of that is the fact that he tries to be the one looking after everyone, making sure they're all right, and it doesn't give him any time for himself. No time for anyone to ask him how he's doing.

He likes it that way. Most of the time. Because god, if Artemis is the one who just got the news of her death, if she's not responding to his messages anymore, isn't it awful that he's the one being comforted?

And why does something as simple as a hug make his eyes sting like this?

He's not gonna let himself break down. It's a heavy weight, but he has to carry it. It's not about him. It's about the team. He squeezes his eyes shut tight, so incredibly glad it's dark. So glad Wally's here. So glad all his friends, who he's come to care about so, so much, are, at least for the moment, safe and whole. ]

Yeah. I know. I'm okay.

He did- [Wally groans and rubs his face.] Of course he did...

But he's right. You're not.

[When Wally leaves, Bart's left just standing there in the middle of the room for a good minute. A minute of nothing but staying still and staring at the empty space in front of him, his brow furrowed and a frown pulling at his lips.

He doesn't understand his cousin, sometimes. But considering how even so simple a conversation and offer has made him feel lighter than he has in days, now... maybe that's not such a bad thing.

It takes another five minutes for Bart to really get moving, to have him stop just nudging at the mess on the floor with his foot and staring sullenly down at it. Takes him way too long to fall into superspeed and really move, shoving all the junk in the closet and even leaving to get new sheets, to bring back a semblance of normalcy to his room. Even if it just leaves it looking blank.

Like it's more of a hotel room than a living space.

He's sitting on the bed when Wally gets back, one knee up and his chin resting on it, face blank and still a little tired as he flips through wherever on the internet he'd ended up. But just the smell of food is enough to have a bit of energy returning. To have Bart up and zipping over just a few steps after Wally comes through the door, peering over Wally's left shoulder, his right, crouching next to the bag, settling back on the bed with a swiped take-out bowl of the stuff with a bit of a bounce all within a few seconds.]

It smells crash. [A small but heartfelt grin spreads across his face] Thanks, cuz.

[Robin's too quiet and when he speaks again his voice sounds too old, too mature for just fourteen and Wally thinks dimly, that's just a year older than Bart.

His arm around Robin's shoulder tightens and he presses his cheek against Robin's hair, at the crown of his head.]

It's okay if you're not for a while.

I won't tell anybody.

Someone has to be. Might as well be me.

[ But he leans selfishly back against Wally anyway. Wally, who's been through so much here, too. Wally, who's still looking out for him, even through everything he's had to deal with. Dick can't imagine the team without him. Can't imagine doing this without him. ]

... Can I stay in here tonight?

Yup. [Wally flings one of the plastic wrapped utensil sets at Bart once he's keeled himself again -Bart's 'at rest' speed is like Wally's 'pushing his limits' speed, geez- and sits down nearby on the floor, pulling out the box of fried chicken. The great thing about eating with another speedster is that they don't expect you to keep up a conversation; the only sounds in the room are Bart and Wally stuffing their faces and occasionally passing food to each other.

It takes a lot of self control for Wally to not just eat everything, but looking around Bart's spartan bedroom and the pile of blankets in the corner helps. He keeps shoving dishes at his cousin -try this, try this one, eat the veggies no I swear they're awesome- and eating the spares. Food doesn't always make Wally feel better but it sure as hell doesn't ever make him feel worse, and he's hoping the same is for Bart because Wally's never been responsible for anyone other than himself so he's not entirely sure what to do.

He looks a little more lively, and he used his speed so Wally's sure he's at least somewhat better than he was when Wally first arrived. Once the majority of the food has been decimated and Bart's moved on to systematically destroying the honeyed biscuits one by one, Wally pushes himself up and dusts his jeans off.]

So, like you said, you're probably not sick. You're probably just stressed out and tired. If you gotta stay indoors and avoid people for a while, you do that. But give me a call once in a while, reassure me you're not dead under the floorboards or something. Okay?

Don't even have to ask, dude. [Wally squeezes Robin when he leans back against him, closing his eyes and trying not to think about it. Aqualad, Artemis, no, no. It's just insane. It's not true.

It's not true.]

[ Dick turns around, wrapping his arms around Wally and squeezing him back just as tight, because if one of them's getting a hug then both of them should. Wally, who must be so homesick. ]

We're gonna get through this. Everyone's gonna be all right. Artemis, Kaldur, your uncle — everyone. It's not gonna happen. None of us would let it.

[ He doesn't know if he believes in a higher power, doesn't know if he has faith or just wishes he had it — but he knows he believes in his friends. And he knows how far they'd go for each other. He lets out a breath, fists tight against Wally's back. ]

It's only been a few months, and look at us. Five years, and we'll be unbreakable.

that explains the smell

Yeah, I know... I just didn't think you guys would get it, I guess. And by the time I thought I could tell you, I was already in too deep. Then Red Arrow started the whole witch hunt for the mole...

[She feels a twinge of guilt. Roy had it much worse, in the end. She never thought she'd feel bad for him after his constant campaign against her, Superboy, and M'gann, but she does. She's not a monster and he couldn't help what he did.]

Edited 2014-09-09 03:46 (UTC)

MASK OR MENACE IC INBOX

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