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

text/action

[runningstart]

whatever

im in my room

[Specifically he's retrieving the few items that identify Robin as Dick from his own bedroom and placing them back in Robin's room. He's still in his uniform, still smells like old sweat and despite the bags under his eyes that prove he really hasn't slept at all, he's still moving with plenty of energy.]

[performance]

[ Robin had been ported back here on the way back from the mission in Europe, still in his uniform, and that's how he's arriving, climbing in through Wally's window with all the finesse of a much smaller Batman.

He'd been gone for four months. Four months and he hadn't remembered this place at all. But when he arrived at the Porter for the second time, everything about this place that he'd somehow forgotten came flooding back to him at once— and barely over 24 hours had passed.

He'd missed his best friend on the mission, but it's a little bit hard to remember that now— or it is until he sees how awful Wally looks, all the signs of stress and worry on his face, and— and okay, he's still mad, but he feels guilty, too. ]

... You really haven't slept.

[runningstart]

Yeah. Wasn't exaggerating. [Wally sighs and sits down on his bed, finally pulling off his goggles and slipping the hood off of his uniform.]

Okay, go ahead. You need to yell at me.

[performance]

[ Dick's brow furrows and he paces in front of Wally's bed a few times before he stops and looks over at him. ]

No. I need to know how much damage control I have to do.

[runningstart]

[Wally scowls.]

Damage control, seriously?

[performance]

Does anyone know anything?

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No.

[Wally is very unhappy with the way Robin's voice has taken on that clipped Batman tone. He'll let it go for now, because he knows he screwed up somewhat.]

Artemis knows that Robin lives in house #28, but she doesn't know I live here and she doesn't know that Dick Grayson lives here. And she's the only one.

[performance]

[ He lets out a slow breath, forcing himself to relax. Okay. That's... not good, it'd be way too easy for her to find out more, but— but she probably won't look into it. He has faith in that. ]

You didn't tell anyone else I was gone?

[runningstart]

...a few other people.

[performance]

[ Robin stays quiet. If you give people silence, Batman taught him, they'll almost always fill it.

The fact that he's treating this like an interrogation hasn't occurred to him. ]

[runningstart]

[UGH]

Power Girl. Jaime, but I'm pretty sure he's one of us. Obviously the Shade.

[performance]

And that's everyone?

[runningstart]

What is this, a debrief with Bats? Yes, that's everyone. I'm not out to wreck your life dude, I was trying to find my best friend.

[performance]

[ Robin balks at the comment, recoiling a little. Had he really sounded like— ]

... Sorry.

[runningstart]

[Wally lets out a loud breath and tilts his head back, hands over his face.]

...this is probably not gonna sound so good, but I was a lot more worried about finding you than I was about people finding you out. I was still careful, like as careful as I could be, but like...dude.

You're more important than your secret ID. You know that, right?

[performance]

[ He's not sure he believes that — not with everything else that rests on it. But... Wally's clearly been through a lot, and arguing the point won't do anything but make his friend feel worse.

He sighs, leaning against Wally's dresser. ]

... It's okay. That didn't sound bad.

[runningstart]

...anyway. I took anything out of your room that could've looked like it belonged to Dick Grayson before I let Artemis in, so all she's got is the location. [Which could be enough.] And I called your work and told them you were crazy sick so they wouldn't fire you.

[performance]

[ The whole "sounding like Batman" thing drained most of the anger and panic out of Robin, leaving him without much but guilt and a strong sense of disorientation. For all that it could have been a complete disaster, he's grateful, he supposes, that Wally went through all the trouble of looking for him and still managed to keep his ID a secret. Most people wouldn't have been able to do that. ]

You thought of everything, huh?

[runningstart]

[Wally rubs his eyes and shrugs uneasily. Now that he's seen Dick alive and well and whole, he's feeling fucking exhausted. He should sleep. ...except Power Girl is still missing.]

What happened to you, anyway? Obviously not the same thing that happened to me.

[performance]

I went home.

[ He pauses, wondering if Wally's going to believe him or if this will be another thing he has to fight. ]

... for four months.

[runningstart]

[Wally groans and drops his head into his hands.]

I'm to tired to try and tear that apart. Okay. You went home for four months.

Anything cool happen?

[performance]

[ There's a mole on the team, and he sent his friends to their deaths in a simulated alien mothership, and Zatanna's dad is Doctor Fate now, maybe forever, and Kid Flash singlehandedly saved Vlatava, and who knows what's going on with Miss M anymore, and Wally and Artemis haven't said a non-hostile word to each other in three weeks, and he's just come off of going home again— his first home, the one only a handful of people really know about— and it was supposed to be Christmas Eve. ]

... I got two birthday kisses.

[runningstart]

Really? At the breakneck pace we've been doing stuff, just two kisses is all you can report?

[Wally knows there's more, but he keeps his tone casual because he knows there's no need to pry. Dick will probably tell him anything relevant eventually.]

Who from?

[performance]

I'll tell you the rest when you're awake. Four months is kind of like forever in superhero years.

[ He rolls his shoulders. His birthday already feels like a long, long time ago. ]

I don't kiss and tell, dude.

... But thanks in advance.

[runningstart]

Don't know why you're thanking me, unless I kissed you. Uh, you're welcome then, I guess. [Wally pulls off his boots and gloves and grabs the suitcase under his bed that he usually stores his uniform in. He'll have to get it cleaned again.]