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]

However on your own it gets? Dude, I'm pretty sure that out of our entire friend circle, Jaime and I are the only one with parents and they're not exactly here. We live by ourselves, have jobs, I guess sometimes cook or something. Pay the bills- I just did my taxes three months ago. Taxes! I feel so old and boring just saying it.

But what are we supposed to do? Besides, anything any of us don't know how to do, Robin pretty much knows how to do so it's not like we're spinning our wheels. We look out for each other.

[you_tried]

... I figured the League would be looking out for you guys, that's all.

[runningstart]

No thank you. I already experienced what a mess that is thanks to GL, I don't need a repeat performance. We've got it ourselves.

[you_tried]

Look, I'm not trying to be patronizing here. I know you guys — the Titans, Young Justice, whatever you're calling yourselves, I don't know — you're good. And the teen hero thing is established. But I also know that even Batman doesn't have it together as much as he pretends to, so...

[ This is a shrug you can practically hear. ]

Hell, I don't know what I'm getting at. We all need a lot more help than we're willing to admit, I guess that's it. Being stubborn about it only makes it worse.

[ And then people die. ]

[runningstart]

[Jaime and this jackass both, they're practically made for each other.

Wally feels guilty for that thought immediately after he has it but refuses to let that show in his voice.]

I've gotten this speech before, dude. And y'know, out of all the people who've given it Hal's the only one who's done anything to back it up and that's because I did all the research and paperwork. All I wanted was my damn license but he goes on a power trip, tries to tell me when I can or can't do something or who I can or can't talk to, so forgive me if I say that me, Rob, Bart and Gar are gonna be just fine without help.

[you_tried]

Yeah, well, that's Hal for you.

[ Is it obvious he's not a fan? He's really not a fan. ]

But whatever. I'm not offering to be your replacement dad or a second mentor, and I'm the last person who's gonna lecture you on responsibility. I'm usually on the other end of that.

[runningstart]

Awesome 'cause I'm 100% cool with never hearing "you kids don't have to do this alone" ever again. If you're cool without saying it let's go with that.

-anyway. Only other person I can really think of that you'd need to tell is Traci, his girlfriend. She knows about the Beetle thing so she's good.

[you_tried]

Gotcha. Thanks.

And look, seriously, sorry if I made this weird. The you I know back home is my age, and I mean it when I say there's nothing less appealing to me than the idea of babysitting a guy I've known for like a decade. You say you've got everything under control, I'm not gonna argue it. But the offer's on the table. Call me if you need a few bucks, for Bart or for whatever, and I won't ask any questions.

[ Wally obviously has his pride, and all the stubbornness of a teenager on top of it. But Booster remembers all the times he's been broke — growing up with nothing, throwing his future away for the money he needed for his mom, taking endorsement deals he knew he'd regret, "borrowing" money from Ted's accounts just to get by.

He figures he'd rather insult him with the offer than not put it out there at all. ]

... I'd do it for any of my friends.

[runningstart]

[There's so many smartass comebacks floating around in his head but Wally just...doesn't want to do it. He has Bart slumped against his side, warm and breathing but not waking up no matter what Wally does, and Jaime's in a hospital somewhere not waking up either.]

...yeah you made it weird.

But I guess I'll take it. [He's tired. But Bart needs him.] I gotta go.

[you_tried]

Yeah.

Later, Wally.