runningstart | MASK OR MENACE IC INBOX

[ Dick lets out a short huff through his nose, almost a laugh. ]

Not exactly. I mean like hitting a self-destruct button, or something.

It's not the most logical course of action.

[ At least he sounds calm now. ]

Are you talking about with Bruce? [Because Wally doesn't like the idea of Dick self-destructing, but he does understand wanting to at least be in control of something. Hell, that's part of why he did what he did to get his powers in the first place.]

I'm talking about everyone.

[ Dick pulls himself up into a crouch, then a precarious, one-footed stand on the rail, staring out at the river winding below them — and then a backflip onto solid ground next to Wally. ]

I miss feeling like a team.

[ He's too tired to sound accusatory, and anyway, he's not angry. Just... exhausted. ]

[Wally's quiet for too long again. He's spent a lot of this conversation in thoughtful pauses, definitely not the norm.] Well, I mean...we're kind of missing half the team anyway. And SB just got here.

[ Dick shoots Wally a withering glare, offended, more than anything, that Wally's still doing his everything's fine let's not talk about it routine when it's just the two of them. ]

That's not what I mean, and you know it.

[Wally heaves a sigh and turns back to the fence, resting his arms on it and leaning forward again.] We didn't come out here to talk about Artemis.

[ Dick follows his movement, bracing one arm against the railing as he leans in closer. ]

Okay, yeah, but don't you think it's stupid that we can't? How long's it been?

[Two weeks exactly, but who's counting?] Why, what's your point? I'm supposed to put a time limit on this?

Yes! No— I don't know, maybe! It's stupid, you're both being so stubborn!

[ Gravel crunches under his feet as he whirls on his heel, needing to pace, needing to move. He's sick of this. Sick of keeping other people's secrets. If they'd just talk — if Artemis wasn't so hell-bent on keeping a secret he'd accepted months ago, if Wally could just trust someone without having all the facts laid out in front of him... ]

[Artemis's face from the ship flashes through his mind and Wally turns away too, shoving his hands into his pockets.]

I don't wanna talk about it.

Well, I do. What if it was me instead of her? What if I'd screwed up? Would you dump me?

[ Which isn't the most unselfish way of putting it, but maybe he's earned that. ]

Dude no.

And I didn't- [but he just did today] -I'm still gonna work with her on the team, obviously, because I have to-

Why are you getting on me about this? She's the one who thought she was better than the rest of us.

I'm getting on you because I'm de facto team leader here, whether I like it or not, and you're— you're being a mission hazard!

What?! I'm the mission- You gotta be kidding me! [robin u realize this is the guy who's gonna give u a ride back right]

[ Dick draws up his shoulders and tips his chin up and even rocks up onto his tiptoes like he'll somehow be able to lord his impressive full five feet of height over Wally. ]

Do I look like I'm kidding?

Edited 2014-07-08 22:56 (UTC)

[...is he seriously-]

Huh. Guess you're not.

Well then, what do you want me to do about it, boss?

[ Boss.

'Artemis is gone.' 'You knew from the beginning why we were really here.' 'Sixteen seconds and counting. We'll follow as soon as we blow those doors.'

Fine. ]

What I want is for you to act professional. You think she put her feelings or her pride or her ego ahead of the mission? Ahead of the team? Well, that's exactly what you're doing.

Either admit that it's personal, or step. Down. Because it's not your place to punish her.

Edited 2014-07-09 00:02 (UTC)

You know what? It is personal. It is one hundred percent, all-on-me personal. I'm clearly the only one who has an issue with what she did, so obviously I'm the problem. [wally you are kind of spiraling here buddy] But it's not a problem anymore, because she already made it pretty clear she doesn't care if I understand or not. So I'll keep things professional, don't you worry.

You've been hostile to her from the start! You are the only person who went out of their way to make her feel unwelcome! Why does she owe you, of all people, an explanation?

Because we were getting along! [Wally throws out his arms.] Bialya happened, and then she came back to save us when she could've ran and then I showed up here and she- she told me to be careful! And then we went to Six Flags and we were texting like normal people and she won a stupid stuffed thing and gave it to me, and I got her a stupid mug and wrote her name on it because the stupid gift shops never have her name on anything, and I checked everything!

[He drags his hands through his hair, bowing his head.] And then you disappeared, and she didn't- she listened to me, and we looked together and we went up against Shade and she stayed there even though he could've killed us, and I thought that maybe we'd be good, y'know? As friends! And I thought if we could do it here, we could be friends when we went back home too and then she tells me she did this in December?

When we were already friends?

[Wally drops his hands and gives Dick a look, and it's more despairing than it is angry now, because he just doesn't get it. Maybe it's the way he was raised for sixteen years by parents who encourage always telling the truth, or maybe it's because he was taught by Barry to value trust and teamwork and every person close to you. Maybe it's because he's lived a charmed life, hasn't really experienced a whole lot of rejection or disregard that came from anywhere but within. He's never experienced loss or real heartbreak

And maybe he likes her a little.]

I trusted her, so why didn't she trust me?

[...and that's the problem.]

[ And there it is. ]

... People act really stupid when they care about each other.

[ It's clipped and it's quiet and he swerves a little too sharply on his heel when he turns to go look out over the ledge again. He needs a second. Just one second.

He's so tired of navigating this thing between the two of them. What does he get out of it, if they make up? It's all for them. It's always been for them. They make up and they get more stupid trips Wally doesn't tell him about and more stupid texting and more stupid friendship and — he'd probably take her to the beach. Artemis wouldn't have gone with him if she could go with Wally. Why would she? Wally's open and honest and warm, and all the things that had gotten Dick to shed his mask, all that time ago. She doesn't even know his name.

God, Wally likes her so much that the intensity of it is actually painful. He hadn't been kidding around, when he'd told Artemis he was jealous of that. It's unfair and it's petty and he doesn't even want to know what they'd think if he told them the truth: that he doesn't know who he is if he's not someone's best, someone's favorite, someone's something. If anyone's selfish, if anyone's scared, it's him.

... He takes a breath. All right. He's team leader. Kaldur would— Kaldur would do the whole noble self-sacrifice thing. Kaldur's the best of them. Robin will never be, but he can try in his stead. Just a second, and he'll be okay.

When he turns back to Wally, his face is impassive. No anger, no terror, no envy. Of all the things that Batman ever taught him, he might be the most grateful for that. ]

Just because you trust someone doesn't mean you trust them to like you.

What is that even supposed to mean? [Wally pinches the bridge of his nose. And why is Robin getting so pissed off about this anyway? It's not like they've been on a mission and screwed up or anything, it's just-

Wally can stow his emotions for a mission, totally. He can do that.] Look, if this is you freaking out that I'm gonna like, not show up for role call or something, don't. I'll work with her fine. Everything else is just...baggage.

I'm not freaking out.

[ That's the lie of the century, right there. ]

You're my friend and it's my responsibility to tell you when you're being stupid. You like her. You took her to Six Flags and bought her presents, you were friends, and you wanted her to trust you so badly that whole thing is killing you. You're miserable and you're pretending like you're not, but I can tell. I've never seen you like this.

I hate it.

I don't like her, like her.

And it was just a mug. [nbd all right so drop it]

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