Prompt Post - Part Ten
I am REALLY, REALLY SORRY about taking so long, guys, and about not being around much recently. I've been busier than I have in a while, and it just kept slipping my mind between uni applications and volunteering and all sorts- for some reason I thought we were much further off a new post.
If there is anything I haven't responded to, as of now, I'm ( Read more... )
"Mm?" was the first sound Robin managed when he stirred. The acrobat blinked and rubbed his eyes, feeling the tender skin on his knuckles stretch where cuts from the glass shards were already scabbing over. All was dark; Wally's nebulous outline wavered in his line of vision.
"Rob. Hey. Welcome back, dude."
Robin let a small groan escape his lips. "How long've I been out? The sun's set..." His voice wavered and faded off at Wally's silence.
"Rob?" And the speedster's voice was strained. "It's still freaking midday."
The implications of the statement sunk in slow and painfully.
"You... can't see me, can you?"
"..."
"Rob?"
"No, I can see you. I'm fine. Let's go."
He stood up and crashed into the wall.
"Robin... are you sure..."
"I said I'm fine! Just disoriented. Carry me to Mount Justice."
KF gently lifted his "just disoriented" friend, who was currently groping the air around him.
"I'm not a freaking princess! Piggy-back like usual."
Kid Flash sighed, but adjusted Robin. They took off. Both heads spinning.
/line break/
It started out as a harmless mission. Batman was out of town (meaning probably in space), so naturally they just /had/ to wait until another league member could come pick up the "trash."
Yet another villain had been taken down. A simple matter for the rapidly improving team of youngsters.
The man had been easy to trap. His gun stolen by Kid Flash, and his balance stolen by Robin's batarangs. Two seconds; mission over.
Another call, this one for a fire, rang out a few seconds later, but it was decided that Robin and KF could stay behind to wait until the villain was successfully on his way to prison. Thus, the duo propped the man against the window of an alleyway laundromat and sat down to chat.
It was mid-day, and the sun shone directly on them. It was hot, too hot to be in spandex. The sweaty friends leaned against the window as well.
"Nice day, isn't it," Kid Flash hazarded.
"Sure. If your idea of nice is being fried," countered Robin.
"Like you know fried! I've been running in this suit. You don't know what friction can do!"
"At least you're in red and yellow. I'm dressed in freaking Batman black."
Casual. Easy banter.
The previously armed man stirred. He leaned there, helpless, glaring at Kid Flash and the Boy Wonder. They ignored him in favor of their own topics.
"And I will totally own you when we get back!"
"You're on Birdboy!"
The trussed-up man reached a single hand out of his ropes, flexing it. He stretched it, taking advantage of the teenagers' preoccupation. He worked free an arm, then the other one. The ropes slackened. A leg was free, and now both were.
Reaching forward as best as he could, the villain snagged Robin's cape and swung him into the window behind them.
The shattering was deafening. Robin felt his mask peel away. Pulling his cape over his face, the protege shakily stood, using his hearing to guide him to a safer corner.
Kid took some time to subdue. After cutting free from the ropes with a shard of glass, it took a minute to trip him and bash the speedster's head against a washing machine. Flipping out a hidden pocket knife, he prepared to slit the ginger's throat.
Robin stumbled forward, batarang in hand.
"Don't. Touch. KF!" he screeched.
The batarang flew. The pocketknife followed.
With one motion, the man slapped down the hooded boy and grinned a feral smirk. Pinning down the "bird-boy" he groped behind him for a weapon, his hand closing on a bottle of bleach. Robin's eyes widened, just in time to meet the sticky, burning flow.
To Be Continued
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/hooked
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When Robin and Kid Flash reached Mount Justice, Robin was prepared.
"KF, I feel fine now. Just a little... hungry."
The speedster fell for the bait.
"I'll go get you something Rob!" he chirped.
"Thanks. I'll just be in my room."
The Batman's protege waited until Wally had left the room. Then he turned on his heel and stumbled down the hall. He felt for doorknobs and counted them to find his room.
Robin crashed in and rubbed the bridge of his nose. His mask! With a frown, the blinded boy tripped into his mirror, squinting, hunting for even the smallest glimpse of Dick Grayson. A shimmering shadow moved in time with him.
His eyes. The bleach must have made him go bli...
No.
NO.
NO!
His eyes were fine. It was simply the heat, and the brief fight. It had... exhausted them. Some sleep would help.
"Hey Rob. I brought you some soup. Look. I saw you in that puddle of bleach. You... can't see very well can you?"
Robin's frantic mind searched for an answer. It concocted a memory, a false one, of him struggling to see before today.
"No, Wally," he used his real name, "I've been having vision problems for some time now. I'll talk to Bats when he gets back, and he can help."
"Rob, I don't think..."
"Well, you shouldn't. It doesn't suit you. Now go away and let me sleep."
The ginger eased the door shut. He walked at a normal human pace to the couch, flopped down, and didn't even touch his food. The bowl of Doritos sat patiently on the table.
When M'gann and Artemis arrived at the base, they found an awake yet motionless Wally staring disdainfully at a full bowl of chips. They waited for a pick-up line. None came. They waited for him to turn on the T.V. It didn't happen.
"What are you staring at?!? Don't you have arrows to sharpen and cookies to bake?"
M'gann froze.
"Wally... Are you doing okay?"
"Just peachy. Sorry for yelling... gorgeous."
The compliment came a little too late.
"What's up with you? Did Robin catch a cold or something?" Artemis joked.
Wally stiffened. Somewhere in the background a mechanical voice announced:
"Batman 02"
An electronic moan came from the Zeta Tube.
"Batman?!?" Wally shot up. "Batman! Batman!"
He tore around the corner and nearly collided with the Dark Knight himself. The Bat raised an eyebrow.
"Kid Flash," he nodded.
"Batman... wewerejustsittingthereandthenRobinwentflying,andsoItriedtohelphim,andthenthebleach!ohgodthebleach!andIdidn'tknow," the speedster panted.
The Batman stood calmly, waiting for a sane explanation.
Artemis stepped forward, "Batman... sir... What I believe our eloquent Kid here is trying to say is, something is wrong with Robin."
The hooded figure frowned and swept off toward the Boy Wonder's room. Wally sped after him.
"Something is wrong, and I intend to find out," Artemis growled.
M'gann squealed, "I can feel the desperation pouring off of him! He's in denial about something!"
"Hmm... Let's break this down. Robin's in a fit and hiding in his room. KF is distressed enough to ignore a full bowl of food. Robin's in denial and frustrated... They must be gay."
M'gann gasped the way she'd heard girls on her T.V. shows do it. "It must be true! They're so perfect for one another! Oh no! Batman! What will he think?"
The pair snuck down the hall to listen at the door.
"...you need to think logically now. It is too debilitating. You need to think, Robin."
The Batman's deep voice wafted through the door. Robin's gasps were also audible. Finally, Wally cleared his throat.
"Rob. I love you like a brother, (Artemis and M'gann exchanged frowns) but you're just gonna get yourself killed. You should take a break. See if it fixes itself."
"No Wally. No. I'm not blind, I'm not hurt. I'm tired or sick... or even both. Just let me rest and I'll be better tomorrow."
"Robs..."
"I promise."
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He tiptoed down the hall, using his senses to guide him. He had to admit, he was impressed with himself as he arrived at the breakfast table bump free. A familiar chewing sound greeted him.
"Hey KF! I'm feeling back to one hundred per..."
A hand on his shoulder cut him off. Robin could smell Batman.
"Hey... Batman..." he muttered weakly.
"Robin. Kid Flash is not here. He's on a mission with the others."
It hurt. He knew his face probably showed it too. Robin blinked his useless eyes. Then he turned and ran. He heard metal crashing and glass breaking, but he didn't feel the pain. He didn't feel anything but a deep burning hurt. The hurt of being left out.
/line break/
"OW!"
"Kid Flash," Kaldur's voice broke his trance. "Keep your head in the game."
"Yeah sure. Sorry," the speedster mumbled. But his head wasn't in the game. It was back with Robin. It was back with the sure to be crushed boy. "He's thirteen and already blind," Wally's head provided. "Shut up," he muttered back.
POW!
Burning pain in his thigh. Nice. A bullet wound. Ow. Two more. Ah! So many! Swirling darkness.
"Is this what Robin sees?" KF thought.
/line break/
He woke up in the hospital. An exhausted Flash sat slumped in the chair next to his bed.
"Hey Kid. You alive?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Doctors were worried for a bit there. Took your friends a while to find you. They thought you were going to slip away, but it turns out all you needed was a good blood transfusion!" Flash's face gave away his sadness.
"What's wrong? Is it Robin?"
"Kid, uh... He's been... retired."
"What?!?"
"Batman won't risk his life having him fight out there blind."
"The doctors can't help?"
"Bats only has a surgeon on hand. No doctors. He won't take Robin to a hospital. Too dangerous for his identity."
"That's not fair. I'll retire too."
The Flash's eyes teared up. Actual tears ran down his face.
"Kid. You kinda have to. The bullet..."
Kid Flash looked down. At his leg. His leg.
Singular.
And he screamed.
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Oh, warnings for censored language...
"Kid! Calm down!"
Wally took a couple hundred deep breathes.
"Oh my f*cking lord..."
"Wally," Flash whispered. "It's going to be alright. We have a prosthetic in the works-"
Might as well be blunt.
"But it won't work the way I work, will it. It won't keep up."
The question was obvious.
"... No it won't. Kid... you're a waste of raw talent."
"Heh. Guess I almost blew myself up for nothing..." KF attempted a joke. All that work. All that work on the f*cking experiment, to try and be a hero, and...
"No, you used your speed while you could. You saved many lives. Like a real hero. But just think, now you and Robin can hang together all the time."
"... Thanks."
The older speedster gave a sad smile and swiped at the wet marks on his cowl.
"I know that doesn't really help does it?"
"No. Not really."
A nurse poked her head in. "Visiting hours are over, sir."
"Well, you need some rest. I'll see you around..."
"Sure, but just one more thing, Flash. Who gave me blood? I can't take non-metahuman blood."
The hero smiled weakly.
"I did. You lost so much, I had to wait a couple hours and give more. It will slow me down for a couple of days, but I'll be fine. It was worth it... for you."
"Oh. Thanks."
The Flash closed the door, leaving the former Kid Flash alone with his thoughts.
It was worth it... for you.
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KF- Wally, (He had to stop that. The sound of pain in Wally's voice when he heard his old nickname burned Robin- Dick's ears.) had seemed to be toying with something. Sitting silently and yet thinking so loudly that Dick could practically hear his thoughts whirling.
They had grown closer. Very close. When Wally needed something, Dick would get up to get it. The ginger's voice guiding him around invisible obstacles. They were the perfect pair.
They never spent a moment apart, lest one need the other.
Artemis was in the kitchen. She dropped a perfectly good cookie on the floor and Wally gasped.
"She dropped an cookie, Dick."
The former speedster had learned to narrate for the acrobat. He explained everything that was happening so the younger boy never felt left out.
"I suppose you want me to get you one?"
The former batboy stood up and stretched before slowly walking toward the kitchen.
"Table to your left."
Dick switched paths flawlessly. They were learning, but Wally knew it wasn't enough for the other boy. He needed to flip, to soar, to fly. A wild bird doesn't last long in a cage. Wally also knew he could help. He just needed to work up the courage.
/line break/
Batman walked into Dick's room and cleared his throat.
"Wah!" The boy leaped off his bed and toppled. Wally caught his arm.
"Sorry. Forgot to warn you there."
The Batman stepped closer. "Wally has been talking to me about something. And I think my surgeon can handle it."
"No," said the acrobat. "You can't take out my eyes! I know they might get infected and stuff, but I need them there!"
"Robin," Dick twitched at the name. "Come here."
Batman picked up the boy and held him close. A breathing mask slipped over his face.
"Breathe in and out, Dick. It's to calm you down."
He did. And he slowly fell unconscious.
"Batman... you tricked me..." he thought.
/line break/
Dick awoke at last. He rolled on his side and grabbed the glass of water on the plain, white table next to him. He looked around at the other two empty beds for Wally. He might need him to... see... for... him...
He could see. It was a little fuzzy, like looking through unfocused binoculars, but he could see.
"I told you I'd get better!" Dic- no, Robin shouted. "I can see!"
"It worked!" shouted Wally from a bed behind a curtain. "Great! I feel so much better now!"
Robin sat up and leaped from him bed, ignoring the tug of his IV ripping from his arm.
"Kid F- Wally! I can-"
Wally was sitting up and grinning at him. But his eyes were closed. Closed.
"How do you like my bleach-free corneas?" the ginger asked, maintaining a wobbly smile.
"Your... your..."
"My corneas. They might be a little blurry, but Bat's surgeon says contacts will clear it up."
"You... but your..."
"Hey Robin," Wally said, pulling the boy closer. "Don't talk about it. Just enjoy."
"But now you're crippled and blind!"
"And now you can continue saving the world."
"But, I don't deserve..."
"I said to shut up. Besides, I was already broken."
"Don't say that."
"Kay," Wally shrugged.
"How could you give up so much..."
"It was worth it... for you."
It was worth it... for you.
A/N: What have I done. And after you were all hoping for a happy ending! I feel awful. Well, I guess it's kinda happy... I'm sorry KF! I love you!
I hope you maybe kinda liked it OP. Sorry if you didn't.
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<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
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