gingercupboards | Recent Entries

[It's only been hours since she took down her father, hours since she watched her sister walk away from her for a time that is not worth counting. They've defeated the bad guys. What more could Artemis ever want?

It's New Years, the computer tells them. It's time to celebrate.( Read more... )

notakidflash

What?

[Wally thumps his elbow down on the bar and gives Dick his best glare. Right through those stupid sunglasses-at-night. Piercing.] Please. Okay- I'll give you that I was really kind of- I was a little rusty at it as a kid, but I've gotten so much better.

[They needed this. God, they needed this. Wally had finals in three weeks and he hasn't spoken to Dick in almost a month, which makes him feel both lost at sea and buried underground. They used to stay up all night texting like a couple of losers and Wally never, ever wanted to get to a point with Dick where that would be weird. Even if Dick is going through academy training (even wore his stupid trainee t-shirt to the bar) and he's working on his thesis. He doesn't ever want that to happen.

Dick is...Dick. Robin (even if he's Nightwing). His best friend. The guy he'd die for, die with, whatever.] I could probably pick up anybody in this bar.

notakidflash

I wanna kiss you right in front of the cameras, [Wally laughs under his breath as the League stands poised for photographs. Today's an inauguration of multiple levels; Wally being promoted to the Flash so Barry can retire and focus on his family, and because Nightwing finally, finally accepted the League's long-standing invitation to join. Wally won't say it's because he's been pestering Dick for months, but...he's been pestering Dick for months.]

Wouldn't that be hilarious? God. Just imagine the reaction to that.

[He won't really, because he knows how Dick feels about it (something something compromising identities) but it's fun to joke about. And it's fun to tease Dick with; leaning a little too much into his side, letting the arm around his shoulders slip down to his waist when they leave the scene of a big throwdown fight. Somehow someone had gotten a picture of that and Tumblr hadn't shut up for weeks. The picture was still circulating all over the place.]

Anyway, did you wanna go out tonight? Six month anniversary might not mean much, but it's six months and I want an excuse to go to Texas de Brazil.

flightylittledingdong

[Bats asked for his help.

Bruce asking for help is so incredibly rare; Bruce asking for his help is even rarer. Not that Wally really thinks it's absurd; he's the fastest man alive, there's not a whole lot he can't do. If Batman was looking to get this deal crashed quickly, it kind of makes sense to come to him. Then again, just about anybody else in the League would've been just as good. Maybe it's personal? Maybe Clark and Diana were busy?

Of course, it's also in Bludhaven, which as far as Wally knows isn't exactly within Bruce's stomping grounds. Maybe the drugs are headed for Gotham streets?

Arrrgh, this is why he leaves all the abstract thinking to Bruce and J'onn and whoever felt like taking a crack at it. It's not his forte. His forte is doing and there is stuff that needs to be done so he's gonna go do it. Annnnd there's his exit, 276 on I-78, hang a left, left, right- oops backtrack left, over to the docks, skid to a stop behind the containers to muffle the sound and bad guys, twelve o'clock sharp. Definitely a big drug deal; closed freight crates with CONFIDENTIAL across the front, these guys aren't even trying to hide it.

Wally hops from foot to foot. Where the heck is Bruce?

Money changes hands but it looks like it's not enough for certain parties. The Flash hears a gun k-click as it cocks and hey, Bats can catch up. Kids who are late to the party don't get any cake.]

Whoa whoa whoa, gentlemen! Can't we resolve this peacefully? [Wally will probably never stop getting a kick out of appearing in the middle of what was assumed to be a closed conversation. He takes the handgun apart in a blur of speed and drops the pieces at his feet.] No need to get out your toys.

[Half of the guys reach into their coats and the other half go scrambling for their weapons while the bosses run for their cars. Predictable.

What isn't predictable -and what Wally doesn't see- is Brutale lurking just in the shadows, scalpels already between his fingers as he lines up the shot to sever Wally's spinal cord. What's a speedster who can't run, right?]

runningstart

Hey, hey! Where you goin'?!

[Wally really, really doesn't like stealing but Gotham is making him contemplate it.

Usually when he goes places, he can find at least a handful of people in a town looking for temp help and offering food and shelter in return. Sometimes people who are grateful to be saved from a back-alley mugging will give him money or a place to lay down his head for the night. He doesn't struggle often; the media and governments might paint vigilantes -and teenage runaway metas for that matter- as a menace to society, but generally speaking the populace tends to like them. They're cute. And mysterious. And Wally really, really plays up those two traits to his advantage.

Gotham's a whole different beast. Nobody wants to him for work (not even as a message runner or courier which is kind of absurd) and anyone he saves ends up running in the opposite direction. Sure, he sticks out like a sore thumb here, but it's not that bad, right? ...maybe a bright yellow hoodie and red pants weren't a great choice in a city drowning in black, blue and gray.

Wally watches the last couple he saved from a mugging go scrambling in the opposite direction and sighs, pressing a hand to his stomach. Food. He requires sustenance. He can go a while without anything but his powers will lag, and besides that being hungry is distracting. Maybe he can find a diner that'll let him bum some dinner off of them in exchange for a dish washer who clears the sink in seconds.]

runningstart

MIKASA ACKERMAN
> ATTACK ON TITAN
> hackaman

STILES STILINSKI
> TEEN WOLF
> aarj

RAPHAEL
> TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
> seriouslytwisted

WALLY WEST/KID FLASH
> YOUNG JUSTICE
> runningstart

CODE BY BANNERTECH

runningstart

[It was just an experiment. Just something with S.T.A.R. Labs, to see if he could help Barry out with this weirdo room-sized frictionless treadmill thing. Barry would run as fast as he could, and Wally would run alongside him and together they'd try to generate enough kinetic energy that it could be converted and stored. Just a test.

And Wally was in awe, as he always is whenever he sees his Uncle go all out, so much that the deep-seated sense of inadequacy that whispers nasty things in the back of his head was quiet for once. His uncle is amazing, look at him go-!

But something was wrong. He'd long since started moving so fast that Wally's eyes couldn't keep up, and he knows that they both had exceeded the speed of sound a long time ago and his uncle was nearly approaching light. Something was wrong. The room around them was too bright, then too dark, and he starts to slow and reaches for Barry to get his attention, encourage him to slow down too-

And his hand passes right through.

And all of a sudden something is behind Wally and pushing him, like a freight train at his back and shoving him forward and he thinks he slammed into the wall in front of him but he didn't, because he goes right through. His hand flies up to his nose to check for blood -did he try to vibrate? Did he succeed?- but it's dry and he's falling forward and his cheek is scraped up by gravel and his mouth tastes like ash.

Everything is quiet. He thinks he hears whispering. He tries to push himself up and his elbows and knees are aching, he must've landed on them.]

Ow. Owww. [The whispers stop and Wally glances up to see the sky gray and dark, and it's...snowing? But it's the middle of spring. And it's not cold, and it's not piling up like it should be. The people around him aren't dressed for winter- hell, they're not dressed for anything. They look terrible, and those- are those inhibitor collars?]

...uh, hi? Hello? [Wally waves and they jerk back and away from him, like he's dangerous. He's never felt ridiculous in his bright yellow and red uniform until now, with everyone in dark shades of blue and gray and green in varying states of disrepair. Where is he? This doesn't look like anywhere in the states. ...shit, is that ash falling from the sky? Did a volcano erupt?

Where is he...?!]

runningstart

[Hooooolee crap, he's going to meet Batman and Robin.

Batman and Robin.

The freaking Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder.

Wally hadn't been able to sit still all that day. He'd been absolutely insufferable in school, tapping his feet and fingers as he stared at the clock with a kind of desperate fixation. School has been agonizing since he got his powers, everything happened so slowly and it's like he just never noticed before -and Uncle Barry said he'd adjust, that would go away as he got used to changing how fast he thinks- but today is worse, way worse than ever. It's horrible. How is he supposed to sit through this when he knows that in just a few short hours, he and the Flash (HIS PARTNER HE STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT) will be going to Gotham to meet up with the Dynamic Duo?]

Mr. West! Pay attention!

[Wally throws the detention slip he'd earned at his parents as he races through the house, grabs up his costume and tears over to Barry's house. Barry laughs when he sees him, struggling into his uniform (he still hasn't gotten used to it), and once Wally stops tripping over himself they speed over to Gotham. Barry even lets him travel by zeta, which is a novel experience that Wally wants to do about a thousand more times. Barry promises him as soon as his registration goes through. He doesn't tell Wally that it depends on what Batman thinks of him; no need to scare the kid.

Batman and Robin reveal themselves to the two Flashes in a typically dramatic way. Flash leads Wally up to the meeting place -atop City Hall, removed from the sight of cameras and in the shadows- and there they wait, and wait, and wait for almost ten minutes, which is an agonizing eternity to a thirteen-year-old boy desperate to meet some of his heroes, and then they find out that Batman and Robin have been tucked into the shadows watching them the entire time because they've been there since six.

It's Batman. Who is terrifyingly tall.

And it's Robin. Who is...cool and way more approachable and a lot shorter than Wally expected.] I'm taller than you, [he points out, flabbergasted even though he shouldn't be. From what he understands, he's older; of course he's taller. But...it's Robin. He's Robin!]

runningstart

I don't think this is supposed to be that color, [Wally says, very concerned with the food sizzling in the pan. It's his turn to cook tonight -which honestly he thinks is really unfair, considering he's fine with just getting pizza every day and Artemis is the one who wants to eat a meal every once in a while. On the nights she doesn't cook

He frowns and flicks through the pictures of Bánh xèo on his tablet.] It's supposed to be colorful and nice not...different shades of puke.

Babe? [Wally calls over his shoulder.] Can you come look at this? I think I did something wrong.

runningstart

[Kid Flash doesn't usually wake up in weird places.

Unlike some of the other sidekicks, he doesn't really get kidnapped. Too fast. Plus, who would kidnap him? Most of the rogues have a hard time even firing at him, because they're not as bad as they think they are and he's a kid. Or that's what the Flash tells him, anyway. And considering that one time Captain Cold flinched when he heard KF scream -he'd slipped on ice and ended up landing on a piece of shrapnel that went three inches into his knee- Kid is inclined to believe him. He usually goes to sleep in his bed, then wakes up in his bed. Sometimes the couch, sometimes the guest room of Aunt I's house.

But the ground beneath his cheek is rough and sandy, and when KF pushes himself up and can't hardly work up the saliva to spit out the bad taste in his mouth, he knows he's in trouble. This isn't his home. This isn't even Central. The shack around him is falling apart and worn by wind and sun, and he can see peeks of desert between the rickety boards. His uniform is sticking to him because the air is scorching. He feels like he's baking. Better than being in direct sunlight, he supposes, but-]

Whoa, [KF whispers, jumping to his feet and scrambling over to a corner a crumpled form has begun groaning. It's a girl, maybe about his age, and he rests a hand on her shoulder to turn her onto her back. ...a uniform? Looks like GA's, but GA's partner was always Speedy, even if he's split to do his own thing.] Hey. Hey, wake up. You okay?

performance

[ The audience goes wild as Haly's Traveling Circus begins its three-ring opening act extravaganza. The performers swarm the floor in a choreographed riot of colors and music, and Dick just knows he's gonna get lost in the crowd.

When's Jack gonna give in and let him have his own aerial act? The accident was five years ago. He's ready. He's got a routine worked out and everything. All he needs is a chance.

Not that he's ever gonna get one as long as he's stuck doing boring old handsprings through boring old flaming hoops all the way over in the third ring. Total baby stuff. He could do this in his sleep. He catches two juggling clubs mid-double-backflip, spins once more in midair, sticks the landing, and the crowd goes nuts. Okay, that felt pretty cool, maybe it was more impressive than he'd —

... Or maybe the elephant's stealing the show. Aw, come on, Zitka... ]

performance

[ Robin hates it when supervillains get together. It's not the numbers that scare him: it's the fact that sooner or later, pretty much every time, someone's gonna convince them to ditch whatever insane theme they have going and just start killing people. Gotham's only one of seven cities they've hit so far, but it's the worst. It's always the worst, and with half the League a galaxy away, backup is scarce and a long time coming.

And someone must have pulled Black Mask out of their villain Rolodex, because the real monsters — the ones with guns, who don't leave clues to follow — are out in full force.

Two bombs had gone off in an east side office building, but it hadn't come down. Robin says a silent thank you to underpaid henchmen as he and Kid Flash evacuate people who'd decided that picking up overtime pay was worth braving what was becoming a war zone. It takes too many trips up and down the stairs, hearts pounding at every rumble they hear, but finally, Robin's passing the last of them off to paramedics.

So he thinks.

His head whips around when he hears it: a woman's scream, stories up. ]

I'm going in.

[ A flash of yellow cape, and he's gone through the front door. ]

runningstart

[His head is pounding.

His head hurts, his everything aches and his uniform is riding up in the crotch. And it's dark, and something at his neck stings and the air tastes old and metallic, like it's been recycled for years.

He tries to push himself up and that sting against his neck grows, and it's heavy.]

Ow, [Wally gasps and lifts a hand; it glows red. No- red light is falling on it, from...his neck? He-

Inhibitor collar.

Wally freezes, pushed up on his elbows. The room is pitch black except for the red glow from the heavy metal collar clamped tight around his neck, tight enough to make swallowing uncomfortable.] Hello? [he calls, though he's not sure if he wants an answer or not.] Hey, if there's anybody there you'd better answer me before I start throwing punches-!

runningstart

[So this...whatever they had going on, it's complicated. That's what Wally tells himself when their teammates give he and Robin weird looks, when Batman seems like he's glaring even though Wally can't tell the difference between a stare and a glare from old Bats, when his uncle's hand rests on his back and Wally thinks they just have to know.

But he's not ashamed. He's just- he doesn't know how to explain it yet. Parents first. Everyone else second.

They finally got the okay for Robin to spend the night at Wally's, which is a rare occurrence indeed. Unfortunately, Wally's parents aren't home so it's become very awkward. Usually they just hang out, do the same thing they always do with the occasional bout of discomfort but without parents? Well. Wally's not under the delusion that anything's going to happen -they haven't even kissed yet- but it's still- it's weird. It's like back in middle school when he went up to Sandy Hartford's room and he thought they were boyfriend and girlfriend, but apparently you have to clear that with the other person first.

It was. It's weird. Because now he's looking at Dick like he looked at Sandy, and his stomach is in knots like it was with Sandy, but it's different because it's more and that just makes it weirder.]

...Mom just went shopping, there's probably like...Cheetos or something downstairs.

runningstart

[The secret ID thing is sometimes the biggest pain in the ass.

Not so much for Wally; nobody knows who the hell the Wests are, so if Wally loses his cowl in the middle of a fight it's not a big deal. Cameras are too slow to get a good shot of his face and there have to be about five hundred thousand ginger kids his age and body type. Hell, the only reason Barry let him cut the top off his cowl in the first place is because nobody knew who the Wests were.

Aqualad, well, he doesn't give a flying fuck if the surface world knows who he is. M'gann and Conner might have secret IDs, technically, but they're hardly ever seen by the public in uniform. Artemis, well, she had no excuse. Really? The name, the hair, really?

But Robin -Dick- has the biggest problem. Robin's on TV as Dick Grayson more than he is as Robin any given day of the week, but they're both equally famous. People have been searching for the boy behind the mask ever since Robin's debut, and Dick Grayson almost made Times' "100 Most Influential People Under 21" list this last year. He's a known face.

Which is why him being kidnapped from his school is one of the most televised crises ever...well, televised. The problem is that while Robin is totally capable of knocking the shit out of any morons who try to kidnap him, there are a lot of the guys, they were organized and also they kidnapped Dick Grayson. "I take Brazilian kickboxing" can only stretch so far, right up about to the point where he rolls out a few smoke bombs and goes cackling up into the rafters.

Of course, not many people even within the League know about Robin's true identity. It's a delicate situation.

So, the Wally gets the job. Kid Flash and the Flash are going to zoom in and take care of business; Flash, the bigger threat, is supposed to distract the kidnappers and wreak general havoc while Wally zips in, extracts Robin and zips back out. It's suppose to be easy.

It's not easy. The kidnappers have funding, and they were expecting League intervention. Barry has his hands fuller than full just fighting them off, and Wally feels a shot of fear stab through his gut when he remembers what Robin had told him about Gotham villains, how they were harder than Kansas criminals, and at the time Wally had thought Robin was just bragging. He probably was, a little bit, but he wasn't lying either. Something about Gotham produces monsters, men who don't care about hurting children, who don't care about killing as many people as they need to so they can get what they want.

It's weird. They didn't even ask for a ransom yet.

Wally manages to give them the slip and darts as quietly as he can down the hallways, searching for where they might be keeping Robin. It's just an abandoned office building but there are a few reinforced doors, like they'd been prepared, and it takes four tries before he finds one with a digital lock and no windows and one tiny vent. He tries one thousand, six hundred and forty-four combinations before he finds one that works.]

-Dick Grayson? [Almost tripped up.] It's Kid Flash. Are you okay?

Profile

Half-Bare Cupboards

November 2020

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

Syndicate

Page Summary

Style Credit

Style: NNWM 2010 Warmth for Practicality by timeasmymeasure

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

Page generated Sep. 18th, 2025 12:46 pm

"Must've been out for over 24 hours..."

otherwise my cupboards wouldn't be bare

Recent Entries

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

Profile

November 2020

Syndicate

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags