maskormenacelogs | [CLOSED]

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[CLOSED]

WHO: Dick, Artemis, and Wally
WHERE: Downtown Heropa.
WHEN: 7/12, nighttime.
WHAT: Robin's emotional turmoil culiminates in the world's stupidest injury. Stupid teenage dramatics to follow.
WARNINGS: References to a broken bone? And probably yelling.

[ It's 10:20 PM, and it's finally stopped raining that particular variety of Florida rain that's not so much like a drizzle as like the sky's just up and poured a bucket of water on your head. It's wet and it's too warm and there's still lightning flashing off in the distance, and Robin's just made the stupidest mistake of his career.

Okay, so no one realistically-fake-died, and nothing exploded. Which is a plus, considering his track record. But breaking a leg in a fall from a third story roof has to be — without any hyperbole — the most embarrassing thing he's done in his entire life.

He could make a lot of excuses: he's not used to the weather, the railing was slick, he hadn't checked his equipment, the terrain's unfamiliar, he's distracted and emotionally compromised. He doesn't have his team. Every single one is terrible, even if they're all true.

For several excruciating minutes, while he waits for the painkillers to work their magic, Robin debates his options. An ambulance would attract attention. He's pretty sure he couldn't hobble all the way to the hospital like this, even if there was one within the city limits. Maybe the ground will swallow him up right along with his shame and he won't have to admit that any of this ever happened.

It doesn't.

Out of reasonable options, he sends off a text with his coordinates to Artemis, who, logically, is the person on their team most likely to know how to deal with injuries:
SOS.
Achey breaky leg.
Please don't ask.

And moments later, a text to Wally with the same coordinates:
Need a ride to the hospital.
If you're not married to SB's couch now.
Faster is better.

It takes a minute for him to realize the gravity of his possible mistake. If they find a way to fight over this, too... well, maybe yelling makes bones knit faster. ]

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[Artemis has been engaged in a stand off with hospital staff, one in which she stands there silently like a teenage boss and adult medical professionals try to wheedle their way past her. At least Wally and Robin's words about secret IDs seem to have had some effect on the imPort-obsessed natives, because security has yet to make an appearance.

At various points she hears raised voices--they all do--but its too muffled. Artemis doesn't even try to make it out, though she recognizes both her teammate's voices. Apparently just because Kid Flash knows your secret ID, it doesn't make him less shout-y.

The doctor finally points out that they do actually have other patients who might need the room as well as his valuable time. Not mention the fact that he's not done with Robin's essential medical services yet. Artemis regards him coolly, but knocks on the door behind her.]

... You guys done yet?

[KF is so busy glowering at Robin that when the knock comes on the door, he jumps. He glances at Dick, then too the door before heading over to open it. They should probably get this finished so Robin can be discharged and they can take him home.]

Yeah, we're done. [God. He's probably not going to sleep a wink tonight.

What the hell had Dick even meant with the fighting thing and why did he have this whacko inferiority/superiority complex going on and does he seriously like him???? Wally can't even look Artemis in the eye, just offering the doctor a clipped,] He's fine, [before heading back to the waiting room without even looking back at Robin.]

[ Artemis.

Well. Now he feels even worse, if that's possible. Friend of the Year Award Nominee Richard Grayson. Maybe he'll wake up in the morning and none of this will have ever happened. (Yeah, right.)

Wally leaves without looking at him, and the best he can do is a sullen, apologetic: ] I'm okay, Artemis. I'll meet you guys out there, okay?

[ If Wally doesn't leave now. Logically, Dick doesn't think he would, not after all that, but... it's hard to remember what he'd said about teammates fighting now that all the anger's gone. He doesn't feel like he's gonna explode anymore, but he does feel... kind of brittle. Like there's an empty space in him where everything he'd been bottling up used to be, and he doesn't know what's going to fill it up now. ]

[Suddenly finding herself without a job, Artemis has no idea what to do with herself. She glances down the hall after Kid Flash, then looks back at Robin, unsure.

The doctor makes her mind up for her as he goes back in and closes the door in her face.]

... Ooookay, then.

[She hesitates before following Kid Flash back to the waiting room. Are they okay enough for her to ask what happened? No, probably not. Is she okay with prying into Robin's business and asking about the mask thing? Definitely not.

Instead she's going to stand in the waiting room awkwardly. Waiting.]

[Kid makes his way back on autopilot and slumps into the nearest chair and leans forward, elbows on his knees, face in his hands.

He has no idea what to do about this.

No idea.

After a minute, he looks up and spots Artemis awkwardly shifting her weight by the door, looking like she's considering bolting except for the thunderstorm raging outside and the prospect of having to take the bus again.]

Hey, [Wally says, and he's surprised by how dull his voice sounds in his ears but not enough to try and correct it,] can you show me where you got that coffee?

[Artemis jumps a little when he starts talking.]

... Yeah. Yeah, of course. Come on.

[She leads him to a small hallway off the main waiting area. The lights are too bright and one of them buzzes and flickers. There's a coffee pot half full of coffee that was already old when Artemis started on it.

She lets him get his coffee and then, even though her stomach will not thank her for it later, she pours herself another little styrofoam cup full of the poison. She takes it black, of course, though there is a pathetic little handful of sugar packets and a crusty carton of dry creamer.

She still has nothing to say, or at least nothing she can say, so she just stands back and waits for him to say something. Or not.

... It's weird that he's not talking, weird that he's so still, but she's not going to push him.]

[Just as well she doesn't want the sugar; Wally's taking the rest of it for his own coffee, just tearing all of them open and dumping them in there. It's better than nothing.

...ugh, on second thought after that swig, nothing is probably better. Wally forces himself to finish the rest just for the sugar and immediately goes for some water from the cooler nearby.]

Do you uh...d'you ever fight with your uncle? As his partner?

[Artemis almost blows her entire cover story wide open by asking "uncle?" but she catches herself just in time. Her actual response isn't that much more convincing, but to be fair the question did come out of left field.]

Green Arrow? Um... I guess.

[They haven't been working together long, though, and Artemis still has a little bit of hero-worship left over. The nights she goes on patrol with Green Arrow are like... private tutoring with your favorite teacher ever. She always knows she's going to learn a lot and she usually ends up getting frustrated and snappy somewhere in the middle, but when she finally gets it right and he grins at her like he's actually proud...

But she knows she's not really his partner. That was Speedy. She's just some kid he agreed to help out because her mom asked him to.]

I mean... you've met him. You know what he's like.

[That was nice and vague.]

... Why?

Just wondering. [Downing that cup of water, let's get another.] Thanks for- y'know, playing bouncer. [Nice way to skirt around the actual topic he should probably broach, IE the fact that he knows Robin's secret ID.]

Yeah, I'm thinking about taking it up as a part time job.

[It's supposed to sound snarky, but it only comes out flat and lame. She can see where he's going with this and she's not interested. Kid Flash knowing Robin's secret ID just joined the ranks of topics that she does not want to talk about. Not right now, anyway. She's not even sure how she feels about it yet.]

Yeah well, you'd be good at it, what with that "I'm going to kick you down this flight of stairs" look you have going. [There we go, banter. That's safe. Wally's just going to check his compartments- oh good, he did refill. It's time for a couple granola bars.]

What are you talking about? I don't have a look.

[She says while giving him a taste of the "kick you down the stairs" look.

Artemis watches him unpack his cupboards and for once in the months that she's know Kid Flash they actually seem to have something in them. Color Artemis impressed.]

... There' s a vending machine too. It's just around the corner.

I don't have any cash on me. [So forget that route, just these two will have to do for now.

KF glances over in the direction of Robin's room, feeling his chest clench uncomfortably. He likes me.] Shouldn't they be done by now? No wonder they have a waiting list, it takes them forever just to look a guy over and put a cast on.

[That is something that has bothered Artemis since they got Robin's text, tickling in the back of her mind like a mosquito.]

Why were they checking him for a concussion in the first place? He has a broken leg.

I dunno.

...he's being kind of cagey about how it got broken. You don't think it's something we should know about, do you? [Wally doesn't even know what he's getting at here. Who would purposefully break Robin's leg? That is, is there anyone who could who Robin wouldn't immediately rat out?]

[Artemis has no idea what she's supposed to know or not know about anymore.]

I don't know... [Uncomfortably, she adds] I looked around the alley after you left. I didn't see anything.

[No shadowy figures, no threatening symbols... not even any signs of a fight.]

[ The click of crutches down the hall signals Robin's approach before he turns the corner. He looks uncomfortable, physically and emotionally, but not downright miserable like he did when they last left him.

They're still here. Despite everything, they're still here. Some of the tension drains from his shoulders, and he holds up his communicator, wiggling it in the air. ]

I called a cab. Shouldn't be long.

[ He looks at Wally for a moment, and Artemis for longer, an unspoken invitation hanging in the air, should either of them take it. ]

[The click of crutches cuts off that train of thought -"what the hell happened?"- and Robin rounds the corner. That annoying mantra starts up again, "he likes me, he likes me" but it's quiet and in the background of his mind as Wally watches Robin hobble down the hallway. Even on crutches and struggling to pull out his comm Robin is graceful, and Wally's reminded that the guy he was just fighting with was a world-renowned acrobat by the time he was like, seven.

Oh. He's talking.

It's still raining outside and there's only a couple things in this world less fun to run in than a downpour. And he might as well go back to his actual house anyway because SB wouldn't say it but Wally's pretty sure he's overstayed his welcome. By like five days. He might as well cram himself in the back of a cab with the rest of them.]

What about the bill? [Does the government pick it up since they're imPorts and/or minors?]

Forget it. If they send you a bill, just tell them you changed your address.

[Seems practical to Artemis. After all, what are they going to do? Break his kneecaps for refusing to pay?

Besides, what name would they put on the bill? "Robin, the Boy Wonder?"]

It's not like they know who you really are, anyway.

[That was kind of the whole point.]

[ It's not like they know who you really are, anyway. And there's that gnawing guilt in the pit of his stomach again. He'll have to talk to her about that. He owes her... something. Even if she understands, he owes her. ]

I'll work it out. I'm a pro at dodging things.

[ Normally Bruce would pay, if he even went to a real hospital, but— he pushes it out of his mind. ]

[KF, Artemis and Robin wait together for the cab to arrive. It's still hemorrhaging rain when it gets there, so KF snags one of the umbrellas from the stand by the door with the promise to bring it back. Robin gets situated in the back, and KF returns the umbrella before climbing in after Artemis.

The ride back to the residential area is pretty tense, but Kid Flash isn't about to do anything about it. The taxi is too slow but he's lost in thought anyway, staring out of the window at the rain streaking down the pane, watching the businesses fade to apartment buildings to houses.]

[Artemis, lost in her own thoughts, suddenly realizes she has no idea where they're even going. Before she can ask, however, they pull up in front of a bland, military house. In the rain and the dark it could be her own house, or Robin's. Hell, it could even be Kid Flash's for all she knows.

Hopefully, whoever's house it is, hers isn't too far away. It's still raining.]

... I guess we're here.

[ Robin, like a pro, gave the cab driver the wrong address. It's a lot closer to Artemis's than it is to his and Wally's, though, because she already took the bus and she shouldn't have to trudge in the rain any further than she has to.

He gets his money out, paying the driver and tipping him generously for not asking any questions. Once they're all out of the car and he's situated on his crutches again, he gestures down the road. It's the same direction to both their houses, at least. ]

You're just a few houses down.

[ He smiles like an apology. They'll get wet again. ]

Sorry. Can't be too careful.

[At least it's not raining as hard anymore. And at least their comms are waterproof, because KF just got done texting Zee and Conner. He climbs out of the taxi and frowns and the surrounding buildings before Robin gives them that look. Oh. Sure, hide their addresses from the taxi driver.

Bats.

He walks alongside Robin and checks his comm when it dings.] Rob, SB said to tell you, "I told you so." He said you'd get it.

[ And he groans, so obviously he does. ]

Tell him he was right and I hate it.

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