[closed] a welcome reprieve from emotional agony

[performance]

WHO: DICK GRAYSON (codename birdbrain) and WALLY WEST (codename kidiot)
WHERE: Maurtia Falls, PA
WHEN: July 31st, NIGHTTIME
WHAT: Crimefighting and shenanigans.
WARNINGS: Nerds.

[ July had been a mess, but at least it's almost over. To celebrate that fact (and his newly-healed leg, and his friends' safe return home, and hopefully the end of everything awful for at least a little while) Robin had invited-slash-dragged Kid Flash out on patrol, just the two of them, somewhere far away from Heropa.

Huge, dark clouds hang heavy in the sky. There's no storm yet, but the air feels like lightning. Or maybe it's just the two of them— ]

Check it out!

[ Robin whoops as he leaps the gap between buildings, executing a neat (if completely pointless) midair somersault. ]

Comments

[performance]

[ Well it's too late to ask, because he's hopping down quick and quiet to let the air out of some bad guy tires. ]

[runningstart]

Robin, what's-

[where the fuck]

...dammit. Robin! [Wally crouches at the edge of the building, peering down into the darkened alley. There's too much heat for infrared and too much light pollution for night vision, so the chances of him finding Robin in the shadows is about nil. He'll have to wait for a signal.

...ugh. Waiting.]

[performance]

[ It's not long before the quiet hiss of leaking air is just loud enough to be heard, if you're really, really listening.

But if Wally misses that, which is entirely possible, he's deinitely not going to miss the familiar cackling rising up from inside the building, and the chorus of "huh?" and "what the hell—?" as Robin flings all ninety pounds of his weight at an armed robber like a tiny human projectile. ]

[runningstart]

[ROBIN do not use your 90 pounds like it is double that, please-!!]

Oh geez, [KF mutters before tearing down off the roof and over to the bad guys. He probably missed his cue, but hopefully Robin knew he missed his cue and took it into consideration. There's about seven thugs outside now, hopefully the entire force, and Wally hears one of them hiss,] Shit, they're imPorts-! [before he threads between them all, snatching their guns and tossing them down a storm drain.]

Oops! Butterfingers!

[performance]

[ Robin grins bright and wild, springboarding off the chest of the first man, handspringing off the shoulders of a second, unbalancing him and sending him crashing into a third. ]

Just like big ugly dominoes!

[runningstart]

Hey so, I forgot to ask; what's number 26 again? [Wally dodges a guy throwing punches at him before finally rebounding off a wall to play human cannonball.]

[performance]

Thought you were subscribed to the newsletter! It's the one where we—

[ Robin ducks an elbow to the face, landing a hard, painful shin kick and backflipping out of reach, past a ricocheting Wally. ]

—leapfrog!

[ And the guy booking it down the street is the perfect target. ]

[runningstart]

Whoa whoa wait, that's 26? I thought leapfrog was 14!

[performance]

Dude, 14's the one where I hide up a tree and— he's getting away!

[runningstart]

What? [THAT FUCKER] Oh, right- on it! [Wally tears off after him right as rain begins to fall in big fat drops. He slips, skids, and crashes right into the back of the guy's knees so that's fortunate anyway. Dude hits the ground hard and is down for the count anyway, so.

Wally limps back over.] Should I call the cops? We done?

[performance]

Yeah, yeah. Help me hogtie these goons, will you?

[ Robin's already getting out his makeshift cuffs — good old zip tie ingenuity. He hands Wally a couple. ]

Jeez, I really wanted to try 26, [ he adds in a mock-pout, but his heart's racing and his cheeks are pink with exhilaration and he can't wipe the grin off his face. Tonight's turning out awesome. ]

[runningstart]

I feel like 26 is going to end up with me playing big frog most of the time, [Wally points out, tying up goons three and four. He glances up, sees Robin grinning and can't help but grin back.]

Y'know, we haven't gone on patrol together in a while, before this place. It's always been missions and mentors.

[performance]

Yeah, for now. I'll get that growth spurt soon, dude, and we can trade off frog duty all you want.

[ He feels Wally's eyes on him and looks up, something almost sweet in his grin before it spreads, cocky again. ]

... We've gotten way better, huh? No more tripping over each other.

[runningstart]

I could still trip over you if you're feeling nostalgic. [wally shoves over one of the guys on the ground to keep his face out of a growing puddle of water and zip ties his hands.] You're short enough, wouldn't be too hard.

[performance]

Yeah, right. Enjoy it while it lasts, speedbump.

[ Robin drags the last of the robbers under the awning of the building so they don't get rained on too hard, even though they probably don't deserve it. ]

Okay, c'mere. I'm making this an official thing, starting now. Gonna scrapbook it.

[ He slings his arm around Wally's shoulders, grinning widely, holding up his comm with the tied-up thugs behind them. It's super-selfie time. ]

[runningstart]

[Wally grins and bounces over; Robin slings his arm around his shoulders and he strikes a strongman's pose.] This is totally exploitation and I don't even care. Say cheese, fellas!

[Right as Robin snaps the pictures, the sirens wail above the increasingly loud rainfall and Wally tugs on Robin's arm.] C'mon, I'm getting soaked and I'm starving. Let's go find somewhere to wait this out!

[performance]

I saw an all-night diner a few blocks east of here! Is it tacky to go in costume? And do we care?

[ Robin grabs the corner of his cape and holds it up like an umbrella for Wally to duck under, but he only has seconds to do it before Robin's cackling and taking off down the sidewalk. ]

[runningstart]

[For a second Wally wonders if he should actually let Robin hold his cape over their heads like an umbrella the whole way, but then the little shit takes off into the rain and Wally howls as the sky dumps buckets onto his head.

So, of course, Wally catches up to Robin, grabs him and throws him over his shoulder as he goes tearing through the city and kicking up a spraying wake of water behind them.]

[performance]

Hey!

[ Robin squawks indignantly. He wasn't soaked before, but now his face is wet and his hair is dripping and his cape's lying wet across his back. ]

[runningstart]

[Yeah and now his cape is flapping up to slap wetly over his head with a damp swack sound. About then KF realizes he doesn't know where they're going anyway so he skids to a halt, ducks under a storefront awning and drops Robin unceremoniously to his feet.]

Punk.

[performance]

[ It turns out there's really no dignified way to remove the bottom half of a rain-soaked cape from the top of one's head, but Robin does his very best anyway, fixing Wally with the flattest, least impressed look possible. ]

My way was dryer.

[runningstart]

For you, maybe, [Wally snorts as he scrubs his fingers through his hair to squeeze water out of it.]

[performance]

I offered to share!

[ Robin shakes his dripping cape with both hands by way of explanation, looking not unlike a wet flappy baby bird who's just learning to fly. ]

[runningstart]

I made an executive decision to make it more fun. [KF grabs Robin's cape and wrings it out for him. There. No harm done.]

[performance]

[ Robin just sighs and rolls his eyes and lets Wally manhandle his costume. ]

So where are we eating? Because you overshot my idea by like eight blocks.