BACKDATED - AUG 15

[runningstart]

WHO: Robin (Dick Grayson, performance) & Kid Flash (Wally West, runningstart)
WHERE: Cave of Justice, Smokey Mountains, North Carolina
WHEN: August 16th, morning, after this revelation
WHAT: Robin confronts KF about his lie by omission. Yelling and crying. It's all very dramatic.
WARNINGS: Discussions of death, etc



One text.

with batman

Nothing after that. And KF's been hanging out in the living room next to the entrance, sitting on the edge of a chair almost all night, leg jiggling up and down nervously. Every so often he stuffs something into his mouth, habit, like refueling a car but everything tastes like sawdust. If he wasn't so hungry, he wouldn't bother.

Robin's going to want that explanation. Eventually, he's going to want it, Kid knows him. He's probably had it way in the back of his head all night, festering unseen and he's probably going to be livid by the time he shows up. If KF was smart, he'd get the hell out of here. If he had any sense at all he'd run to Jaime's or Shade's and beg them to let him stay-

Shit, if Jaime's even okay. Khaji's probably looking after him.

God. Everything's a mess. His secret IDs been compromised at least three times tonight -last night- and so many people are dead because of what's happened, because of what Crane did. Not just imPorts. People who won't ever have a chance to come back. KF remembers seeing one of them, a man curled up in the corner of the audience chamber, he'd been looking at his presentation with interest, he'd told Wally that he was smart-

KF smacks the heel of his hand against his head. Again. Stop.

There's not much he can do now. All he can do is sit and wait for Robin to come back, if he even does. Maybe he went straight to Bruce's, maybe he doesn't want to hear what KF has to say. ...Kid wouldn't blame him, but he can't- he can't run now. Not now. Not when he's at the risk of losing Robin over this.

Shit. That's what he'd been trying to avoid from the start.

Comments

[runningstart]

"You know what? You got it in one!" KF finally knocks Robin's fist away then, taking a step back and jabbing a finger in his direction like he'd love nothing more than to stick it right into Robin's stupid eye. "I didn't want you to know about it! I still don't want you to know about it! And if I didn't know you'd just hack into everything I've ever owned and probably interrogate anybody I've ever talked to, I wouldn't have told you anything today!"

[performance]

Robin doesn't so much as flinch at the finger jabbed in his direction, just stares back for a long, wounded, furious second. Years. They've been friends for years and this is what he has to show for it. He'll never, never trust anyone like he trusts Wally, and this is as good as it's ever going to get.

"Fine," he says, at last, sharp and dry as a twig snapping. "If that's what you want? Then this conversation never happened. Good luck with your theories."

He storms past Wally, heading for the bedroom, bumping hard and deliberately into his shoulder as he goes. The jolt to Robin's messed-up arm sends pain sizzling through his nerves. Good.

"And speaking of things we should never have told each other? It's Robin from here on out."

He feels sick just saying it, sick and awful and wrong, but it's already too late to take it back. But maybe if it hurts, Wally will remember that he's supposed to care. Maybe he'll act like Robin's expecting him to act, instead of... whatever this is.

[runningstart]

"Oh yeah?" KF scrambles after Robin, stomping down the hallways to follow, gut burning like it's been lit on fire, hands shaking because he's so angry and he's hurt and he wants to just lash back out and make Robin hurt as bad. "Well, you can still use Wally if you want, which is hilarious because I didn't even tell you my secret ID! You just rooted it out yourself! Apparently you deserve to know everything I don't tell you, so go right ahead! Enjoy yourself!" And Kid slams their bedroom door for Robin, standing in the hall, staring at the door and shaking before turning on his heel and darting out of the cave as fast as he can.