Archive of Our Own

Wally wasn’t good at making coffee. It was all he drank, but more often than not, it was sludge. He could never get the measurements right. Sometimes it came out as tinted water that turned off white when he added milk. Sometimes he made it so strong that Dick would spit it out in a fit of choked laughter. He was terrible at it, but that didn’t stop him from trying. There was something domestic he adored about bringing Dick something hot to drink in the morning. He loved watching the way Dick’s eyes slowly opened, and how his nose crinkled as he tried not to laugh at the morning’s newest failed beverage. He loved waking him up with something from the heart, and things from the heart didn’t have to be perfect.

That’s why when he woke up to the sound of his radio alarm blasting something corny pop song, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed when he reached over to find Dick’s side of the bed empty. It wasn’t their routine that Dick was up first. Wally usually had to get creative when it came to rousing him. He was always so adamantly against being awake most mornings. The blankets were pushed into a neat pile, the glasses Dick swore he didn’t need were folded under the lamp. His commlink was missing. Wally cursed silently.

He sat up, back cracking slightly at the sudden shift in position. He stretched and heard the sound of someone rummaging around in the kitchen accompanied by some delightfully off-key singing.

“Love, where are we keeping the coffee now?” Dick called. “It’s not in the fridge.”

“Doesn’t go in the fridge.” Wally mumbled sleepily. He stumbled into the kitchen, arms already moving to wrap around Dick’s middle, but he missed when Dick moved to check above the sink next.

“It makes it fresh!” Dick argued, reaching around the cupboards in confusion.

“Pantry, babes. I’ll get it. You working today?”

It was a silly question. Dick was already completely dressed up in uniform. There were new additions here and there; thin electric blue lines wrapped around his biceps and chest. There was a higher collar too that framed his jaw quite nicely. He’d been talking about having the suit updated since they got back from Indiana. Wally would have been lying if he said he wasn’t concerned about the updates. Apart from new colors, he didn’t know what else Dick wanted from the suit. It was supposed to keep him safe, and the armor did that plenty. Maybe It had just been a while since he’d last needed to feel safe in a super suit. But it worried him seeing Dick so interested in the idea of adding new bits and bobs.

He made the coffee with Dick hovering around him, reminding him how much coffee to use and how much water. Wally did as he pleased with it however, shushing his boyfriend with a quick peck on the cheek as he poured what was probably too much water into the pot and set it on to boil.

“What’s the job?”

“Just patrol.” Dick said; he stayed pacing as Wally slumped into one of the chairs. “Bruce says he thinks it would be good to start small.”

“You don’t seem to think so.”

“I’ve been ready to go back for a while, Wally. I can get back into this without the training wheels.” Dick said.

“I know for a fact that leg is still acting up.” Wally said. “I like the idea of you taking it slow for a bit.”

That didn’t seem to help. Frustrated, Dick huffed and went to sit on the table in front of Wally, evading his hands again when Wally tried to pull him into his lap. He leaned forward, arms resting on his knees as he waited for Wally to say something different about the situation; waiting for him to say that Bruce was wrong, that jumping back into the life was for the best, and that these past few lazy months had been nothing more than a vacation.

“Babes, I’m not about to argue with you. I said what I said, and I’m sticking by it.” Wally smirked, reaching up to brush Dick’s hair out of his face. “The only thing I’m willing to budge on right now is where I’m taking you tonight.”

Dick sighed in defeat, blowing a tuft of his bang away. “Wally, this is important. I need to prove I can do this.”

“You’ve never had to before.”

“That was....different. Bruce has been on edge ever since-…" He paused. Wally noted how his breathing hitched ever so slightly. “Ever since last time.” he finished vaguely.

Wally reached to touch him again but Dick took his hand and held it instead. Wally frowned.

“What’s with this No Touchy Game you’re playing, hm? I wouldn’t mind it usually, but I think you could use some poorly timed, out of place petting.”

Dick snorted, a familiar chuckle breaking the moody spell. Wally’s heart skipped a beat at the sound. It was so rare nowadays.

“It’s the updated suit.” He explained, leaning back on his hands a bit to show Wally. “The lines are charges. If you touch me, you’ll get shocked. Only if you don’t know how to stop it though.”

Wally raised an eyebrow, torn between the appeal of what could only be described as a sexy puzzle to solve, and the clear discomfort Dick was displaying regarding physical touch. It had been getting worse. He didn’t like anyone but Wally touching him. He even squirmed when Bruce’s hand came to rest on his shoulder or ruffle his hair. The suit was a bright blue, form fitting, red flag that looked too damn good.

“Wanna learn how to touch me?” Dick asked coyly.

Wally decided there was no point in picking a fight this early. “Alright, sweet-thang. Show me how it works.”

Dick grinned widely. “Go for it.”

“Where?”

“Where do you want to?”

Wally played it safe, poking a playful finger against Dick’s inner thigh. Immediately he felt a distinct electric hum. The lines lit up blue and a tingle began to buzz up the tip of his finger and through his arm. Before it could shock him however, Dick lightly guided his hand up to the top of his leg and pressed it flat. The hum was countered with a slight chill and the humming stopped.

“Again.” Dick said.

This time he took full control. He pulled Wally forward a bit, taking his hands and placing them on his hips. Wally shivered as the hum returned and the lines glowed brighter. This time the glow spread where he didn’t even see the lines. The whole suit was lighting up like a grid. Light wove jerkily all over the fibers of the suit. A sharper tingle spread through Wally’s hands, and a crackle filled the air. His hair had just started to stand on end before Dick moved his hands to press his lower back instead and the feeling subsided.

“Wow...” Wally breathed, grinning dumbly. “That’s...that’s a trick.”

“If anyone grabs me, they get electrocuted hard enough to blow them through the wall. Unless they know where the counter points are.”

“Very...interesting.” Wally said, hands still firmly planted on Dick’s back. “So. Do I get to move a little lower? Or is that a new No-No Zone?”

“Alas.” Dick said. “My ass is officially a No-No Zone. Its capitol is Don’t Fucking Try It-opolis.”

“Call Immagration, I’m about to breach some borders.” Wally said.

Dick chuckled and tapped the sides of his throat. The suit returned to a normal temperature, and Wally realized it had been humming this whole time now that it was off.

“Alright, love. Access granted. You have five minutes to go ham.”

And go ham, Wally did. He practically pinned Dick down on the table, knocking a plate of burned toast against the wall. Crumbs went everywhere but he didn’t care. He finally got to kiss Dick good morning properly and having to wait had gotten him excited. His hands squeezed Dick’s backside playfully before coming back to his front and sliding up his torso to his chest. That drew a genuine giggle out of him that got Wally all kinds of riled. The coffee pot was starting to whistle, but Wally didn’t care. With Dick underneath him kissing him like that, the damn thing could boil over and blow up for all he cared.

The suit was turned off, so Wally took the opportunity to sit up and pull Dick into his lap, kissing his chest and running his fingers along his thighs. Dick pressed their lips together again, much more tenderly than Wally had. Wally wanted Dick for the whole morning, and Dick could only have him for a few minutes more. They always seemed so polarized lately. Between Dick’s eagerness to get back to work and Wally never wanting to let him go again, more often than not they found themselves running away from each other and trying to hold on at the same time. It was difficult.

Dick gave a shriek of laughter as Wally vibrated against his neck and nibbled his ear. He twisted, trying to get away in a maneuver that toppled them from the chair and onto the cold floor.

“Love, I have to go to work- I have to go!” Dick laughed as Wally kissed his face all over with a burst of speed.

“I hate to dig up an old can of worms, babes, but you look way too nice on these tiles to let you go so soon.”

“Mm-hmm. Linoleum really brings out my eyes.”

Something overcame Wally then. Maybe it was the fuzzy morning sleep finally clearing his head, or maybe that suit had shocked him a little bit, but Wally couldn’t do anything for a moment but grin blushingly down as his boyfriend. He kissed him again on the mouth, a quick and playful one this time that was too lazy to go any further. Wally figured they might not need the sun anymore with how Dick’s smile lit up.

“Wouldn’t have to say goodbye so much if you’d say yes.” He said breathlessly.

“I told you I would.” Dick whispered, letting Wally kiss him again. “Just get me a ring and ask Bruce if he’s cool with it and we’ll run away again.”

“Nah, I think I’ll scoop you up and steal you away instead.” Wally grinned and nuzzled Dick’s cheek.

“Tempting.” Dick propped himself up on his elbows and patted Wally’s cheek. “I gotta go, love.”

Wally sighed and climbed off him and went to turn the coffee pot off. Dick hopped up and brushed the dust off his uniform and sheathed his escrinas across his back. Wally knew better than to make Dick ask him a third time to let him leave. They’d see each other later that night anyway, wherever Dick wanted to go; Wally had promised him.

“Later, cute-stuff!” Dick was suddenly behind him, pressing a kiss to Wally’s cheek and grabbing his ass so quickly that Wally almost flung the coffee pot.

“Hey!!” But it was too late. Dick bolted out the window, his signature laughter echoing through the morning.

--

Owlman stared at the massive screen before him, a red dot blinking along a blue line. It seemed almost impossible. His chest fluttered, making him shiver. The computer’s distorted voice rang through the nest.

“Opening detected.”

His claws clicked across the keyboard. He didn’t trust himself to speak. The sound of the computer whirring under the intense task load was all he could focus on in that moment. Not the city’s rushing heartbeat, not his commlink beeping for his attention could tear his eyes off that blinking dot. He’d been looking for it for months now, and there it flickered on his screen like it had never. A familiar alien sensation began to pool in his chest. He’d have to figure out a name for that feeling if it was going to keep visiting him so frequently.

The sigma tube had connected. The rifts were open again.

He locked onto the signal with hands that refused to steady themselves. If he wasn’t careful, the connection would drop. He needed to contain the zeta pulse before he tried anything else. There was a time when patience was his pet, but the urge to rush through this delicate process and claim what was his was more enticing than the aspect of perfection.

It had been months. Months of searching, months of frustration, months of staring at the massive screen with the foolish hope that he could somehow will the rifts to open. The sheer horror of finding his world locked after Richard was stolen away yet again had almost made him wish for death. The humiliation of grief had weighed more heavily on him the last time. Unlike the first loss of Richard, he had managed to touch that soft skin one final time. It was just like how he’d remembered it; muscles tight, the smallest hint of gooseflesh in the chilly air, the slightest scent of peppermint that made him shiver. Richard had been his for those precious few hours.

And then it had been stolen again.

He’d worked tirelessly to try and enter that world again, but Earth 1 had remained staunchly locked to him. Every night he’d returned to the nest, fingers twitching with unprecedented hope that perhaps this time, he would tear the galaxy open to see that blue gaze once again. Every lock had its weak points, and it was only a matter of time before his claws managed to prize it open once more.

Owlman shivered as the red dot pulsated again, beeping low and long to confirm the frequency's capture. Whatever precautions his counterpart had taken were rushed and careless. It had left the faintest pinprick of an opening in his world. Granted the rotation of the planet and the interference of solar flares kept him from locking onto it for longer than half a second or two, but it was only a matter of practice. Capturing the tear was a game of patience.

Stepping away from the keyboard, Owlman hitched the transdimensional gun to his belt before tapping his commlink once. It only took a moment to hear someone answer his click for attention.

“Power Ring.” The lantern always identified himself upon calling and answering, for some reason.

“Clear the base.” Owlman said.

“No can do. Boss’s sharing a teachable moment with me an’ Mary.”

“Tell him to finish it.”

“Tell him yourself.”

The commlink went dead and Owlman growled silently. Patience was wearing thin, having spent so long supporting his obsession. He didn’t have time to see how long this sigma lock would hold on another dimension’s teleportation frequency. But taking the risk was better than waiting around. He stepped back and activated the sigma cloak fixed into his chest armor.

The moon base was a cacophony of nonsensical yelling and crashing. A red flash of eyebeams cut into the ground at Owlman’s feet, leaving the steel floor a singed, smoking scuff. A blur of yellow darted by to his right, almost knocking into him before the familiar grip of Superwoman’s hand closing around his bicep dragged him out of the proximity of whatever fight was happening this week.

“Watch yourself, lover.” Superwoman grinned. “He’s feeling a little aggressive today.”

Owlman turned his head just in time to see Johnny Quick hit the ground shoulder first and roll out from under the kryptonian’s massive fist. Just from the speed of the punch alone Owlman could tell Ultraman was holding back. Those eyebeams should have melted a hole in the floor alone. Johnny recovered quickly, flipping himself back on his hand; a dangerous move as it took him off the ground long enough for Ultraman to give a lazy slap that knocked him backwards into another roll. Johnny was smarter this time. He took the roll and popped back up, keeping his feet firmly planted enough to dart forward at half speed, fist pulling back to punch.

It was a fake out on both sides. Johnny burst into full speed halfway across the room and Ultraman let him get close enough to slam his forearm into Johnny’s ribs and scoop him off the floor. Gangly limbs flailing, Johnny’s speed took over faster than his brain. He twisted in the stone-like grip around his middle, his elbow swung back into the back of Ultraman’s head. He struck again and again, speed picking up to a pace that would have decapitated anyone else who tried something like this. But it wasn’t enough to stop Ultraman from carrying him kicking and snarling out of the ring.

The fight was over even before it started it seemed. Ultraman slammed the speedster into the freezing metal of the wall. Feet now well off the ground, the only thing he could do was struggle against the hand pinning his throat. Legs still pedaled against Ultraman, but Johnny had never been known for his strength. Prying Ultraman off of him would require more than just petty jabs, something that Owlman knew for a fact Johnny wasn’t capable of. It was exactly what he’d been hoping to see.

Ultraman ended the scuffle with a bored huff, massive hand wrapping around the speedster’s leg and hiking it up against his side. He pressed his full weight down onto Johnny. The pressure was so fierce Johnny cried out. He twisted, forcing Ultraman to tighten the grip he had on the speedster’s leg. Power Ring’s lip curled into a sympathetic grimace.

“I’ll break it, Johnny.”

“Don’t try it, mate.” Johnny gasped. Owlman couldn’t tell if it was fear or exhaustion quickening his breath like that. “No use to you hobbled.”

“You’re barely of any use to me now.”

“You run Central City then if you’re so puffed.”

Ultraman roughly slammed him against the wall again. The back of Johnny’s visor clanged against the metal, and he groaned in pain, breathing quickening even more. There was a hint of excitement to it this time. Ultraman twisted the leg still in his grasp, not enough to break, but it probably burned something fierce.

“That mouth is faster than your brain, Quick.” Ultraman said with a harsh chuckle.

“See, I thought that was part of my charm.”

Almost the moment he said it Johnny winced, realizing he’d just done the most dangerous and stupidest thing one could do in a fight with Ultraman; proving him right. Whatever their disagreement, whoever was actually correct, it no longer mattered by Kryptonian logic. Ultraman only had to be right once. He leaned closer, clearly relishing the way Johnny attempted to slide down the wall away from him. Pointless, considering the grip on his limbs. The only way out of this was through humiliation and a well worded apology. Normally Owlman wouldn’t have minded the demonstration, but the beeping in his ears reminded him of his purpose there.

He turned his head, glancing at Superwoman with a silent request that she caught with a smirk. She turned on her heel, boots clicking across the metal floor towards her teammates. Johnny’s eyes flicked towards her and he barely managed a typical, “Bugger.” before she grabbed Ultraman’s cape and twisted it around her wrist, flinging both men back across the ring. Free from the kryptonian grip, Johnny bolted, a slight limp forcing an awkward left-tilt to his pace. One of Power Ring’s constructs lifted him off the ground before he could crash into one of the pillars.

Ultraman staggered to his feet, teeth already bared into a vicious snarl everyone became familiar with at some point, but Superwoman had been dealing with him long enough so that look meant nothing to her. She slapped it right off his face.

“You have a visitor.” She said, hands on her hips as she glared down at him. “You wanna stop throwing our only speedster around long enough to remember your manners?”

“He doesn't mind it, Sweetheart.” Ultraman growled, wiping some blood away from the corner of his mouth. “Hey, Johnny, we’re all good, capeesh?”

“Blow it out your arse, gobshite!” Johnny hollered from behind Power Ring’s shield.

Ultraman chuckled as he got to his feet, smoothing his messed hair back and throwing Owlman a grin. “Well, let’s go have a talk then.”

Owlman followed him, silent as ever. He had no doubt that Ultraman could hear his heart pounding, or at the very least he could most likely smell the excitement coming off of him. It wasn’t worth trying to pretend that this was a normal meeting. Owlman very rarely allowed himself to meet with him privately unless an exchange of favors was going to occur. The odds his intent was already clear were high, and he didn’t have the time to waste groveling.

The hiss of the private office’s doors sliding shut behind him guaranteed privacy between them. The inside was completely white, contrasting the long-gone kryptonian cultural norm of black. Ultraman turned and leaned back against his desk, motioning for Owlman to have a seat. Owlman ignored the gesture, the computer’s beeping still ringing loud and clear in the back of his mind.

“I need a favor from you.” Owlman cut to the chase. “The rift between our world and Earth 3 is open again.  It appears the lock our counterparts left in their wake is not as strong as they hoped. I will require your assistance in recovering something lost to me.”

“You don’t waste your time do you, Tommy?” Ultraman smirked.

“It is imperative we move quickly. Our link is fragile at best. Our time is limited.”

“You want someone fast, get Johnny. I think I could sweet talk him into lending a hand.”

Owlman bit the inside of his cheek, swallowing a frustrated growl. Ultraman wasn’t the idiot Owlman needed him to be. Each of the Syndicate had their own manner of getting what they wanted from their leader. Superwoman batted her eyelashes or left bruises. Power Ring’s cold hard reason was strong enough to convince even a brick wall to bend. Johnny only needed to promise filth in return for favors. But Owlman had never found himself so lucky to have Ultraman think that low of him. No.....it was always so personal between them.

“I do not have time to stroke your ego.” Owlman said evenly.

“Did I ask you to? I don’t recall saying anything like that.”

“Then help me.”

“What’s on the other side that’s got your tights in a bunch?”

He knew. He’d been the one to find Owlman after Richard’s luck extended into his world. The humiliation wouldn’t be easily forgotten or forgiven. .

“Here's the thing, Tommy.” Ultraman said, folding his arms across his chest and crossing one leg over the other. “You’re hung up pretty bad on a little blue problem. I knew sooner or later you were gonna ask me to help you scratch that itch, and I really don’t think that’s healthy.”

Owlman’s jaw tensed before he could stop it.

“Now, the last time that little blue problem came to our neck of the woods, did you end up in a bit of a....body cast?”

“.....Injuries were sustained. No more than the regular amount.”

“Hm.” Ultraman rubbed a hand over his chin in false thoughtfulness. “See, the family doesn’t need that happening again. I understand you’ve been putting a lot of time and money behind this little project, but if you think wasting your body and mind tracking down some little fanook who just happens to look like your dead kid is a good use of Syndicate resources.....Tommy I think I’m gonna have to have a more serious talk with you.”

The beeping was getting further away in his head. Owlman could practically see the door closing, Richard’s wide blue eyes watching in horror as the link between them severed forever. Ultraman tilted his head as he watched him, half smirk tugging the corners of his mouth.

“You are saying ‘No’” Owlman said through gritted teeth.

“Nah, I’m asking what’s so different about this time, huh? What’s got you thinking you can get to the kid before his real daddy comes to his rescue again?”

This time, Owlman couldn’t stop his lip from curling into disgust. Not just at Ultraman’s ego, but at his own inability to see a trap like this being set up at the start.

“Because.” Owlman said, voice teetering between anger and desperation. “......I will have you this time.”

“There it is...” Ultraman growled appreciatively

Owlman’s heart was still pounding as the kryptonian pushed off the desk easily and strolled over to him. Instinctively, he made to back away. Mary always instilled in him a nervous edge to encounters with metahumans. His back hit the wall of the office, Ultraman’s hand flattening next to his head as he leaned casually forwards, interest fully captured by the unwillingly given praise.

“Alright, so what’s the plan you need me so bad for then?”

“He is most likely protected.”

“You want me to take out his crew? Show him he’s got nothing left?”

“Not quite.” Owlman detached a small holo-pen from his belt, twisting the thin bar to unlock the image held within. “It is important that he makes a choice. I must provide him with options.”

The holo-pen flickered, a blue tinted image of a young man winked into view. He was square faced, mid-laugh, and with  freckles that peppered his cheeks almost liberally. His smile dimpled, there was a small gap in his teeth that someone probably found to be quite dashing. Ultraman certainly seemed to think so. Owlman noted the way his brow lowered into an interested glower.

“This is someone of grave importance to him. He is a speedster by the name of Wallace West. If put on a short enough leash, he could be quite...useful to us.”

“I’d say so. It’d give Johnny something to play with anyway. Been meaning to get him something pretty lately.”

“I’ve had plenty of time to study the Richard of Earth 1. His connection to Wallace West is one of extreme dependence. To claim one is to claim both.”

“Yeah, you’re real evil, ain’t you Tommy?” Ultraman said. “Sounds to me like you got this one all figured out. Real cute plan. And what happens if you’re wrong about this speedster kid, huh? What if Dick doesn’t wanna play your game? I seem to remember that kid as a self-serving little prick.”

Before he could stop himself, remind himself that he needed Ultraman’s cooperation on this, Owlman bristled. His teeth flashed in an angry snarl at the defamation of his ward. Richard had been spirited, driven, and willful. He was anything but self-centered. Owlman would never have allowed him that arrogance. He’d taught him respect, taught him to care for his guardian. This doppelganger had his spirit, and there was no doubt in his mind he had Richard’s pesky capacity to obsess over the things he desired.

“Do not...” Owlman started through his teeth. “Do not make such assumptions.”

“Watch that tone. You want my help or not?”

“He will take my offer.” Owlman stated firmly. “He will have no other choice.”

Ultraman chuckled, moving his hand to grip the back of Owlman’s neck firmly. It was a gesture of approval, but he still disliked the contact. Ultraman knew that. He grinned, teeth flashing brightly.

“Alright, Tommy-boy.” he said. “Alright, if you're feeling that big then maybe I’ll take a chance on it. Maybe this won’t be like last time. After all, this whole charade’s about second chances, yeah?”

Owlman twisted out of the kryptonian’s grip and withdrew into his cape. He turned swiftly on his heel and headed back out, towards the sigma tubes, towards the last chance he’d have to see Richard again, to bring him home. He heard Ultraman following, his footsteps heavy and careless. It was a risk bringing him, but rationality had not been his friend as of late. He needed an ultimatum, and that would come in the form of Ultraman.

“Our window is closing.” Owlman said. “We leave immediately.”

“One more time there, Tommy.” Ultraman said, pinching the retreating black cape between thumb and forefinger; the grip was light but stopped Owlman in his tracks. “Tell me why it’s so important I come along.”

Owlman growled, deep and impatient in his throat. Teeth bared, he tugged his cape free.

“Because….I need you. I cannot guarantee success without your help.”

Ultraman chuckled, finally releasing him. “That’s a good bird.”

--

Dick flipped backwards from the gargoyle he’d perched on and allowed himself to fall downwards to the busy street below. His hair whipped by his mask in the warm breeze the faster he fell. He twisted, turning just enough in midair to push off the building and turn his downward plunge into a vault that brought him barrelling off towards another building edge that he latched onto and pulled himself onto. As quickly as he landed, he took off again, vaulting himself up to a high ledge and scrambled up.

It wasn’t as graceful as he would have liked, nor as fast, but Bruce would kill him if he took it any faster. He set off at a brisk sprint before piking off the next edge and letting the world go topsy turvy. His landing wasn’t as strong as he would have liked; a sharp but fleeting pain wriggled its way up his leg before vanishing just below his hip. It had been doing that since he and Wally got back from Indiana. He knew better than to mention it to anyone though. Bruce would never have let him out again if he knew he was still hurting. Hell, Wally never would have let him even walk to the store without insisting on carrying him.

One last dive off the top of a bodega and he missed his landing completely, cursing as he slid off the lid of a dumpster and landed in a blessedly soft pile of bags. Somewhere, a cat hissed. Further off in the distance, the wind kicked up with unexpected strength.

The wind. That’s what must have thrown him off. He wasn’t used to being on patrol again. He just needed time to adjust.

He squirmed out of the mess he’d landed in, stumbling once more as another shooting pain warned him to take it slower. His comm link beeped.

“Yeah?” he answered. “Who’s got the pleasure of hearing my honey smooth voice today?”

“Holding your breath isn’t going to make you sound less strained.” Artemis said.

“I’m not!” Dick insisted. “Scout’s honor. I’m at the top of my game.”

“Exhale then.”

“I shan’t. What’d you call me for?”

“Your tracker took a sharp right angle downwards so I’m making sure you’re not street pizza.”

Dick couldn’t hold his breath any longer and winced as he let it out. Artemis was right, he was winded as all hell just from a few measly flips that he couldn’t even decently land.

“You want me to come get you?”

“I’d never live it down. I’m in an alley, that’s all. Slipped wrong on my landing and pinged off a dumpster.”

“Your timing was probably perfect.”

“Yeah, I’ve always been the funniest person alive when there’s no one around.”

“Hm, ain’t that just the way? Well, I’m about four blocks away if you can wait. I’ll start heading over.”

“Artemis.” Dick said, catching his breath enough to push some sternness into his voice. “Don’t. I said it nicely once and now I’m telling you; don’t come get me. I can walk, I can fight, and I don’t need anyone babying me.”

“.......Alright.” Artemis said so easily that Dick almost felt embarrassed for getting firm. “I won’t. But if I see any more sudden movements from you I’m carrying your ass back to the mountain. Don’t think I can’t.”

“I don’t doubt it, but I won’t make it easy for you.”

“You know I like a challenge. Now stop being a twit and get back out there.”

The line went dead before he could answer. She always liked to have the last word. Dick switched his comm off and stretched, shoulder popping uncomfortably. He frowned, wincing. It was just another issue he’d have to deal with. It seemed like more and more were surfacing whenever he tried to get back into the game. He pursed his lips, trying hard not to sink into his own frustrations, no matter how familiar and comfortable they felt. Behind him, the bodega door opened, someone coming and going, loudly opening a bag of chips as they yapped on the phone.

For a moment, he almost considered calling Artemis back and taking her up on her offer. His leg still ached, and the fall had done nothing to help. Only four blocks away, but she’d probably get there with speed that would make Wally jealous. Artemis had been so helpful over the past few months. Being the only team member he was still on speaking terms with, she was also the only person who knew what had happened.

She was the only person who seemed to think he could do this.

There was that frustration again that he tried so hard to push down. He was starting to spiral and he’d only been out for a few hours. He sighed in annoyance and rubbed a hand over his face, trying to focus his thoughts. He was in an alley. Artemis was only a few blocks away. The bodega probably had some painkillers for his stupid leg. They also had snacks.

Food sounded nice. It was almost two in the afternoon anyway. He’d been meeting Wally soon, and he’d jump at the chance to bring him a bag of Dill Bugles. They didn’t have those in Central City. Wally loved those so much. It had been ages since Dick had brought a snack at the office anyway.

Distraction planted, Dick twisted left, then right, snapping the aches and pains out of his back before popping into the store. He flashed his trademark grin at the shocked cashier, worries already fleeting from his mind.

Outside, the wind kicked up again.

--

“Alright, Nedry.” Wally said, tapping a few keys on the aged computer. “Let’s see if we got it right this time.”

“Doubtful.” Nedry said. “I told you everything’s gone so there’s no point in looking. Cisco couldn’t find anything, Bard couldn’t find anything, so you’re no different.”

“Ray of sunshine as always.” Wally answered through gritted teeth.

There’d been a blackout. Usually it was never anything too difficult to work with. Usually Wally could have the labs up and working again with a few charming words and the right wires being teased, but this time something was different. No one was certain what had caused it, but the blackout had wiped their drives completely. Backup, spare, and even some of the dated hunks of plastic were empty. Years worth of research was suddenly missing with nothing short of a small gust of wind. It was literally like someone had snapped their fingers and vanished everything.

Cisco had all but crashed. The look on his face was indescribable, but Wally was sure he could come up with something as the crisis continued. Flabbergasted? No, too simple. Crushed? No, too devastating. The emotions were like a blend of despair and hilarity. It was amazing that Cisco had enough energy to even start the backup generators; he was so distraught. Bard had done everything he could trying to dig for what he could, but so far the only ray of hope was knowing that none of their connected networks had suffered any sort of massive data loss like this one. Recovery wouldn’t be as difficult, but it would still be a chore.

“Just let it go. We’ve lost everything.” Nedry said for the fifth time.

Wally barely managed to stop himself from growling in frustration. Nedry had been the least helpful person since the disaster registered with everyone. He’d barely helped them recover anything, and the pessimism was starting to piss Wally off. It seemed like every time he got close to solving something, the older tech had something to complain about. The servers weren’t running fast enough, the firewall reset and locked everyone out, the backup generator was only good for a day or two, everything was on fire in Nedry’s world, nothing was worth it.

Wally tapped a little more deliberately at the keys. In the background, Cisco gave a howl of frustration. What followed was perhaps the sound of Bard catching whatever Cisco threw in his fit.

The lights flickered again as another gust from outside threatened them.

“Told you.” Nedry said, stretching his bony arms above his head and folding them behind his neck. “Best leave it for California to figure out for us. It’s-”

“-Useless. Yeah man, I know.” Wally finished with a sigh.

“I’m just being honest.”

Wally didn’t bother to answer. Being honest didn’t always have to mean being a whining snot but pointing that out would only result in even more complaining from Nedry’s end. And he was always worse when he had an actual reason to complain like this. Outside, the wind kicked up again, causing the lights to flicker. Wally winced, holding his breath as his computer screen winked threateningly. Downstairs, something crashed loudly.

The whole day was unusual right down to the weather. It had been close to a wind storm all day before the power was knocked out and everyone flew into hysterics. He hadn’t been able to activate his comm since the outage, and whenever he did, the only frequency he could find was a persistent but slow beep. The only reason why he hadn’t called out for the day was because he was the only one who had memorized the file organization and password for the archives.

And maybe because he needed the distraction.

It wasn’t a secret Dick wasn’t doing as well as he claimed, and not amount of flirting or showing off would convince Wally otherwise. The suit had stuck in his mind. The hum still tingled through his fingertips when he thought about it, the way it lit up, ready to shock him if Dick wished it. However what stuck the most, was how pleased Dick had seemed about it.

Usually Dick never would have smiled like that over the thought of hurting someone. The way he talked about that other world….that seemed more like something the other Dick would have liked.

Beside him, Nedry was on his phone, bony fingers tapping the screen as he yammered about how useless everything was. Another crash from downstairs made them both twitch. Wally caught himself wondering again if he should call out. At least being in Bludhaven would make him feel better. Being in the same city as Dick meant he could be there for him if he needed it. Not that he was expecting Dick to need him on a simple patrol mission.

Wally shook his head again as he continued typing and focused even harder on ignoring Nedry as another crash drew more complaints from him.

It was a patrol; a simple, safe, easy patrol. Dick wouldn’t need Wally to rescue him, nor would he need to use that suit.

“What are they doing down there?” Nedry finally snapped, tossing his phone on the desk and standing up. “Cisco taking a hammer to the mainframe? That’s really gonna make things even harder for us. Doesn’t he consider anyone but himself?”

“Go check if it bugs you, man.” Wally finally said, fighting to keep an even tone. “Get me a soda from the machine while you’re at it.”

Nedry huffed, already on his way to the stairs. It was all Wally could do to hide his sigh of relief as the room instantly felt lighter. Perhaps it really was Nedry’s energy that was making him fret like that. The man was hard to be around. The crashing continued. Wally rubbed the bridge of his nose, wondering if Nedry was actually just about to make things worse.

He pulled out his phone to avoid thinking too hard about it. Already the screen was lighting up with a message that glowed a familiar comforting blue.

“I got a cute butt AND Dill Bugles! can you believe how lucky you are??”

Wally grinned before he could stop himself and texted back something silly that Dick would probably tease him over later. Now wasn’t the time for thinking, now was the time for dill bugles and a crooked smile that made his heart sing.

He left the impossible mess of an archive behind him in the dark office, heading for the roof of the lab.

It was just as breezy as Wally expected it to be outside, but that didn’t stop him from grinning at the sight of Nightwing perched on one of the fan boxes, hair whipped to and fro by the disagreeable weather. He was already smiling, and those dimples were almost cute enough to distract him from the awkward way Dick was sitting. His leg was bothering him again, but Wally knew there was no way Dick would allow him to ask about it. Wally made a note to bring it up later when he had him in bed and was unable to get away. For now though, Wally could settle for the snack and the small talk. Besides, that smile made everything going on in the labs below cease to exist, along with Wally’s brain cells and ability to do anything but think about just how good his boyfriend looked. He could have that for a while.

“You didn’t have to bring me my favorite snack.” Wally grinned, closing the distance between them in a few strides.

“You said they didn’t have anything but BBQ and you don’t like those, so I-HEY!” Dick snorted as Wally pulled him into a hug, mouth already pressing a comedically sloppy kiss against his cheek.

“I meant you, dummy.”

“So I can keep the bugles, then?”

“.......I knew it would come down to you or saturated fats.”

“Choose wisely, love. saturated fats don’t have my talented mouth.”

“Hm. I’ll share.” Wally said, pressing a more gentle kiss to Dick’s grinning lips. “It’s been hours since I saw your cute face, hasn’t it?”

“Too many. And judging from your cheesy one-liners, it’s not going so well down there?”

“I’m not talking about it.” Wally said, tearing the bag open and offering Dick some. “All you need to know is I might be grumpy coming home in the next week or so.”

Dick refused the sour smelling snack and instead gave Wally a sympathetic kiss on the cheek in response. “Sorry, love. I’d help if I could.”

“Yeah, well you have your gig, I have mine. Scoot up there, I’ll sit with you.”

The request was usually so easy, but something in Dick’s eyes suggested it wouldn’t be. Wally cursed himself in his head for forgetting already. He instantly gripped the open bag between his teeth to free his hands.

“I got you, babes.”

His fingers gripped Dick’s slender waist, lifting effortlessly and placing him back on the fan box. No matter how much Dick grew, Wally always made sure he could lift him. Perhaps it was pride, perhaps it was how much he loved feeling Dick’s body against his own, but he’d made a point of it. The number of mornings he’d dragged his lover back to bed, the evenings he’d chase him around the apartment with unfair speed, Wally never had trouble carrying Dick. It seemed now that trick was coming in handy.

“I’ll be able to do it myself soon.” Dick said, too quickly.

“I know.” Wally said, hopping up next to him and munching a bugle.

“I only fell once on patrol and I even piked. I can’t remember the last time I did that before….stuff happened. I think by next month I should join Bruce, you know? Just for a few weeks to get some really intensive training in. He’s got Jason back for the next month so I figure I should meet up with someone who won’t hold back while I can. It’ll be like I was never gone! Maybe I can get back with the old team after. I can’t remember the last time I-”

Wally put a hand on Dick’s knee, steadying, but firm. The rambling stopped. Dick looked at the freckled hand, then at Wally. His jaw set, his brow lowered defensively.

“I picked you up because you’re very dashing and I love your hips.” Wally lied reassuringly. “and I don’t care if you can do it yourself, you can’t stop me from grabbing them.”

Dick bit the inside of his cheek, exhaling quietly and looking away. Wally’s heart tugged painfully at how quickly the mood plummeted. He put the bugles down and dusted his hands off on his jeans. This was why he hadn’t wanted Dick starting back so soon.

“Babes, no one is saying anything. No one is thinking anything. You just…..whether or not you want to say it, you went through something. If anyone’s talking, it’s only about how alarming it is you’re insisting on getting back out there so soon.”

“It’s been six months.” Dick said, still refusing to meet Wally’s eye.

“Yeah, it has. And I liked those six months where it was just us, and I got to see you be...you.”

“But it’s over now, and I should move past this. I can’t keep-Wally I won’t let it control me like this.”

“You’re not.” It was almost getting exapersating now. “You don’t just come back from a cut artery and nerve damage like a vacation or something.”

Dick still wasn’t looking at him. It wasn’t the first time they’d bickered like this. Wally refused to call it an argument, because he didn’t believe for a second that Dick himself believed his point of view. He would staunchly refuse to part with it however, even after how many times Wally would tease it from his stubborn grip with praise, love, and gentle ribbing. Dick would rather be thrown off a building than admit he wasn’t invincible. It broke Wally’s heart every time he thought about it.

“What about you, anyway?” Dick muttered stiffly.

“What about me?”

“I wasn’t the only one affected.”

“I love you, but you and I both know I spent a majority of that story lying face down, ass up on our carpet.”

Dick’s lips pursed.

“I’m serious.” Wally continued. “Cheeks to the world is how Bruce found me. Your dad saw more of me than my own mother has.”

That got a snort. A pained smile broke through that tautness, though it wasn’t as beautiful as that carefree one he’d had when Wally had first come out to see him.

“I love you.” Wally said, leaning in and kissing Dick sweetly, contrasting the Dill flavor still on his lips. “You gotta cut yourself some slack.”

“I-”

The sound of the door to the roof being thrown open cut off whatever Dick was going to answer with. Nedry’s bald spot shining in the afternoon sun made Wally want to slap it in frustration. He forgot the old man came up here to smoke when he wasn’t being completely useless and bumming around the labs. His long nose was dropping beads of sweat, his eyes were wide with panic. It had clearly been too long since he last lit up judging from the state of him. Wally sighed and patted Dick’s leg, sliding off the box fan as he raised a hand to wave to his coworker.

Nedry’s head d whipped back and forth until his eyes fell on Wally. His lips pulled back to bare his teeth in an expression that Wally hadn’t seen before. He paused, fake smile twitching away in confusion.

“Run!”

There were many times when Wally had heard someone use the phrase “strangled scream.” In his many years of do-goodery and crime fighting, he’d never quite figured out what that was. Perhaps that just meant he was good at his job.  However, the way Nedry’s voice cracked across the expanse of the roof, desperation twisting every second of its existence into dry fear, Wally finally understood what that term meant.

He heard Dick stand up behind him, escrima sticks lighting up. There was a beat of awkward silence where all he heard was the way Nedry’s brown shoes scraped against the roof as he ran towards them, and the way his breaths came harsh and grunting and desperate from his bony chest. He tripped and stumbled, a scream almost escaping his throat before a bright flash of red cut right through his neck as he fell, severing his head from his shoulders.

Wally stared at the body, briefly wondering for a moment if Nedry would have complained about this too. It seemed to be the safer option to think about rather than the way his chest tightened in fear, or the way a large hand wrapped around the doorframe, pulling an even larger, muscular form into the daylight.

“Man…he really just spoiled the whole surprise huh? That’s what I call poor taste.”

A man hovered just a few inches above the roof. Thick muscled, square, and spattered with blood that wasn’t his, he grinned at them. The smile was that of a businessman. Wally had seen Bruce smile like that. Instinctively he reached back for Dick, only to find that his boyfriend, in a show of stupid heroics, was putting himself between Wally and the man.

“Ah, none of that, kid. I’ve been wanting to belt you for years. Don’t give me an excuse.”

“Who the hell are you?” Dick demanded.

“Dick.” Wally said, voice straining. “Get back here. Now.  I’ll run us to a safehouse.”

“I’d catch you, kid.” the man grinned wider.

“Dick, I’m serious, stop being stupid and back down.”

The man folded his arms across his chest, his eyes never leaving them for a second. His canines were sharper than they should have been. Wally reached out, taking Dick’s wrist in a grip so tight it started even himself. He didn’t know who this was, but given Nedry’s head staring up at them with a look of horror frozen on his face, the likelihood that he was friendly was very low. He was, however, very clearly meta. And a strong one at that.

“You wanna know who I am?” The man hovered a little closer. “That’s fine, kiddo. We can play a guessing game. Hell, I think I could make this whole situation all the more fun if I keep my boy waiting. He always hates it when I make him wait, if you know what I mean.”

He stopped just a few feet away from them. Wally couldn’t believe how much bigger he was up close. He’d stood next to giants like Superman, and Captain Marvel. This man had almost a head and half on both of them. Just one of his fists was big enough to wrap around Dick’s throat if he got any closer. Wally tugged Dick’s arm again.

“I’ll give you three guess. You win, I’ll only hurt you a little. You lose…? Well...I guess I get your pretty ginger boy behind you.”

“You even try it and I’ll break your arms off.” Dick snarled.

“Mouthy as usual.” The man’s cape billowed behind him as he shifted, arms bracing as though he planned to strike. “Well, it always was pointless trying to get through that thick head of yours. Guess I won’t waste any more time.”

And strike he did.

Everything was happening so quickly that for a moment Wally wasn’t entirely certain what was happening. Dick’s reflexes kicked in at the same moment the man charged them, fists raised to obliterate whatever was in their path. Everything seemed to slow down. The man’s dark eyes fixated on them both. Dick lunged forwards, sticks sparking with enough electricity to take down a rhino if the situation called for it. Given how those sharp strange teeth glinted in the sunlight, the situation most definitely called for it.

It suddenly struck Wally that things were not in fact, moving slowly at all. He was just moving quite fast. Faster than he usually did out of costume. his legs seemed to work beyond his control and carried him past his boyfriend. He stole one of the sticks as he raced by. The energy vibrating off of it almost made him pause but the hesitance that came with hurting someone faded the moment he saw how close the stranger had gotten in the half second it took him to get moving. Wally swung the stick like a bat, something Dick would criticize him for later, but it would get the job done for now.

The stick sparked and then exploded as it made contact with the man’s eyes, blue sparks flying. He screamed in shock and pain, stumbling backwards as one large fist came up to rub the sparks from his fried corneas. Wally didn’t stop to admire the damage or even allow himself to feel proud of defending Dick. Already he was backstepping as quickly as his balance allowed him to while trying to keep his focus on getting to Dick before the man could recover from the attack. Meta or not, everyone needed their eyes, and there was no-

The thoughts were knocked from his head as a single red beam barely avoided slicing his leg off at the knee. It still cut deep though, and he considered himself almost lucky that the heat of it cauterized the wound before he could go into shock and bleed out. He tripped as a scream of pain ripped itself hoarse and high, from the depths of his chest. As he fell, the entire world began to speed up again, enough for him to see the expression on Dick’s face slowly change to one of sheer terror. He hated himself for it.

The man’s laugh was the first thing he heard when he hit the hard cement of the roof. It wasn’t a sound of mirth. The man was clearly hurt but didn’t want to give Wally the satisfaction of knowing that. The man chuckled again, heavy footsteps shaking the roof as he stormed towards them. Wally didn’t bother to check how close he was or how bad his leg looked, he reached for Dick’s extended hand like it was the speed force itself.

“I try to be polite.” The man’s foot connected with Wally's ribs, sending him flying into Dick. “I try to be polite, I only kill half your staff, and I even try to introduce myself before getting straight to business because that’s what you do when you try to strike up a deal.”

Dick recovered faster. Wally hoped he’d use that to escape and get help, but Dick was so desperate to be the hero.

“What does it get me? A fucking face full of firecrackers. I tell you, this world ain’t the best at hospitality.”

The man allowed Dick to jump close enough to punch under him, breaking what sounded like three ribs with one sharp jab to his torso. Wally heard the suit buzz as it tried to charge. The man answered by grabbing the remaining escrima stick and crashing it into shards before using the same fist to knock Dick backwards again.

“You’re just how I remember you, kid. But you, Red? Man you’re something else. Even Johnny wouldn’t have thought to come at my face like that. I gotta keep this mug looking pretty, you know. Not all of us can get by on sheer charm alone. You thought you could take that from me?”

Wally’s heart sank as a massive shadow fell over him. He expected to feel another beam shoot through his back this time, or maybe more mercifully through his skull, but instead he was granted no reprieve. Instead the man reached down and grabbed hold of the burned leg, dragging Wally away from any shelter the box fan could have provided him at that moment. Wally strugged, using his good leg to kick anywhere he could. It hurt to move this quickly;  this powerfully. He hadn’t had to be this strong in a while. And that showed when one squeeze to his charred shin made him come to a screaming stop.

“I’ll break it, kiddo.” the man leered, pulling Wally forward again until their foreheads touched. “Don’t make me bring home a broken toy. You won’t last long.”

“What the fuck do you want?!” Wally managed to gasp.

“Ah, it’s not about what I want. I’m just a guy sending a message. So, here it is-”

The man spun suddenly, throwing Wally once again into Dick as he charged. As Wally fell against his boyfriend, he felt the familiar hum of the suit starting to spark. Heavy dread  gripped Wally’s chest before the suit released a shock so vicious his vision went black.

He was still awake enough to hear Dick scream, still awake to hear the man laugh in surprise. The pain coursing through him made his limbs lock and his jaw clench. He was seizing, joints tensing and releasing inconsistently. Every time he thought it was over, leftover shocks tightened him again and again. His vision spotted back into focus, blurring with each weakening bolt of electricity. But he saw enough to see Dick rushing to him with the man close behind.

“That’s a real interesting little gadget you got there, Rich. No wonder you’re so popular right now. But listen, that’s gonna put a real kink in my boy’s plans for you, so I’m gonna have to make a few adjustments.”

It was amazing how fast those hands could move despite their size. In an instant the man had Dick pinned face down on the roof, pressing his cheek against the roughness of the cement. Wally caught his eye and regretted it immediately. The pain, the confusion, the fear; he thought he’d made that all go away in Indiana. How easily it came back.

Little by little the man picked easily at the circuitry of the suit, not caring if disturbed wires caused little shocks against Dick’s body, or if the sharp metal sliced at his fingers. His skin seemed too tough to cut anyway. Very quickly, the suit was picked clean of the tech Dick had been so proud of. Despite his struggles, despite his cursing and yelling, he was as defenseless as he’d been before, when that woman had come through their window that night, bringing her shadow along to watch.

“Alight.” The man said, getting back up and dusting his hands off. “Okay, now if I have your attention, I can spare a few words before I gotta get back. You weren’t supposed to fuck around this much if you’ll excuse my french.”

Wally felt the weight of that hand closing around the back of his neck before lifting him off the pavement. He heard Dick’s choke of fright and saw a fleeting glimpse of him reaching out before he was slung limply over the man’s broad shoulder and the red of his cape obscured his vision.

“I’m taking your ricchione boytoy for a little trip, and if you’re as smart as you always liked to claim, then you’ll follow whatever little tracker you have on him to our train home. If you miss then you miss and I keep this.” He shrugged the shoulder Wally hung over, making him moan in pain. “If you play along and follow, maybe you get to see him again. Capeesh?”

“Please-” Dick gasped. “Please- I don’t know who you are or what you want but let him go! You’ve got the wrong-”

“Ricky, cut the shit.”

Wally heard Dick audibly freeze, breath halting in his chest.

“Yeah, that face….you know where I’m from. You know who’s asking for you. So, wise up, Ricky. He’s waiting for you, and not patiently.”

Wally felt the ground fall out from under them as the man started to fly. He watched Dick get further and further away, until he could no longer make out the look of sheer horror on his face. He’d promised him this was all over. He’d promised him the door was shut, and no pale blue orbs were waiting in the dark. He’d promised him that was all behind them.

The crushing sense of disappointment he felt in himself burned almost as badly as his leg.

--

Dick couldn’t breathe for several awful moments. He paced the roof, hands buried in his hair. His lungs heaved uselessly, failing to capture and hold enough air for him to think properly. The technician’s blood still wasn’t dry. He kept walking through the puddle and leaving tracks from his pacing.

Call Bruce. Call Bruce. Call Bruce. Call Bruce.

Over and over the mantra stalked through his skull, much too loudly along with the pounding terror, his own harash gasps, and the sloppy attempts his brain was making to try and figure out what he should do first. Months of recovery was falling apart in a matter of seconds. He’d forgotten how to think.

He should call Bruce.

He didn't know it was humanly possible to skip through so many emotions so quickly. Fear, betrayal, disgust, panic, grief. He stopped himself from dwelling too deeply on that one as he tried to organize his feelings. Wally was not dead, and therefore he had nothing to grieve. Wally had been taken, so he could feel panic. His fear made sense, his betrayal…..Oh, his betrayal felt so justified and so vile at the same time.

Owlman was supposed to be gone.

There was a small part of Dick that he’d locked away in a little box somewhere in his soul, and cherished the key like a promise; a part that breathed a sigh of relief at the hope of a stranger’s death. A part of him that glowed warm as he remembered that man could never touch him again. That man coil never seek him out again because looking, hunting, searching, that was something for the living. And that part Dick kept from ever seeing the light of day reveled in the hope that man had died on that bedroom floor; just as alone as he’d been when he’d first spirited Dick away.

That night swathed in purple and violation had been equal parts horrific and comforting. Each blow breaking that silver armor to pieces was a promise, each spatter of blood and each broken tooth was an oath. No blue eyes would seek him out ever again, no one would ever look at him the way Owlman had.

Owlman was supposed to be gone.

Dick doubled over, shock hitting him hard in the gut and forcing a burning spray of bile shooting sloppily from his mouth. He choked and sputtered, hands on his knees as he tried to think; think past the terror, the memories, and now the sour taste of his own vomit. He should call Bruce.

His fingers fumbled to his belt, trying to pry his comm out of one of the pouches. He dropped it and it skittered across the roof, stopping when it bounced against the technician’s body.

The man had tried to warn them. Dick didn’t even want to consider the chaos that the meta had left on his way up to them. He only hoped any other deaths had been just as quick as this man’s or at least as painless.

He stared at the comm in the puddle of drying blood.

The man had come apart so easily at the meta’s will. How quick that beam had lit up the roof, and how quickly the man’s life had ended. All for the sake of getting to him and Wally. That  had been so drawn out, needlessly so. Dick took a foul tasting breath, replaying moments leading up to his hysteria. Lucidity graced him slowly and unkindly,giving him plenty of time to consider what had just happened.

The meta had been strong, almost as strong as Superman. His powers seemed to line up just the same as well. Weakness after weakness followed each strength, and he wondered if he’d be lucky enough to find that kryptonite was enough to stop him, though something in his gut told him that luck had left him long ago. Besides, stopping the meta wasn’t what set his nerves ablaze.

The meta had spoken for Owlman. He worked with him; for him? Dick wasn’t sure, however his involvement was without question, meaning that Dick had only one option, he had to go.

His chest tightened with fear as the thought of seeing those eyes again overtook him. But he didn’t have a choice.

There wasn’t a criminal in Bludhaven he couldn’t predict. He knew them all by name, by legend, by weakness. Even in Gotham he could definitively tell how far someone was willing to take their charade. But Owlman was far too strange to predict. His cruelty was loud, his selfishness and control were clear. But Dick had no clue how far Owlman was willing to go, only that risking Wally’s life brought him closer to becoming what Owlman longed for him to be.

His obedience however, was also something Owlman craved.

Dick finally managed to take a breath, long and shuddering.

He had to go. He had to or something worse than death would happen to Wally, he just knew it. He couldn’t risk that. He couldn’t subject him to the very same fear and hatred that he’d felt in Owlman’s grasp. There were so many reasons he’d survived his encounter, namely his resemblance to a dead man, and Owlman’s desperation. Wally wouldn’t last. It would be Dick’s fault.

His fingers shook still as he leaned down to pluck his comm-link off the drying puddle of blood. He switched it on and clicked another button, making a small blue  light start to blip repetitively before he fitted it back to his ear. He then lifted the tracker from his belt and switched it on, his heart fluttering in relief. For a moment he couldn’t even move, unable to take his eyes off that blinking dot. Wally was still alive, and moving fast.

Dick sheathed his remaining escrima stick and muted his comm, keeping the light beeping away. He leapt off the roof and twisted in midair, preparing himself for a landing that he didn’t stick as smoothly as he should have. He took off running towards the nearest Zeta Tube.

He didn’t allow himself to think about where they were heading, he just followed. He didn’t think about the shadow waiting for him.

And he didn’t call Bruce.

--

Owlman didn’t look away from the horizon as Ultraman landed next to him none too gently. The ground shook upon impact. The speedster over his shoulder cried out in pain as the landing jostled whatever injuries he’d sustained on the way over. He heard Ultraman drop their captive.

“The point is to keep him intact.” Owlman said, scanning the horizon again. He knew it was too soon to expect Richard, but that didn’t stop his anticipation from trembling through his fingers as he toyed with the nth metal strip on his belt.

“He’s fine, Tommy.” Ultraman said. “Nothing we can’t fix up, ain’t that right, kiddo?”

“Fuck you!” the speedster snarled.

“He’s a little crabby.” Ultraman grinned.

Owlman finally forced himself to glance at the redead. He was shorter than he thought he’d be, though it was clear from the soot around Ultraman’s eyes there had been enough of a fight to make him interesting at least. His cape drew close around him as he turned completely and made his way over. The redhead glared, but it was clear that fear was starting to ebb through his facade of bravery. Owlman knelt before him, tilting his head as he studied him a moment more. Then he removed one of the metal strips from his belt and held it out to him.

“Put this on.”

“Fuck you.” the redhead said again. “You’re him, aren’t you? You’re the sick freak who took Nightwing last time?”

Owlman frowned at the accusation. “Such a rudimentary understanding of our relationship. I believe ‘reclaimed’ is a much better word to describe that evening’s events.”

He reached a clawed hand out, noting the way the redhead flinched away from him, lip curling in disgust. Owlman smiled subtly.

“I take it Richard has spoken of me, then?”

“He’s said enough so I know you’re as good as dead this time around.”

“That is….amusing. Enough pleasantries. Put this on.”

“If you think for a second-”

Owlman stood and resumed his place beside Ultraman, giving him a nod as he handed off the strip of Nth. Ultraman always needed very little instruction when it came to Owlman’s wants. He took the strip, a wide grin already spreading wolfishly across his face. He moved so quickly that the redhead barely had even a moment to scramble backwards before Ultraman was on him, thick fingers working the collar around his throat despite the flailing.

“They really are the type for theatrics in this world.” Ultraman chuckled; he slapped the redhead lightly across the face, which rendered him briefly stunned despite the weakness of the blow. “Seems like Ricky’s kinda place.”

“...He would have enjoyed aspects.” Owlman muttered.

He ignored the struggle Ultraman had started and instead returned his gaze to the horizon. Ultraman was bored and would allow the redhead to fight for as long as he needed the entertainment. In the meantime, Owlman wanted nothing more than to be the first to see Richard coming to him, willing, angry, and sulking, just like he always did whenever he realized he had no other choice.

Richard has always been stubborn and childish, and even in this world it seemed as though the only way to draw him back home was to take away his toys. Before, he’d had Superwoman’s ward to keep him busy, or on occasion, Archer’s boy to string along. Richard picked and chose his toys based on their adoration of him. He had never liked the ones that talked back too much. Owlman threw  another glance at the speedster struggling in Ultraman’s grip. He still fought tooth and nail to escape, even as Ultraman fitted the Nth strip around his neck.

Richard would have liked that one very much.

The device on Owlman’s belt beeped as the collar tightened around the redhead’s neck and locked. He took out the control, studying the buttons briefly before clicking the center one. The redhead cried out as red electricity crackled suddenly up his throat and across his freckled face.

“Sparkly.” Ultraman chuckled, cocking an impressed eyebrow.

“Indeed.” Owlman tapped another button, which captured the energy as it sparked again, this time freezing it painfully around the redhead as he writhed.

“The metal has been programmed to sync with our speed-force. The one of this world is more stable than ours, meaning catching and holding it is easier. The Nth Metal acts as a sort of conductor, reversing the speedster’s own energy back into it until it registers him as a threat rather than a vessel and rejects his attempts to connect by firing small pulses through him.”

“That sounds a little less than pleasant.”

“I believe Johnny compared it to his insides being turned into needles.”

“No wonder he was so crabby before we left.”

The redhead screamed again, gasping and falling to his knees, his form flickering and fizzling as he attempted to grasp the speed-force in some way to escape. A good effort was made, but each time was met with agony that seemed to be coming from within. Owlman clicked the button again, relaxing the collar. The redhead fell limp, gasping. A small sob escaped his lips.

“Wallace.” Owlman said. “I would advise you to sit patiently and wait with us.”

“....F….fuck you.” Wally managed between quick, painful breaths.

“He’s got a mouth on him.” Ultraman chuckled.

“Sit, or don’t.” Owlman said. “But interfere or try to escape and I’ll take great pleasure in finding out if the speed force is as powerful coming out as it is going in.”

He didn’t wait for Wally to answer, instead he returned to the spot he’d been waiting for almost four hours now. Ultraman sat heavily on what remained of the stones that had once been perhaps an older mausoleum. Whatever it had been, their entry into this world had obliterated it.

His return to this earth was less than gentle. When Superwoman had come with him to retrieve Richard the first time it was like slipping through silk. No one had heard them come, and no one had heard them go. However, when Ultraman tore open the rift between their worlds, it had been like a roar that swept through cities, knocking out power and sending gusts of dry air swirling across states. There was no doubt in his mind that the change in weather would catch the attention of anyone willing to keep Richard from him. There was no doubt in his mind the obvious carnage Ultraman had left in his wake would be a further tip off. But he didn’t plan on staying to let them see him escape with Richard.

“You’ll never win him by killing me.” Wally choked from behind him.

“Spare me the cliches, Wallace.”

“Cliche as it is, it’s true and you know it.” Wall continued. “Nothing you say or do could break him. He’ll never stop fighting to get away from you.”

“Ultraman.” Owlman said. “I am preoccupied. Make sure our speedster is too.”

He heard Ultraman stand, a deep chuckle rumbling from his chest. Owlman knew that sound well enough to know that what followed was just as unpleasant than the speed-force rocketing in and out of someone. He didn’t bother to watch. He’d seen it happen multiple times in the past. And right now, he had something more important to look forward to.

--

The zeta tube delivered Dick silently to Wally’s coordinates. Relief mixed with terror in his gut when he realized the stranger hadn’t taken Wally far. But that only meant that Owlman was closer than he initially thought. He took a moment to steady himself, already noticing how his hands had begun to tremble.

His stomach dropped as he stepped onto the unkempt grass, the long strands brushing against his legs as he took another step and the zeta closed behind him. He was truly alone now, and before him there was nothing but emptiness and rubble. He couldn’t see Wally, but the tracker was still beeping, so he was here somewhere.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. He couldn’t stop thinking that every time the reality of his situation hit him repeatedly. Part of him writhed in anger that his life was disturbed again, after so many months of struggling to return to some form of normalcy. Another part of him however, welcomed the pain of each blow of the moment; like some sort of sick punishment for allowing Owlman to live to do this again.

If he had urged Bruce to kill, this wouldn’t have happened. If he had let Wally keep him in Indiana, this wouldn’t have happened. If he’d just kept his head down and slipped out of the life of Nightwing, he wouldn’t have drawn this kind of attention. So many times Wally had asked him to marry him, run away, and never look back at the hero life. So many times he’d awoken to Wally’s bright green eyes looking at him with such love as he asked for the zillionth time. And Dick had taken him for granted.

He moved forward, stepping around the rubble, his heart in his throat. The beeping in his ear grew louder the closer he got to Wally. He still couldn’t see him. Part of him hoped that if he could just see the scarlet flash of Wally’s hair, everything would be okay, like Owlman would vanish from existence if he could just see Wally’s smile. The wind picked up again, blowing small flecks of dust and debris across the empty field.

He was more prepared this time. Before, when Dick had seen the jagged darkness Owlman thrived in, it was clear there was no plan. This time however, he’d taken care to ensure that Dick would have no other option than to come to him, and this time -with Wally as a continued hostage- Dick would have to stay.

“I’m going to take you apart little by little, until you bring me all the pieces of yourself and beg me to put you back together”

Dick shuddered as the threat hung in his mind, the sickening feeling growing as his mind already came to accept that this time, that’s exactly how this would end.

He was so busy worrying, he didn’t notice the sound of something cutting through the air. Only when the large hand closed around the back of his neck did he realize he wasn’t alone.

The grip was tight and immediately drew a scream that had been dying to escape him. He was lifted, the familiar smell of carnage and smoke filling his nose as he struggled.

“Hey, Ricky.” The meta growled. “Didn’t think you’d show.”

Dick twisted just enough to slam his elbow back against the man’s jaw and was rewarded instantly with a throbbing pain shooting up and down his arm. Instincts were quick to react but slow to recall the strength of the man. Of this world or not, kyrptonians could withstand more than a human punch.

“You’re  not as feisty as I remember you.” the man laughed, lifting Dick up and slinging him over his shoulder. “I’m not gonna lie kid, I’m a little disappointed. They way the bird went on about you I was thinking you were the genuine real deal!”

“I’m not anything he’s told you I am!” Dick yelped. “Whatever he’s told you is a lie, I promise!”

His next protest was interrupted as the man shifted him roughly, briefly knocking the wind out of him. He gagged as the muscular shoulder dug into his gut, pressing painfully against his ribs. More than ever he wished that his suit hadn’t been picked clean of any electrical defense. He struggled and wormed desperately trying to slip away but the grip was inhumanly strong, and only tightened as he fought.

“Whatever he’s told you it’s not-!”

“I’m not here to decide that, Ricky.” the man laughed as he continued further into the field. “I’m here because I got asked a special favor, and he never asks me for a thing, so I figure it’s pretty important. You could be just a sweet piece of ass and I’d hand you right over to him.”

“You don’t understand-!”

“You’re chattier than the last one.”

Dick squirmed and yelped in pain again as the fingers holding his legs down began to bruise. They dug in so painfully he couldn’t help but start kicking in another futile attempt to throw him off.

Then, all of a sudden, a ripple shivered over him. It was like he stepped under the air conditioning in his apartment. The man seemed to feel it too, the shoulder Dick was slung over shuddered briefly before he was bucked off and tossed onto the dirt. A sharp  pain shot up his bad leg, worsened from the rough handling only moments before.

The man passed him by, red cape brushing Dick as he went. As quickly as he’d snatched him up, the man seemed to lose total interest in the short walk over. Dick propped himself up on his elbows to watch him leave, to maybe see if Wally had been taken here as well.

His breath quickened in shock.

It was like he was standing underwater. Above him, light rippled caustically around like a bubble. The world outside became muffled and distant. The grass twisted and twirled silently outside still in the emptiness of the field, but not a single sound penetrated the strange membrane covering him. It took Dick less than a few moments to realize that he was now effectively cloaked, meaning the only people who knew where he was were-

“Your hair is longer.”

Dick’s stomach dropped, his gaze snapping to the owner of the low, toneless voice. He wasn’t tall, but he wasn’t short. The cowl covering his head was unchanged.Silver gray cupped his angular jaw, soft mouth remained expressionless as ever. But Dick knew from the twitch of the claws, the man was excited to see him. He had no doubt those claws were longing to fit around his throat and squeeze until he promised himself to him.

Promised, and this time, stayed.

“What is this?” Dick demanded. “What the hell is this?”

“A precaution.” Owlman said. “I prefer privacy in my affairs. The last thing I would want is for your league to be alerted to my presence in your world and…interrupt us.”

Wally lay motionless at the Owl’s feet. The kryptonian stood behind them, arms folded with a sly grin teasing his lips. The scene was like something from his nightmares, right down to the eerie muffled silence surrounding them. For a moment he couldn’t hear anything other than the muted wind outside and a high ringing in his ears that drowned out any rational thought. Instinct was starting to creep in with a single chant repeated like a prayer through his mind; Run…..Run…..Run….

“Don’t look so freaked out, kid.” The meta chuckled. “He’s been talking non-stop about you. I haven’t seen him this excited since the last pretty bird he had in his nest.”

“Let Wally go.” Dick managed to whisper. “Let him go and I’ll-...I’ll go with you.”

“Nah, you won’t.” the meta said. “You were always crafty, Ricky. I got no doubt in my mind the moment I let your boy toy scitter off, you’re gonna start putting up a fight. Red is gonna stay with us so my boy here can get to know you a little better. Then we’ll talk.”

Owlman took a step forward, claws reaching out to Dick like they had the night they’d first met. For a moment, the same feelings of confusion and curiosity overtook Dick before he managed to expel this with a nervous whimper and a step backward. Owlman stopped, head tilting in his bird-like manner.

“You will not run from me this time.” Owlman said.

“I’m sure as hell not going to let you get any closer.” Dick answered back. “Stay where you are. I told you what my terms were. You want me, you let Wally go.”

“This ain’t a negotiation.” the meta said, rising up to his full height, fists balling up. “We didn’t blast through an entire fucking universe to speak with the manager. We got the chips, you do what we say.”

“Settle.” Owlman said, placing a hand over the meta’s fist. “Richard, Ultraman is correct; we did not come here to negotiate. We came here with the sole intent of taking you home, and your friend as well-”

         “Leave him out of this.” Dick spat. “He isn’t invol-”

“Interrupt me again, and I will show you just what exactly Wallace has been so bravely enduring in the time it took you to meet with us.” Owlman said, raising a small remote.

Dick’s mouth snapped shut, eyes flicking nervously to Wally’s unconscious form. His clothes were a wreck, the white lab coat he liked so much in tatters. It was difficult to tell where dirt ended and freckles began. Whatever he’d been put through, there was no way he’d survive it again. Owlman would make certain of that. He lowered his head in what would only be seen as submissiveness. He could practically feel the grin spreading across Owlman’s face. His stomach twisted in familiar terror.

“Better.”

“Damn, he really is a lot softer than the last one, huh?”

“You will not argue with me, Richard.” Owlman continued. “You will come home with us. You will take your place as Talon. If you comply, Wallace will be kept alive. These new terms are for here and now. In this moment, you buy Wallance’s life with your compliance. What happens next is not up to you.”

Dick hesitated, eyes flicking back to Wally’s body. He stirred in discomfort, eyelids twitching as consciousness considered him again.

“You’re not guaranteeing me his survival.” Dick said.

“Of course not.” Owlman answered. “You will have no use for him at my side.”

“......What are you going to do with him?”

Owlman’s teeth flashed in his imitation of a smile. “He will be well-kept. there are many uses for a speedster on my earth.”

“Give Johnny something to play with, anyway.” Ultraman added.

Dick bit the inside of his cheek, fighting to control his breathing. This wasn’t any sort of fair exchange. This bargain wasn’t one of equal gain. His freedom for Wally’s death, his sanity in exchange for loneliness; a youthful indignance was starting to blossom in his chest the more the two intruders watched him in smug silence. Wally was stirring, but even his tired movement wasn’t enough to tear Owlman’s pale gaze off of Dick.

“Let me see him.” Dick said finally.

“Be my guest.” Owlman said, stepping aside silently.

It took Dick only seconds to cross the empty space between them. His knees ached as he fell to the ground at Wally’s side, hands quickly cupping his lover’s face in an attempt to rouse him faster. He felt the brush of Owlman’s cape against his lower back, like a curtain drawing shut behind him, shutting him away from the outside world. He fought the urge to shudder and refocused his attention on the flutter of ginger eyelashes.

“Love, hey-” Dick whispered. “Love, I need you awake. I need you to help me.”

“He can’t do much, kid.” Ultraman chuckled; Dick ignored him as best he could.

“Listen to me, Wally.” Dick continued. “I need you awake, and I need you to trust me. I’m doing everything I swore I never would.”

Wally’s eyes fluttered open at that, confusion and pain replacing his usual mischievous glimmer.

“Dick….what happened? What happened to the lab-?”

“You need to focus on trusting me.” Dick interrupted firmly. “Everything I’m about to do, I’m doing for us. Do you understand?”

“....No…” Wally tried to sit up. “I don’t….what’s going on?”

“I love you.” Dick said. “And nothing that happens today will change that.”

“That’s enough of the theatrics.” Ultraman said, dropping his hand onto Dick’s shoulder.

Dick staggered under the weight of it, gasping in alarm as he was pulled upright, like he weighed nothing to the man. He was pushed backwards, his shoulders knocking against the cold gray metal of Owlman’s suit. Even in the sunny, empty field, he was freezing, devoid of any human warmth. Out of all the things Dick remembered about the first time they’d touched, he always forgot the ever-present chill of Owlman. He swallowed a noise of fear, refusing to give him the satisfaction.

Silently, Owlman shifted, claws plucking a single trip of metal almost identical to the one that Wally wore. Light in design, it slithered into Owlman’s palm, like a serpent. Owlman’s mouth twitched in that imitation smile, almost fondly as he held out the strip to Dick.

“Place this around your neck.”

Dick stared in confusion for a moment; in a surprisingly gentle motion, Owlman seized his wrist and turned his hand, placing the strip into Dick’s palm. It weighed as much as a string of pearls, cold as one too. It took all of Dick’s power not to start shaking.

“It’s a collar…” he said quietly.

“Specially made for you.” Owlman said, claws flexing in barely contained excitement. “The last one I gave you was poorly made. It broke too easily. This one I think will be more to your liking. Wear it.”

“Do I have a choice?”

Owlman grinned this time. “I think we established that already, Richard.”

Sickness twisted in Dick’s stomach, mixed with rage. This was just as violating as the first time, and yet he’d barely been touched. He lifted the strip of metal. It was in fact, different from Wally’s. Where his was solid, this one was made of several thin chain links, barely visible to the naked eye. Like some sort of….gift, rather than a dehumanizing lead. He lifted it, hoping to whatever god had allowed this that his hands weren’t visibly shaking.

The chains were freezing and tickled against his throat. He pulled the collar tight to stop the sensation. There was no need to find a clasp for it, on its own, the collar shuddered before the ends lifted and met, clicking into place and locking. One single strand drifted against his collar bone, growing longer until it trailed into the grass below.

He barely had time to register the weight of it before the familiar sensation of claws were at his neck. They traced his skin lightly, like the breeze that shifted the long grass around them. The claws trailed down to his chest, carefully plucking the lead and twirling it gently around in a tight hold.

Then, Owlman tugged the lead hard.

Dick gagged in shock, yanked of balance so sharply he found himself on his knees in the dirt again. Instinct took over in a desperate attempt to balance himself, and in horror he found his hands grasping at Owlman’s thighs to some semblance of support. He caught a horrific sight of Owlman’s teeth as he grinned down at him before Dick forced himself to fall backwards instead in an attempt to crawl away from him. Again, the lead was pulled taut, keeping him from going any further. Dick gagged, fingers scrabbling at the collar he’d so willingly put on.

Faster than he could process, Owlman had straddled his waist. He could feel how cold the armor was even through his mangled suit. The pressure of his thighs tightening to hold him in place could have broken a rib if Ultraman hadn’t spoken.

“Slow down, Tommy. You’re too excited.”

The pressure lightened, but that meant nothing as Dick’s wrists were pulled above his head and held in place. All too familiar; it was all too familiar to that night where he’d lain in a dead man’s bed with the promise that he’d be torn apart and remade into what was lost. Except this time, there was no promise of gentility. There was no coaxing or easement into his unwilling role. Instead, there was only rage and desperation as Owlman’s mouth found his exposed throat.

Dick arched unexpectedly, crying out in shock and fear as he felt the scrape of teeth against his throat.

“Stop!” He screamed. “This isn’t part of the deal! This isn’t-!”

Ultraman was above them suddenly, kneeling  to Owlman’s level over Dick. A large hand grabbed Owlman’s chin, forcing his focus away from his captive, thumb brushing over his lower lip.

“Mary’s right.” Ultraman grinned. “You got no manners when you’re all undone like this. It’s cute.”

“Your part is finished.” Owlman growled. “Leave me to him.”

“My part ain’t done until I say. I went through a lot of trouble to get you that shiny new toy. Now you’re gonna do me a favor in return……I want you to take it slow. For me, Tommy. Show me you can do that.”

    Dick’s heart was pounding as the two continued discussing him like he wasn’t squirming in the dirt, trapped beneath the shadow that had haunted him for months. He caught Wally’s eye and regretted it instantly. The pain he was causing, the betrayal and confusion, all of it was too much. They’d never be the same afterwards. Even if things worked out as they needed to.

Wally would be lost to him after this.

“Take it slow with him. Think about how many people get to redo their first, Tommy.”

“There is…..some credence to that theory.” Owlman whispered.

Almost as soon as the words left Owlman, Ultraman’s mouth was on him. Dick felt him stiffen as he gave a sharp intake of breath. The kiss was clearly rough, almost painful as Ultraman ended it with a nip.

“Don’t give me that prim and proper bullshit..” Ultraman grinned. “Show me how much you like your new toy.”

As quickly as Owlman’s attention had been pulled away from Dick, it returned ten-fold. Claws that once eagerly and almost lovingly caressed him in the past now dug painfully into his skin, tearing his suit in their attempt to strip him. There were no murmured promises or desperate attempts at seduction this time. Dick realized now the looming terror that Owlman had offered him before had been a kindness compared to this.

Owlman’s mouth was not as kind as it was before. Lips did not worship Dick’s skin like they used to. Teeth did not scrape promises of love. There was something angrier about the touch. There was something crueler. There was something that Dick had always feared, bubbling to the surface and showing itself at last.

He struggled. No matter how scared and hurt Dick was, he struggled. He strained against the hands holding him, bucked against the thighs pinning him in place, and tried his hardest to twist his head away from the mouth that couldn’t seem to stop tasting him. And all the while he felt eyes on him. Wally’s hurt green eyes that couldn’t seem to look away from the scene unfolding before him, Ultraman’s cold glare as he sat to watch, and Owlman’s empty blue orbs as he finally stopped, forehead resting against Dick’s as he took him in.

“I gave you every chance to come to me, and look at what you drove me to.” he gasped. “I offered you protection, I offered you privacy. I offered you every opportunity to submit-”

“You offered nothing.” Dick shakily answered. “You tried to take everything.”

“It was my right. You are my right.”

“I’m not one single thing you need me to be, and no matter what you do to me right now, I never will be.”

Owlman growled, low and deep in his chest. It was a sound of arousal, a sound of animalistic desire that only served to further cement Dick in his fear.

“How many times must I tell you?” Owlman dipped his head downward, tongue flicking lightly against Dick’s now exposed collar bone. “My Richard is dead. I have buried him. I have mourned him. You aren’t meant to replace him, only my need for him. Your voices are similar enough. Your skin tastes the same. You have the same-”

Dick gave an unwilling cry as Owlman’s claws stroked his inner thigh and traveled somewhere deeper, somewhere more personal.

“-sensitivities.” Owlman finished. “I only need you to look like him”

“Fuck you.” Dick snarled through gritted teeth. “Fuck you-fuck you-fuck you.”

“Richard, please.” Owlman said. “Any more vulgarities and I will have to gag you.”

“Tommy, I know I said take it slow, but I need you to do something to the kid.”

Owlman didn’t answer; instead his claws dug deeply into Dicks’ chest. Dick gave a cry of agony as Owlman tore his suit wide open, deep gashes opening on his chest as well. Crimson spread from the newly made, ragged incisions. Open wounds pucked and flexed as the blood forced itself up through the gashes, pouring over Dick’s pale skin. Owlman leaned down over the rush of warmth, tongue lapping almost reverently at the blood that was starting to coat his own armor.

“Red always was your color.”

“ I’m-not-him. ” One last time Dick managed to snarl his mantra, and that final time seemed to be enough.

Owlman punched him squarely in the mouth, hard enough to cause another burst of blood as Dick’s teeth sank into his tongue by mistake. Another broke his nose with a wet crunch that made him scream. His own tears salted his open skin, burning it painfully. Another punch caught his left eye.

His world spun. The weight of Owlman on top of him shifted as he felt the cold claws grab his hips and turn him onto his stomach. He coughed as the wind was knocked out of him, blood spattered the soil. He felt the shreds of his uniform being pulled off him. His shoulders became bare, his back next. He barely managed to reach back and try to cling to the tattered fabric, a futile attempt to keep it on. Owlman was pressing down on him again, breath quick and angry. Breathless, furious threats tumbled from his usually cold and composed mouth.

“You’re not him. I know you’re not fucking him. What do you take me for? How many times must I tell you? Why do you never listen? Of course you’re not him. I’ll show you how dissimilar you two are. I certainly won’t fuck you like I did him, you pathetic waste of skin, you-”

The next sound from Owlman didn’t make sense at first. A snarl, wet and unusually, gurgled from his throat. It was a humiliating sound, one that he probably would have preferred coming from Dick. Ultraman leapt to his feet, a look of shock overtaking his face.

Dick felt Owlman slide off of him. He rolled, desperately tugging what was left of his uniform up to cover himself. Owlman was sitting back in confusion, claws clutching at the arrow lodged in his throat.

“Tommy, holy shit-!” Ultraman started.

Another bolt bounced harmlessly off Ultraman’s chest. Owlman’s shaking fingers managed to grip the protrusion just enough to snap the head off and slide it back out. An immediate spurt of blood made him gag again. Blood from the wound, blood from his mouth; Owlman’s blood was everywhere, even as he clenched tightly as his wound.  Ultraman started forwards. Dick cried out painfully as he was kicked out of the way. He dragged himself desperately towards Wally, who still looked at him like he was a stranger.

“What did you do?!” Ultraman demanded, lifting Owlman by his shoulder. “What did you fucking do? You bring someone along to take us out? Who the fuck do you think-?”

He was cut off as Owlman’s body jolted, another bolt striking him in the shoulder. His blood spattered against Ultraman’s cheek. He gave a low moan of agony. Dick found himself equal parts disappointed and relieved that he couldn’t enjoy it. Owlman’s hands were shaking even worse than before as he broke the arrow’s head again before tearing it out once more.

“Fuck this. I fucking told you.” Ultraman growled. “I fucking told you this was a waste of time. I should leave you here to rot.”

Dick reached Wally finally. He pulled himself up as best as he could, fingers fumbling with the collar around his throat. The moment it broke Wally gave a pained wheeze of relief. Behind him, he heard the sound of eyebeams firing. His heart sank and he spun too quickly to see what would happen. The clots in his chest tore and reopened, with the movement and he doubled over, but not before he saw Helena’s purple form rolling beneath the red flash Ultraman had fired at her.

She moved with a vengeance. She hadn’t completely ducked the beam it seemed. Her shoulder was grazed with an irritating looking burn. Her teeth bared as she tore across the field, keeping her fire quick and unaimed. She couldn’t see them. Owlman’s cloaking device had ensured that. She could only follow Wally’s tracker and hope that she didn’t hit any innocents. Dick had told her to be reckless. It was the only chance she’d have at saving them one way or another. A third bolt caught Owlman’s leg. A fourth his arm. He was still gripping his throat as he finally managed to gurgle-

“The boy…..get-get the boy.”

“Fuck your boy.” Ultraman snarled.

He tore the transdimensional gun from Owlman’s belt, ignoring Owlman’s pathetic attempts to grab it back. His eyes fell on Dick one last time, a look of pure, animalistic, desire on his face as he reached for him. Then, the purple glow from the gun overtook both him and Ultraman, and they vanished. A powerful gust of wind roared around them as the dimensional door closed once more. The cloaking bubble lifted as the pair vanished, and the warmth of the outside world flooded in.

“Dick…” Wally choked.

“I’m here, love.” Dick whispered, holding him tightly. “I’m here. I’m here, it’s over.”

“There you are.” Helena panted as she finally reached them. “Did I get you? Did I get either of you?”

“No.” Dick couldn’t bring himself to look away from Wally as he pushed his hair back and kissed his forehead. “No, he’s fine. You didn’t get him.”

“Christ, Grayson….your chest.” Helena reached for her comm. “I’m calling someone-”

“No!” Dick grabbed her arm. “No, no one can know- no one can-!”

“Call.”

Dick started slightly, glancing back at Wally, who was barely managing to pull himself upright. Shaking, Dick went to brush his hair back again, but Wally pushed his hand away.

“Call someone. I feel like my insides were taken out by a three year old, bedazzled, and put back in all the wrong places. Dick’s lost enough blood I’m surprised he can even stand. Call someone.”

Helena didn’t need telling twice. Wally took a breath, wincing as he pulled himself upright a little more, enough to start preparing himself to stand. Dick held his hands tightly for support, though he realized how dizzy he was starting to get himself. The next thing he knew, Wally was pulling him to his feet as well. He pulled off what remained of his lab coat and tucked it around Dick’s shoulders, covering him as best as he could.

“I love you.” Wally said sternly. “You are selfless, self-sacrificing, and braver than anyone I have ever met in my life. I will always love you, no matter what.”

Dick sensed the exception, his heart sinking.

“But the moment we’re both in the clear……I have to be angry at you.”

--

Bruce was there in a heartbeat. He always would be. But for once, Dick wished he’d been previously occupied and sent someone less….severe in his place.

He wasn’t Bruce at the moment. Batman listened, nodding as Helena filled him in as best as she could. How Dick had contacted her in near hysteria, how he needed someone gone. How he needed someone who wouldn’t ask questions. She’d come when needed. She hadn’t seen too much of the people Dick had asked her to kill. She didn’t know where they’d gone. She went in guns blazing like she’d been asked. That was all she could say.

Dick read Batman’s lips, a habit he’d taken up when he was ten. “You should have called me.”

“ He should have called you. But he’s a grown man and he made a choice.”

Bruce glanced over at the infirmary window. Despite being the grown man Helena knew, Dick childishly ducked away from the glare. He returned to Wally’s side. He was still sleeping, and Dick didn’t want to disturb that by being gone.

Wally would be perfectly fine. There hadn’t been any side-effects from whatever had been done to him. Barry had declared the technology rudimentary at best. It was designed to interrupt the connection with the speed force, and once a healthy connection had been established, Barry had simply had Wally demonstrate his abilities for a few short moments to ensure they were properly working before sending him to rest.

Dick hadn’t been as lucky. He hadn’t been awake for Barry’s explanations. He’d passed out the moment Helena had opened the zeta tube to the watchtower. He hadn’t remembered a thing once Wally had picked him up. His body gave into blissful oblivion and he’d awoken with more stitches than he’d had in years., a missing molar, and bitemarks that wouldn’t fade no matter how they were tended to.

He also awoke to Batman standing at the foot of his bed, eyes narrowed into slits and his mouth pulled into a disappointed line.

He’d fucked up.

He heard the door hiss open. The lack of footsteps confirmed Batman was back. Dick silently buried his face into Wally’s shoulder, hoping the immature trick of pretending to sleep would be enough. It never was. But it was worth a shot.

“Get up.” Batman said.

Dick obeyed, but only halfway. He turned, propping himself up on his elbows. He didn’t meet Batman’s eye. He didn’t say anything. It was pointless to even begin to find words. There wouldn’t be any good ones to explain himself. There wouldn’t be any that Bruce would have accepted anyway, let alone Batman. Instead, he waited for the tonguelashing to begin.

Batman pulled his cowl back, dark hair falling into his eyes. Dick’s heart sank. This would be harder than he thought.

Bruce’s eyes sported dark bags, and not ones he usually drew there himself. He hadn’t slept in a while. He looked older like that.

“You didn’t call me.” he said.

“I didn’t want….” Dick bit the inside of his cheek. “I didn’t want to.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t want to put you in that position.”

“Try again.”

For a moment, Dick’s anger sparked at Bruce’s subtle accusation of dishonesty. He glared at the floor, wishing he had the courage to face the dread and pain he’d caused.

“.....I didn’t want you to get caught up in it again. It was my problem. I should handle it.”

“Once more. With feeling.”

“Oh, for the love of-”

“You thought I would blame you?!” Bruce snarled suddenly, no longer able to maintain his patience. “You thought I would blame you for being the target of whatever… thing keeps coming through that portal? the Portal I’ve been resealing for months because he keeps trying to burrow his way through! You really thought I would be angry with you, that I failed to protect you?!”

“That’s not-!”

“What was it then?” Bruce gripped the rails of the bed. Dick heard the leather creak with the sheer force he was using to hold on. “What could have possibly made you think you should have kept this from me?”

“I don’t know!” Dick snapped. “I don’t……” he growled rubbing a hand over his face, which only caused his bruises to ache.

“...part of me did think-…part of me….was embarrassed.” Dick muttered. “How do I…how do I find myself again after something like that? How do I be myself without that stigma?”

Bruce didn’t answer. His lips were pursed in a thin line still.

“Bruce, I’m not me anymore.” Dick managed to say. “I’m…I’m something’s fixation. I don’t belong to me, and I thought…I thought if I could do this-if I could get rid of him myself…I would be mine again. I would be able to move on with life and stop waiting for him to come and collect me.”

“Yeah, I felt like a fucking burden. I kept thinking that I was being a fucking nusince by having this shadow, and you’d be annoyed that I needed to be rescued again. But…I wanted myself back. Bruce, please-I’m really, really sorry. I messed up, I just wanted to feel like I was mine again.”

Bruce released the bed rail. His hair fell into his eyes again, and he swept it back with a deep sigh.

“You’re not….” he moved to sit on the edge of the bed, which creaked in protest of having three bodies settling on it. “you’re not….just yours. You're mine too. You’re Wally’s… Tim’s, Barbara’s, Jason’s. You’re ours. How could you think even for a second we wouldn’t want to protect that?”

“...I don’t know.” Dick whispered. “I’m always…I’m always the one taking care of everyone else. What would it mean if I couldn’t take care of me?”

“It wouldn’t mean anything.” Bruce reached out and pulled him into a hug, arms tightening around Dick so fiercely he thought for a moment his stitches might burst. “It wouldn’t mean a damn thing.”

“I’m sorry.”

Bruce gave him one final squeeze before letting go. “ I love you with every fiber of my being,” he said. “But I’m so… angry with you right now.”

“That’s a really popular opinion today.”

Bruce gave a huff that might have been a suppressed laugh. “You should rest. I went easier on you than he will.” He nodded at Wally’s sleeping form.

Dick’s heart sank as Bruce left, pulling his cowl back on as he went. The door clicked shut behind him. Dick watched the rise and fall of Wally’s chest, knowing the pattern well enough to know he wasn’t sleeping.

“You’re really lucky he showed up before I regained consciousness.” Wally said, not looking at him.

“Love-”

“He’s right about pretty much everything.”

“....I know…”

Wally finally turned and shifted, his green eyes were hurt and angry, just like everyone else’s. “You would have made me watch him do that to you?”

“If it meant he wouldn’t come back…Yes.”

“Jesus Christ.” Wally muttered, pushing his hair back. “That’s….fucked up.”

“I won’t do it again.”

“Oh!” Wally gave a bark of a laugh. “Don’t start making plans for the next round until I’m healed up please.”

Dick wasn’t sure if he should laugh or not. He looked away, biting his lip punishingly hard to remind himself this was his fault and he should keep it together long enough for Wally to get his scolding in.

“Alright, knock that off.” Wally said, tilting Dick’s face back to his and kissing him, forcing Dick to stop biting himself.

“Listen…Bruce said it all. He hit the nail on the head. You should have called him. You should have gone for help. It was beyond your control, and you put yourself in a terrifying position because you weren’t thinking clearly. I had to watch that man do things to you that I previously only heard you cry about in your sleep. You reopened old wounds because you thought that would make them heal faster. And also because you can’t accept that you’re surrounded by people who would drop the whole world to help you. Do you understand what you’ve done?”

“Yes.” Dick said quietly.

“And can you swear to me, swear on us, you won’t ever do some dumb shit like this again?”

“...Yes.” Dick whispered even more quietly.

“Hey…” Wally tiled his face up again, kissing him a little more kindly. “Can you say you still love me?”

“Nothing would ever make me stop.”

“And you know nothing would ever make me stop loving you, right?”

Dick nodded. Wally pulled him into a bone crushing hug, making Dick wonder for a second time if his stitches could bear it.

“I love you so much.” Wally said. “So many people do. Don’t you ever think for a second anything that was done to you would change that.”

It was hard to accept that. The weight of it made Dick’s chest ache, one that ran deeper than the gashes left on him. For a moment, the only thing he could feel was deep shame. Shame that he’d put Wally in that position, shame that he’d made Bruce feel so helpless, and shame that he’d really been willing to do all of this to himself simply for the slight chance that he’d be able to make everything go away.

“I’m sorry.” he whispered, losing count of how many times he’d said that.

“I know, babes.” Wally answered, kissing his head. “I know.”

“I want….I want to go back-” he mumbled. “To the cabin. To indiana.”

Wally pulled away, looking down at him in surprise. “You’re sure? You’ve only been back for a few weeks.”

The next words he said were harder than he thought. For a moment he thought he might gag, but finally Dick managed to start off with a nod.

“I don’t think I was ready to be back.”

Wally pulled him back in for a calmer hug, cuddling him in a way that Dick had been too nervous to ask for since they’d arrived in the watchtower.

“Alright.” Wally said. “I got you. Anything you need, I got you.”

They didn’t move for the rest of the night. Not when Artemis finally managed to get in to see them. Not when Jason came to pace angrily in their room for a while. Dick didn’t even lift his head when Barbara came in to find out what in the hell had been going on. Not when Tim came to read to them.  

Dick drifted between actual sleep and pretended as Wally rubbed his back and occasionally pressed a kiss to his hair. He listened to Wally murmur plans with Bruce. He listened to Jason’s boots as they stomped back and forth, and the words Tim was reading off the pages. He listened to Wally tell Barbara everything.

He didn’t feel safe. He didn’t feel like things were over. He knew they wouldn’t be, not until he saw the life leave Owlman with his own eyes.

But for now…he felt protected.