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He had done it, he had saved the Queen. The doctors rushed off to the operating room the moment he had handed over the heart, the gratitude being unspoken but obvious. Wally was swaying on his feet, his vision becoming blurry for a moment. He held himself up by leaning on a chair, trying to calm himself down.
Breathe, you did it. It’s over.
He was about to pass out or at least sit down, when the elevator opened with a ding, followed by the angry voice of a soon-to-be-not-Count.
“You stupid brat, do you have any idea what you just did”, Vertigo cursed and strode over to him.
The exhausted hero let out a sigh, could he just not leave him the fuck alone. He was hungry and tired and really didn’t wanna deal with him right now.
“Oh I’m very sorry for not letting you murder your own niece to become the King of Vlatava. Come on man, trying to instigate the death of a family member just for power is low, even for you”, he sassed back.
Vertigo looked around at the shocked faces of the people currently in the waiting room and his fist clenched around the hilt of his cane, “You have no proof to back up such an accusation.”
And a part of Wally knew, that what he was about to do next might not be the greatest idea, but he couldn’t care less right now.
A grin formed on his face as he held up his wrist, pressed a button on his suit and a video started playing. It was the fight in the cellar from Wally’s perspective. It didn’t only show Vertigo trying to steal the heart for the Queen, but also included his confession.
“You mean this proof that has been sent to the Justice League and probably Vltava’s government by now?”
Vertigo froze as he saw the video, then his face turned red and he sneered.
“You little…”
He was about to reach for the hero, when he stopped and his face changed, a bad feeling beginning to spread in Wally’s stomach.
Not good, really not good.
A loud thumb came from outside and as Wally turned to look, he saw Vandal Savage standing outside the hospital, grinning and cracking his knuckles.
“Well since everyone already knows, I might just kill her and have someone else ascend the thrown. I might not become Ruler of Vlatava but neither will she,” Count Vertigo stated.
Well fuck.
He had to come up with a plan and fast. His hands were shaking slightly and he could feel the exhaustion in every fiber of his body. A fight could be risky.
“You know I can’t let you do that Vertigo. Why don’t you just leave before the Justice League gets here? Get a headstart, you know,” he said, trying to diffuse the situation. Catching Vertigo and Vandal Savage would be great, but he knew his limits and knew that the chances stood currently against him.
Count Vertigo smirked and tilted his head, “What’s wrong, are you scared?”
Wally scoffed, “In your dreams.”
Looks like he couldn’t avoid a fight.
The teen turned to a nearby security guard and ordered, “Make sure that no one gets to the Queen. I will take care of them.”
With one last deep breath Wally rushed towards the man and grabbed him by the arm, throwing him out and through the glass front, as a fight in the hospital would be far from ideal. He then rushed to grab all the weapons of Vertigo’s men and place them near the security guards, trusting they would be able to deal with the henchmen until help arrived.
He was about to press the emergency button on his suit when he hesitated. The others were busy taking down the ice fortresses and would probably need a little longer until they could help. Calling in emergency assistance would force someone to abandon helping them take down the giant machines and cost precious time, or could lead to someone getting accidentally hurt. No, he could do it. He could stall them long enough until they were done with their mission. Barry would be able to do it, so he can too.
He could prove himself.
Reaching up to his earpiece he activated his comm. “The situation at the hospital got a bit tricky, would need some help once you are done with your missions.”
Kaldur’s voice answered only a moment later. “Copy that. We should be done soon, approximately 25 minutes. You think you will be good until then, Kid Flash?”
“Yep, no problem” Wally replied and turned off his comm again. He didn’t want to accidentally disturb them.
Vertigo had gotten up at this point and was saying something to Vandal Savage. Looking around, the guards were already beginning to arrest the henchmen, so Wally knew he at least didn’t have to worry about that. He rushed outside and stopped a few feet away from the two villains, snow flying up around him.
“Last warning guys, leave now and accept your plan failed.” Wally said, trying one last time to avoid a fight. Vandal Savage only grinned and flexed his fingers. “Let’s finish what we started earlier.”
With that both of them rushed forward. Wally ducked down, avoiding a punch from the villain before delivering a strong kick to his side. A mindwave from Count Vertigo stopped him before he could attack again, making him groan in pain and holding his head.
Vandal Savage used that moment, turned to him and grabbed him by the suit, hurling him across the snow.
Wally landed with a thud roughly a hundred feet away, hissing at the pain in his shoulder. But he didn’t have a lot of time thinking about it, nor the coldness that started creeping up on him, as he barely managed to avoid another mindwave from Vertigo. He staggered to the side, narrowly dodging a fist shattering the ground were he had just stood seconds before. Wally rushed backwards before ramming Vandal Savage full force, knocking him back and to the ground. Now back to Vertigo. He knew he had to take him out somehow, as he couldn’t keep evading both of their attacks forever.
He remembered then the new move he was currently learning with Barry.
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The two speedster were standing in the middle of a giant field, nearby 2 dummies for training with stupid looking faces drawn on them.
“Ok, so the most important thing about throwing lightning is not how much strength you put into it but how to correctly redirect your energy,” Barry began explaining. “When you run using the speedforce you create energy. This energy, if you focus it correctly, can be used to hit and stun a target.”
The older speedster then began running in circles before stopping and directing a lighting bolt towards one of the dummies. The dummy flew backwards, the front slightly scorched.
Wally looked at the dummy wide eyed than back at his mentor, laughing. “That was so cool!”
Barry smiled and motioned over to him. “Come on try it.”
Wally began running in circles like the other had done moments before.
“Feel the speed force. Feel how it surrounds you, how it runs through your veins and every fiber of your body. Imagine how you would lead the energy along your body to your arms all the way down to your hands,” Barry explained, watching the younger carefully, “And when you think you have it, release it in the direction you want it to.”
Wally tried to do it as Barry told him, but when it was time to release the energy, it went the completely wrong direction and hit the ground a few feet away from the dummy. Some of Wally’s hairs were standing up due to the electricity and he looked frustrated at his missed lighting strike.
Barry patted him on the shoulder with a proud smile though, “That was really good! But let’s try to focus on directing your energy this time more towards one place.”
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They had spent some more hours training there, but he only got close to the dummy back then. It could work if he actually manages to hit Vertigo. If he doesn’t he just wasted a lot of energy.
No time to think. He had to try.
Wally started running in circles after evading another one of Count Vertigo’s attacks. He could hear himself panting heavily but ignored it.
Feel the speed force. Feel it running through you. Grab- no, direct it towards your arm all the way down to your hand. Then release it towards your target.
Wally focused, remembering his mentors words, feeling the electricity running through his body and redirected it. With a yell, Wally threw the lightning towards Vertigo.
The villain’s eyes widened before the lightning hit him square in the chest, shocking him and sending him flying backwards. His headpiece fell from his head, static crackling around it, most likely broken now.
“I did it!” Wally cheered breathlessly and laughed, throwing his hands in the air.
In the next moment, a fist connected with his stomach and he doubled over in pain coughing. A hand grabbed the side of his head and launched it towards the ground. Wally’s head smashed against the ground hard, black spots dancing in his vision. He groaned as he slowly began pushing himself up.
“Pathetic,” Savage sneered, towering over him.
Wally groaned and silently swore as he felt a headache creeping up on him.
“KD is everything ok?” Robins voice came through the comms.
Looks like the throw had damaged his comms and activated them, great.
“I’m alright”, he assured but hissed as Vandal Savage placed a foot on his chest, holding him down.
“Are you sure about that, little hero,” he taunted and put pressure on his chest. Wally yelled out in pain, as he could hear and feel multiple of his ribs cracking.
Several voices immediately called out to him, but he couldn’t focus on what exactly they were saying. Vandal Savage removed his foot but grabbed him by the neck.
“You might be able to defeat Vertigo but what makes you think you even stand a chance against me. Many tried to defeat me before, all have failed.”
The hand around Wally’s throat tightened and he tried to loosen it, grabbing onto the others arm and hand. Vandal only looked at him in annoyance.
“But then came all these metas playing hero and created the Justice League. They began ruining my plans over and over again.”
Vandal Savage pulled him closer so that their faces were mere inches away from each other.
“Now I will show them what happens when you mess with Vandal Savage.”
Wally managed to place his feet on the others chest and pushed himself out of the others grip. He flipped backwards before landing somewhat gracefully on the ground. His knees almost gave out, the exhaustion and pain beginning to get to him.
The teen had to hold himself up with a hand on his knees. Trying to calm himself down, he closed his eyes and took deep breaths, his head spinning.
“Was that Vandal Savage?” Robin asked.
Oh right, broken headset.
“Yeah, him and Vertigo tried to stop me from delivering the heart to the queen,” he breathed. “Vertigo is out cold at the moment.”
He stood up straight and hissed in pain as he felt one of his ribs move.
It hurts. I’m tired.
Kaldur’s voice came through next. “The Justice League has been informed. They are sending someone to help you. Eta 10-15 minutes.”
Another 15 minutes? I don’t know if I can keep going that long.
“I think I can stall him until then,” Wally said, trying to keep the strain out of his voice.
Please hurry.
“If anything changes tell us, ok?” Zatanna said.
“And be careful KD,” Robin agreed.
Wally smiled at the concern of his friend. “Will try.”
Wally took a step backwards as Vandal Savage stepped forward. The villain grinned at his fear.
“What, already had enough?” he taunted.
The villain rushed forward but Wally was prepared for it. He knew he didn’t have the strength to beat the other but he didn’t need to.
“Use their momentum against them,” Barry had told him once when he taught him how to defeat bigger enemies.
Wally dodged the outstretched hand of the villain, before grabbing his arm and sending him flying into a nearby wall. The wall cracked as the villain connected with it.
But the man seemed unimpressed, or more annoyed than anything. The villain charged forward again. Wally did the same but slid between his legs, stood back up behind the villain and rammed into him with all the force he had left.
He then rushed towards the villain again as he turned around. Vandal Savage put his hands up to block the incoming attack, but Wally grinned and jumped at the side of the building and punched the villain in the side of his face. He then stopped a few feet away and took some deep breaths, his stomach cramping uncomfortably.
Not much longer, come on. You got this.
He sped towards the villain again and rammed into him, sending him flying across the street into a nearby tree. Wally planned on trying to knock the villain out, rushing across the street and at the slightly hunched over figure of Vandal Savage.
But to his surprise the other dodged his fist and in the next moment a tree branch buried itself deep in his stomach.
Wally’s eyes widened and he coughed up blood. He looked down at this stomach, hands shakily hovering around the branch. Vandal Savage let go of the branch, dusting himself off, getting snow and leaves off.
“Your determination and bravery is admirable, but foolish when face to face with Vandal savage, little hero.”
The villain grabbed him by the hair and made him look at him. Wally hissed in pain, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes.
“Say, are you afraid of death?” Vandal asked. He placed his hand on the branch again, pushing it deeper and causing Wally to scream. As the ringing in his ears stopped he could hear the worried voices of his teammates.
“KD?!” Artemis called out.
“What’s going on KD” Robin asked worriedly but Wally was in too much pain to answer. He coughed up more blood and fell to his knees, holding his stomach, once the villain let go of the branch and his hair.
“Okay, yep. T-that hurts a little bit”, Wally said breathlessly after a couple of seconds. "You k-know they will make you pay for this, r-right?"
Vandal Savage huffed as he looked down upon the injured hero. “Then they will fall by my hands too.”
He began walking away, not looking back.
“Goodbye little hero.”
And with that he disappeared into the night.
Wally’s hands still hovered shakily over the tree branch in his stomach, when Robins voice cut through the haze.
“KD! What is going on! Status report!”
A small smile spread across his features at the worry in his friend’s tone. “That ‘snt very whelm’d of you Rob”
“What is Vandal Savage going to pay for”, Conner’s voice spoke up next.
Blood was staining Wally’s hands and dripping into his suit, the first dark spots appearing in his vision. Lying would only make all of this harder.
“I kinda h’ve a branch in my stomach. Alm’st like a marshm’llow you hold over a campf’re, but I don’t feel l’ke one” he tried to joke.
“What!?” all of them yelled out.
“The last snow fortress has been taken down, we are on our way. Just hold on,” Kaldur stated, sounding panicked.
Huh, Kaldur almost never panics. Weird.
Wally only hummed as a response.
“was really look’n forward to chr’stmas with yo’ g’ys”, he said sluggishly.
“And you will see it” Zatanna argued.
Robin continued, his voice a steady, “Yeah and I will show you the Gotham winter markets, ok? I promise you."
The darkness continued to spread across his vision.
“Will B’tman be ‘k with th’at?” Wally questioned, remembering the no meta rule of the hero.
“I’ll convince him. I’m pretty good at that.” Robin said, “Your gonna be an exception to the rule from now on.”
Wally laughed drily at the thought and smiled, his body beginning to grow heavy. “That would be cool. C’ld visit you more ‘ften.”
“Yes, yes. But you have to hold on a little longer for that. Flash will be there in just a moment, ok?” the younger hero said, he sounded worried. Wally never heard him that worried before.
“G’nna miss y’ guys”, he whispered and the first tears started falling.
“No no no, don’t fall asleep. Don’t you dare.” Artemis barked, her voice wavering slightly.
The others also said something but Wally’s ears became to muffled to understand them.
Wally was not scared anymore. The exhaustion making it difficult to hold himself up. He saved the princess and knocked out Vertigo so they could lock him away.
I hope they are proud of me. Hope they won’t forget me.
Wally was about to fall over onto his side when something red dashed across his vision and strong arms caught him. The young hero blinked a couple of times, trying to get his eyes to focus again, to no avail. Yet, even with his blurry vision he could make out the bright red suit of the person who caught him.
At least he wasn’t dying alone.
He felt someone shake him gently, voices speaking to him. He hissed as he was being picked up and the branch in his stomach was jostled. Someone shushed him and held him close.
That was the last thing he remembered before everything turned black.
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The first thing Wally was aware of after waking up, was the really annoying beeping. It was going in a steady rhythm, the beeping’s high pitch making his head and ears hurt. He grumbled and slowly blinked his eyes open, to find out where that sound was coming from. As his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room he realized he was in the hospital wing of the watchtower, the beeping coming from a heart monitor on his side.
Across from him was his team sleeping soundly. All of them were still in their suits but other than 1 or 2 bandages they seemed uninjured. Some of them were slumped over in chairs while the others lay cramped on the medical beds. All of their sleeping positions looked rather uncomfortable and Wally couldn’t help but cringe when thinking about the soreness they were going to wake up with later.
Did they stay here for me?
He looked to his sides and saw on one side Rob sleeping peacefully in a chair, his head resting on his chest, and to his other his uncle Barry. He was half on his chair and half sleeping with his upper body on the bed, holding his hand softly.
He gently squeezed his uncles hand to wake him up and whispered, “Uncle Barry?”
The man’s head jerked up quickly, when he heard his name being called. His eyes widened as he saw that Wally was awake, then immediately softened and he squeezed his hand back. He slowly reached one hand up and cupped the side of his face.
“Hey there buddy, gave us quite the scare there.” He said softly and leaned forward resting their foreheads against each other. Wally smiled and closed his eyes, relaxing into the touch.
“You’ve been out for quite some time. How are you feeling?” Barry asked.
“A bit thirsty and my body feels like I got hit by a truck, but otherwise ok”, he answered, his voice scratchy. Barry immediately handed him the water that stood on the table nearby and helped him drink as his hands were still a bit shaky.
“The queen…did she make it?” Wally asked afterwards.
Barry smiled and nodded. “Yes she did, the surgery went smoothly. You did great kid.”
“Vertigo and Vandal Savage?”
“Vertigo was taken into custody and is now locked up in Belle Reve.” The other speedster stopped for a moment before continuing, “Vandal Savage was gone by the time I arrived." Then a moment of uncomfortable silence followed. Wally was about to ask what was wrong when Barry spoke up again.
“I’m so sorry Wally. This situation, it was my fault. We should have made sure that someone was at least closeby in case something happened. Which it did! Vertigo was expecting me and instead you had to deal with 2 supervillains while completely exhausted! And you almost didn’t make it, your heart stopped for a minute! If I hadn’t immediately made my way to you when I heard you needed help, if I had been a minute later then you could have-“
The ache in his stomach worsened a bit as his mind flashed back to the fight, the branch the pain pain pain- Wally blinked away the memories and took a deep breath. Barry was still ranting though he had tuned out at some point. Still he could see the panic in fear in his uncle’s eyes as he was playing through the worst case scenarios. The young hero stopped him before he could spiral more, “It’s ok uncle Barry, it’s not your fault. You told me being a hero sometimes means to take risks and land in unexpected situations. None of us could have known and what matters is that you were there in time.” Then a grin formed on his face, “and I finally got to use that cool lighting move in action!”
Barry smiled softly, which turned into an excited grin when he heard the last part. “You really did it!? I’m so proud of you!” he carefully hugged the younger. Wally was about to tell the other all about his fight, when a yawn left his mouth.
Barry ruffled his hair and smiled. “Sleep Wally, you can tell me all about the fight later. Your friends will probably also wanna hear about it once you all wake up, they’ve been really worried. Rest, we will wait here until you wake up.”
Wally yawned again and nodded, his hand still holding onto Barry’s. “Night night, uncle Barry.”
“Good night, Wally”, Barry answered with a chuckle.
In his heart Wally knew that the fight with Vandal Savage had left him with more than physical scars. When he tried thinking about the fight, the snow, the branch… he began to dissociate, flashbacks of the fight making him freeze. He was almost certain that Barry knew too. But that was a problem for another time, something that future him can deal with. The heartbeat monitor continued to beep in the background as he closed his eyes. And this time Wally didn’t fear when darkness overcame him and he fell asleep.