Chapter Text
"You're late!"
Kyle put his bags on the floor and straightened his slipped jacket. "I'm not!"
"I'm the Flash one but you're the late one!"
Kyle rolled his eyes. "Boo hoo! I'm the Flash one but you're the late one!"
"You act like Bart!"
Kyle tossed one of his bags at Wally. "And you complain a lot!"
"I wonder why?!"
Connor stepped in and put his hands on their chests. "You guys don't have to fight every time we go on vacation."
The two spoke at the same time. "He started it first!"
"Connor!" Kyle woke up screaming and looked around. He was covered in sweat, but he didn't know if it was the dream or Guy's leg on him.
He swept over Guy's leg and jumped over the sleeping bodies of Hal and John. He put on his jacket and went out onto the balcony. Gotham's cold wind hit his face. Kyle and the others had come to his house that evening to celebrate Alan's return, and Alan had insisted they stay overnight.
The screaming sound from below brought Kyle out of his thoughts. Kyle knew that Gotham had always been like this, probably any Bat was already going to intervene, but Kyle couldn't help himself.
As he jumped from the balcony, his pyjamas was replaced by a black-green costume. Kyle dimmed his light and started flying towards the street where the scream had come from.
Finally, five blocks down, he saw an injured man. The man's clothes were torn and covered in blood. Kyle knelt down beside him, even though he knew there was nothing he could do. "Who did this to you?"
The man spoke hardly, he was looking like so much in pain. "Ha-Hawke."
-
"So you're serious about this retirement?"
Wally looked up from the job postings at his wife. "Yeah, I'm serious. I want to retire and be a normal person."
"Wally, you're not normal. You just ate a box of chocolates for breakfast."
Wally shrugged. "And they tasted so good!"
Linda muttered as she looked at her bag. "How do I know, you never gave it to me."
Wally looked up from the newspaper and looked at his wife. The conversation was going places he never liked: sharing his chocolate.
Wally was grateful when the doorbell rang. Whoever came had saved his life. He stood up quickly and looked at the door. His hand went to the doorknob as he stared into Linda's allusive eyes. He used his speed as he went to look for the door. He knew from Linda's gaze that she was questioning him. His speed was a part of him, what would he do without it? Wally was also curious about the answer too.
Kyle waved as Wally averted his gaze and opened the door. "Finally! I've been ringing for an hour!"
"I'm sorry, do I know you?"
Kyle rolled his eyes and walked in. "Haha very funny, Wally." He hugged Linda. "How are you Linda?"
"I'm fine, thanks. But sorry, I'm late for work." Linda took her purse and kissed her husband on the cheek. "We'll talk about chocolate thing tonight."
"I prefer not…" Wally closed the door behind him and looked at Kyle. "Did you just remember me?"
"Hey, I have a pretty good excuse: I was in space!"
Wally rolled his eyes and headed for the kitchen. "What do you drink?"
"Nothing." Kyle sat down in the chair and gestured to his side. Wally shrugged and sat next to him. "So why are you here?"
Kyle handed the file in his hand. He wanted to get straight to the point. Wally looked at his hand in surprise, then took the file. He frowned, slowly flipping through the pages. All the pages were filled with murders of the same kind. Wally sighed and handed the file back. "You came the wrong person, Kyle. I'm not Batman, I'm not even a hero anymore. I retired, I don't know if you heard. Go figure it out with Dick."
"The killer's name is Hawke."
"What?"
Kyle flipped through the file. On the last page, there was a robot drawing describing the killer. "The killer's name is Hawke, he's 5' 9", in his twenties, black and blond. Sound familiar?"
Wally's eyes opened wide. "This is not possible"
"We have to help him, Wally.” Kyle touched in his shoulder. “He's our friend.”
Wally turned his head the other way. He couldn't, he was going to retire, a normal life... He clenched his fist. What if he hurts him? "I can't. I'm sorry."
"Wally, we can't let him go down this dark path. He is our friend, we must help him at his worst."
"What about me?"
Kyle hesitated. "What?"
"Where were you for me?" There was tears on his green eyes when Wally looked at him. "You haven't been with me once in years, and now you're coming for Connor?"
Kyle gulped. He hadn't thought of it before, he knew Wally was having a hard time, but… Wally wiped the tears on his sleeve. "Get out. Go solve your case with Oliver Queen, I don't care. I'm done."
Kyle reached out and tried to grab his arm, but Wally got rid of him. When he turned his head again, his eyes were glowing with blue energy. "Now go, Kyle. And don't ever come to show your fake friendship again."
Kyle didn't say anything. He clumsily closed the file and left the house. When the door of the house was closed, Wally sat on the couch and covered his face with his hands. He could still see the image of Roy's body.
When he opened his face, he picked up the photo that had fallen from the folder. He sighed and crushed the photo between his fingers. "I won't. I can't hurt anyone else. Not again..."