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Nov. 28th, 2010 01:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kat8chaTitle: Reality is a Crutch 2/7
All Parts: Part 1, Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7
Author: kat8cha
Pairing: pre Roy/Wally
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Roy hates asking for help and can only do so when he is not the one in need.
Warnings: Drug use, referenced prostitution
A/N: The first part of the story behind![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
roygoesdown and quickblows's AU. Roy leaves when Ollie kicks him out and Wally never met Barry and thus never gained powers. Also for H/C bingo's runaways prompt.
Barry was not surprised when Hal showed up in Central City. He'd been warned by a quick phone call where Hal had asked if he was free for the day and a promise that he would 'explain when he got there'. So when Barry saw a familiar green figure approaching he ran up a wall and met Hal on a rooftop.
"I guess I will need to wear my fancy pajamas for this." Barry motioned to his suit. Hal smiled, sheepishly, and nodded. It was the smile that Hal always wore when Barry had to bail him out of a check, and once when Barry had had to bail Hal out of jail. "And need my wallet."
"It's why I called you, Barry." Green Lantern rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, do you remember Speedy? And can I tell you while flying, we need to get to Vegas."
"I can run faster than you can fly us." Barry countered but a green construct was already forming under his feet. "But if that is what you want."
Soon they were in the air and Barry was holding onto a waist high banister while he watched the ground below. He knew that Hal preferred to fly when he needed to be in control of a situation, and this was obviously a situation that Hal did not feel in control of. He flew close by so that Barry could hear him over the wind. "You remember Speedy, right?"
"You asked already, Hal." Barry rolled his eyes a little, but only a little. "Green Arrow's sidekick, right? The one who started doing drugs."
"Spe- Roy was more than that. I mean, he was Ollie's sidekick of course but he was also… he was a good kid." Hal's voice shook a little as he continued to speak although his concentration stayed strong. "When I heard what Ollie did… I couldn't believe him. I only wish Roy had come to me instead of running away."
Barry tightened his grip on the rail but did not interrupt. He knew what Hal meant. Iris, his wife, had a nephew named Wally who had run off. Barry had never met him but Iris seemed to care so much when her brother had called and asked if Wally was with her. She had been so broken up about it… Barry could see the same pain reflected in Hal now.
"He called me today asking for help. He's in Vegas, can you believe that, Vegas! That's not far away at all. I can't believe… I always thought he ended up on the other side of the country or he ended up-" Hal broke off, but Barry knew what word ended that sentence. 'Dead'.
"And you came to Kansas to pick me up?" That was… out of the way, it would have been a lot faster if Hal had told Barry to meet him halfway.
"I need someone with me on this." That strange tone in Hal's voice was easily identified by Barry, it was the unsure tone of voice that only Ollie could cause. Barry looked away at the ground passing quickly beneath them. Ollie… one day, Barry was sure, he'd tell Hal how he felt about Ollie and why. "I can't bring Ollie. Roy said not to and honestly I don't want to. He had his chance with Roy and he ruined it." Anger hardened Hal's voice. "That's not fair of me. It was my fault too. I knew something was up… I went back too late though, by the time I got there Ollie had already kicked Roy out… he hit him, can you believe that, and I couldn't find a hide or hair of Roy in all of Star City. I was lucky to find Ollie before the drug-runners finished him off."
Barry looked up this time, at the blazing hot sun, before turning to look at Hal. Hal's chin was set and his ring sparked between his curled fingers. Sometimes it was scary how much willpower Hal had inside of him. Barry wasn't sure he would have been able to keep on living like that.
"I looked for him. Dinah helped and eventually even Ollie looked, but we couldn't find him. It's been over a year since he ran away and he calls me for help for someone else." Hal cringed and this time the construct did waver slightly, Barry grabbed onto the railing tightly until it strengthened underneath his feet. "Sorry. I just… I should be glad he called at all, right?"
"It means he trusts you, Hal. And maybe it means he has stopped doing drugs and has become a law abiding citizen again." Barry's tone was hopeful but he could tell that Hal doubted it. Barry himself doubted it. He had seen drug addicts on the streets of Central and he had even dealt with some in his police work. Addicts were the nastiest pieces of work. Some of them were so wounded inside that nothing held them together but the drugs and many of them would flip on a friend just so they could get out of the precinct and score a hit. Barry had seen alcohol addicts and smoking addicts and both seemed benign next to the type of things you could get hooked on off the streets.
The construct shifted so that it became a protective dome from the sun and the heat as they flew further south. "I don't think so. If this kid Wally's sickness was something Roy could just take him to the hospital for I doubt he would have called me."
Barry was grateful for the dome as the use of that name had caused him to start forward and press his hands against the green energy. "Wally? Did you say Wally, Hal?"
Hal glanced at Barry, obviously confused, and shrugged his shoulders. "That's what Roy said the kid's name was… why, you know something?"
It couldn't be the same Wally, having Iris' nephew end up with Oliver Queen's junkie ex-ward? It wasn't possible. It was preposterous. It would take a string of coincidences the likes of which Barry had never seen. First, they would need to have met. But hadn't Wally left his house about a year ago? Barry could remember getting the call from Iris' brother and was almost positive it was around the same time of year. But Roy had run away from California and ended up in Vegas. Wally would have had to run away from Kansas to Vegas in order to meet up with Roy. And why would Wally have run that way to begin with?
"It must be a coincidence." Barry muttered, then cleared his throat and spoke up. "Iris has a nephew, Wallace West, he ran away around a year ago, we haven't heard from him at all…" Barry shook his head and looked at Hal. "It's gotta be a coincidence. Wally is a pretty popular name, right?"
"…right." Hal nodded quickly, but Barry did not miss that they picked up speed and that Hal was obviously not convinced. "Coincidence."
Barry steeled himself for what might be a very uncomfortable reunion for all of them. "Don't worry, Hal, whatever happens… I think it will turn out just fine."
Part 3!
All Parts: Part 1, Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7
Author: kat8cha
Pairing: pre Roy/Wally
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Roy hates asking for help and can only do so when he is not the one in need.
Warnings: Drug use, referenced prostitution
A/N: The first part of the story behind
roygoesdown and quickblows's AU. Roy leaves when Ollie kicks him out and Wally never met Barry and thus never gained powers. Also for H/C bingo's runaways prompt.Barry was not surprised when Hal showed up in Central City. He'd been warned by a quick phone call where Hal had asked if he was free for the day and a promise that he would 'explain when he got there'. So when Barry saw a familiar green figure approaching he ran up a wall and met Hal on a rooftop.
"I guess I will need to wear my fancy pajamas for this." Barry motioned to his suit. Hal smiled, sheepishly, and nodded. It was the smile that Hal always wore when Barry had to bail him out of a check, and once when Barry had had to bail Hal out of jail. "And need my wallet."
"It's why I called you, Barry." Green Lantern rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, do you remember Speedy? And can I tell you while flying, we need to get to Vegas."
"I can run faster than you can fly us." Barry countered but a green construct was already forming under his feet. "But if that is what you want."
Soon they were in the air and Barry was holding onto a waist high banister while he watched the ground below. He knew that Hal preferred to fly when he needed to be in control of a situation, and this was obviously a situation that Hal did not feel in control of. He flew close by so that Barry could hear him over the wind. "You remember Speedy, right?"
"You asked already, Hal." Barry rolled his eyes a little, but only a little. "Green Arrow's sidekick, right? The one who started doing drugs."
"Spe- Roy was more than that. I mean, he was Ollie's sidekick of course but he was also… he was a good kid." Hal's voice shook a little as he continued to speak although his concentration stayed strong. "When I heard what Ollie did… I couldn't believe him. I only wish Roy had come to me instead of running away."
Barry tightened his grip on the rail but did not interrupt. He knew what Hal meant. Iris, his wife, had a nephew named Wally who had run off. Barry had never met him but Iris seemed to care so much when her brother had called and asked if Wally was with her. She had been so broken up about it… Barry could see the same pain reflected in Hal now.
"He called me today asking for help. He's in Vegas, can you believe that, Vegas! That's not far away at all. I can't believe… I always thought he ended up on the other side of the country or he ended up-" Hal broke off, but Barry knew what word ended that sentence. 'Dead'.
"And you came to Kansas to pick me up?" That was… out of the way, it would have been a lot faster if Hal had told Barry to meet him halfway.
"I need someone with me on this." That strange tone in Hal's voice was easily identified by Barry, it was the unsure tone of voice that only Ollie could cause. Barry looked away at the ground passing quickly beneath them. Ollie… one day, Barry was sure, he'd tell Hal how he felt about Ollie and why. "I can't bring Ollie. Roy said not to and honestly I don't want to. He had his chance with Roy and he ruined it." Anger hardened Hal's voice. "That's not fair of me. It was my fault too. I knew something was up… I went back too late though, by the time I got there Ollie had already kicked Roy out… he hit him, can you believe that, and I couldn't find a hide or hair of Roy in all of Star City. I was lucky to find Ollie before the drug-runners finished him off."
Barry looked up this time, at the blazing hot sun, before turning to look at Hal. Hal's chin was set and his ring sparked between his curled fingers. Sometimes it was scary how much willpower Hal had inside of him. Barry wasn't sure he would have been able to keep on living like that.
"I looked for him. Dinah helped and eventually even Ollie looked, but we couldn't find him. It's been over a year since he ran away and he calls me for help for someone else." Hal cringed and this time the construct did waver slightly, Barry grabbed onto the railing tightly until it strengthened underneath his feet. "Sorry. I just… I should be glad he called at all, right?"
"It means he trusts you, Hal. And maybe it means he has stopped doing drugs and has become a law abiding citizen again." Barry's tone was hopeful but he could tell that Hal doubted it. Barry himself doubted it. He had seen drug addicts on the streets of Central and he had even dealt with some in his police work. Addicts were the nastiest pieces of work. Some of them were so wounded inside that nothing held them together but the drugs and many of them would flip on a friend just so they could get out of the precinct and score a hit. Barry had seen alcohol addicts and smoking addicts and both seemed benign next to the type of things you could get hooked on off the streets.
The construct shifted so that it became a protective dome from the sun and the heat as they flew further south. "I don't think so. If this kid Wally's sickness was something Roy could just take him to the hospital for I doubt he would have called me."
Barry was grateful for the dome as the use of that name had caused him to start forward and press his hands against the green energy. "Wally? Did you say Wally, Hal?"
Hal glanced at Barry, obviously confused, and shrugged his shoulders. "That's what Roy said the kid's name was… why, you know something?"
It couldn't be the same Wally, having Iris' nephew end up with Oliver Queen's junkie ex-ward? It wasn't possible. It was preposterous. It would take a string of coincidences the likes of which Barry had never seen. First, they would need to have met. But hadn't Wally left his house about a year ago? Barry could remember getting the call from Iris' brother and was almost positive it was around the same time of year. But Roy had run away from California and ended up in Vegas. Wally would have had to run away from Kansas to Vegas in order to meet up with Roy. And why would Wally have run that way to begin with?
"It must be a coincidence." Barry muttered, then cleared his throat and spoke up. "Iris has a nephew, Wallace West, he ran away around a year ago, we haven't heard from him at all…" Barry shook his head and looked at Hal. "It's gotta be a coincidence. Wally is a pretty popular name, right?"
"…right." Hal nodded quickly, but Barry did not miss that they picked up speed and that Hal was obviously not convinced. "Coincidence."
Barry steeled himself for what might be a very uncomfortable reunion for all of them. "Don't worry, Hal, whatever happens… I think it will turn out just fine."
Part 3!
