( this is why he dislikes people. dislikes socializing. the part of gaining others' trust that requires him to empathize with them a little, to communicate. because - yes, he does know how to an extent. he's learning. but damian doesn't like it, especially when someone's stupid enough to just say he knows nothing without knowing what he does know.
there's a roll of his eyes behind the domino mask, lips twitching into a small frown even if he does try to lessen how visible his irritation is. tries, being the key word there.
[ Wally doesn't need to see his eyes to know Damian's probably rolling them. He's irritated and so is Wally, even if it's small compared to Damian. His life's been upside down since he got to Colorado. Sometimes it feels like it's moving faster than he is, even with his incredible speed. He can't make it stop. He can barely make it slow down and this kid wants him to just accept his friendship? Just because he knows some alternate reality version of him.
He wants to leave. He really does. But there is one question that feels like it's consuming him. ]
What happened to Barry?
[ Distantly, Wally could still hear his screams. ]
( it's an odd question, but he supposes he can see where it comes from regardless. what happened implies something bad has recently happened to barry, which makes answering it - difficult. what has gone on with barry allen? a multitude of things. )
Barry Allen?
( it's giving something, at least. a last name. evidence that robin knows which barry wally is referring to, even if he's not quite certain of the incident that's happened. )
[ Damian's answer sort of implies that Barry is at least still alive. Is it strange to feel relieved? Because Wally kind of does. At least there's some version of him that's not a colossal fuck up. ]
Last I remember. Although he had been dead for a significant period of time.
( sometimes one dies then comes back, this has been well-established over the last. . . as long as robin can remember, especially given all the tales he's heard regarding his grandfather. )
Death is not always permanent. And what can look like a death may not have been a death at all.
[ Wally's gaze snaps to Damian, drawn in like a magnet. That...doesn't make sense. He saw Dr. Allen's body, dragged it behind him while he ran. There was nothing but bones left. He's still not quite sure what happened to him in Barry's lab. This could have been a set up. He wants to believe it's a setup. If only he hadn't seen the bones.
The words come tumbling out before he can stop them, think better of them. ]
But I killed him! He--There was nothing left.
[ He tells himself not to panic. That there's nothing to panic over. That he needs to focus on here and now. ]
( an unexpected answer, but not a surprising one. people here have come from all over, so timelines and events don't necessarily happen the same way they have for damian. he understands that. much better than this - very small version of wallace west does anyway. )
If there was nothing left, how are you so certain?
( west is distressed. damian can recognize that easily enough. his own bag of food is still half full with fries, so he grabs onto the paper on top and folds it over just enough that when he tosses it toward wally, it doesn't make a mess. )
It isn't difficult to trick someone into believing they are seeing something when they aren't. I and many others believed my father was dead, but the corpse left behind was only a very convincing fake.
[ He doesn't think the circumstances are the same. He could hear Barry screaming while he ran. When he looked behind him, he saw the skeleton following like a bleached white shadow. Wally shuts his eyes as if that would stop it. Or at least keep him from feeling he's coming apart at the seams.
Catching the bag is a welcome distraction and so are eating the rest of Damian's fries. He chews them slowly - slower than he ate his own. It gives him space to organize his thoughts. It gives him something to focus on instead of the memories of Barry dying in slow motion behind him. He remembers what his mother taught him: focus on what you can see and smell and hear. ]
It all happened so fast. We were connected and then. Nothing.
( it does make him more curious as to what happened to this wally's barry allen, but considering how much it seems to be stressing him out, damian isn't going to push him into talking about it any further. knowing the name should hopefully be enough to convince west that he is familiar with him. that he's on his side - until convinced to be otherwise anyway. )
Point being is that I do know you, to an extent. Allen isn't here, nor is the rest of your family. But some of my family and I are here. We can work together.
[ He's convinced. Sort of. More convinced than when he started. He's still wrapping his head around this whole multiverse thing, but it's a little easier to accept now that he's met someone who seems to know who he is. Does that mean this kid knows about Still Point? About what Wally can do?
( robin certainly looks annoyed just by the statement itself. but now that west has finished off his food - he pulls himself up to his feet, dusting off leggings while standing atop the batmobile. )
Want to race?
( he has the car. he also has legs. and while damian hasn't fully figured out what west's deal is yet - well. they have plenty of time right now. )
[ It doesn't feel like a lie. He is a nobody. A wanted nobody back home, but that didn't make him somebody famous outside of Fort Fox. Still Damian's insistence doesn't raise his hackles much.
In fact, yeah, he kind of does want to race. He's got energy to burn. ]
[ Part of Wally thinks its really safer if he just runs like a normal person. Even let Damian win so he can use it as proof that he's nobody special. But then Damian calls him lazy and honestly all bets are off now.
Plus, nobody from Fort Fox is here anyway. ]
You can use the car if you want. You can still have the head start.
[ Wally doesn't doubt he can outpace the car. He's also pretty sure this kid knows that too. By the time he's warmed up, he's already decided how he's going to play this. ]
( benefits of asking for the batmobile from aurora? it's extremely powerful and quick to speed up. on the other hand, when he sits himself down in the driver's seat, it's extremely obvious that this car wasn't made for someone his size: the seat's pushed all the way up so he can reach the pedals, the steering wheel is pushed as far in and down as he can possibly get it to go for the same reason.
but he looks confident enough behind the wheel as he throws a grin wally's way, leaving the car in neutral but pressing on the gas just for the noise. )
Go.
( no countdown, because why bother?
robin quickly shifts gears and the batmobile rushes ahead. they hadn't established a finish line, but it's not as if that matters much. he knows wally will win, he's just - allowing the boy to show off a little. )
[ Wally does think it's a little weird this kid's driving, when he doesn't even have a learner's permit. But it's still not the weirdest thing that's happened to him so far. The engine revs and he hears it over and over in his head and it's a sound he feels like he needs to block out. He knows he can outpace it, even with its powerful engines. But when it peels out, Wally runs at a full sprint, and lets it keep the head start.
There's nothing remarkable about the way he runs, even though it feels like there's static in his brain. But if you didn't already know how fast he could actually go, you'd never think he had the makings of a varsity athlete. ]
because the tires spin out for a minute, yes, but wally? is clearly not trying. unfortunately for him, damian is willing to take risks to prove a point - so he shifts the batmobile into reverse quickly, turning the wheel so the rear end of the car is heading right toward the boy.
it doesn't look like he has any intention of stopping before ramming right into him. damian wouldn't cause damage if he could help it, doesn't intend on actually hitting him, but he certainly isn't going to make that obvious. )
[ The thing about Wally's powers? He can't turn them off. Not in any real sense. He can make them less intense if he concentrates, but he never feels like he's slowing down. His brain always feels like its moving faster than everything around him. He can't always predict when they'll do something either.
Like now - when he sees the car slam on its breaks and reverse toward him moments before it does just that. ]
Shitshitshit!
[ Red lightning sparks to life as the car speeds closer and closer and he has no choice now. He has to run or he's going to be rammed by the car. So he does. He runs, faster and faster until he's able to leap into the air and clear the car totally. The landing is...not a graceful one, but at least he didn't eat dirt. ]
( he'd expected west to get out of the way, but not go up. as soon as the boy does move, robin slams on the breaks of the car bringing it to a screeching halt at speeds that certainly wouldn't be safe for anyone inside the car if they weren't prepared for it.
but robin is.
his head jerks forward, but not enough to hurt him any. and after it's stopped, robin's leaning out the window, brow furrowed as he looks to wally. )
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there's a roll of his eyes behind the domino mask, lips twitching into a small frown even if he does try to lessen how visible his irritation is. tries, being the key word there.
ugh. people. )
No? Ask me something.
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He wants to leave. He really does. But there is one question that feels like it's consuming him. ]
What happened to Barry?
[ Distantly, Wally could still hear his screams. ]
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Barry Allen?
( it's giving something, at least. a last name. evidence that robin knows which barry wally is referring to, even if he's not quite certain of the incident that's happened. )
A lot.
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[ Damian's answer sort of implies that Barry is at least still alive. Is it strange to feel relieved? Because Wally kind of does. At least there's some version of him that's not a colossal fuck up. ]
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( sometimes one dies then comes back, this has been well-established over the last. . . as long as robin can remember, especially given all the tales he's heard regarding his grandfather. )
Death is not always permanent. And what can look like a death may not have been a death at all.
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The words come tumbling out before he can stop them, think better of them. ]
But I killed him! He--There was nothing left.
[ He tells himself not to panic. That there's nothing to panic over. That he needs to focus on here and now. ]
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If there was nothing left, how are you so certain?
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[ Wally doesn't want to think about this and regrets asking anything about Barry at all. It's going to be on repeat in his head now. ]
Well, I'm just glad he's okay.
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It isn't difficult to trick someone into believing they are seeing something when they aren't. I and many others believed my father was dead, but the corpse left behind was only a very convincing fake.
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[ He doesn't think the circumstances are the same. He could hear Barry screaming while he ran. When he looked behind him, he saw the skeleton following like a bleached white shadow. Wally shuts his eyes as if that would stop it. Or at least keep him from feeling he's coming apart at the seams.
Catching the bag is a welcome distraction and so are eating the rest of Damian's fries. He chews them slowly - slower than he ate his own. It gives him space to organize his thoughts. It gives him something to focus on instead of the memories of Barry dying in slow motion behind him. He remembers what his mother taught him: focus on what you can see and smell and hear. ]
It all happened so fast. We were connected and then. Nothing.
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Point being is that I do know you, to an extent. Allen isn't here, nor is the rest of your family. But some of my family and I are here. We can work together.
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He shrugs a little at Damian's suggestion. ]
Work together how? I'm a nobody.
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( robin certainly looks annoyed just by the statement itself. but now that west has finished off his food - he pulls himself up to his feet, dusting off leggings while standing atop the batmobile. )
Want to race?
( he has the car. he also has legs. and while damian hasn't fully figured out what west's deal is yet - well. they have plenty of time right now. )
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In fact, yeah, he kind of does want to race. He's got energy to burn. ]
Sure. I'll give you a head start.
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( an important line to draw, isn't it? is west going to admit to what he might be, or are they going on foot? )
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Plus, nobody from Fort Fox is here anyway. ]
You can use the car if you want. You can still have the head start.
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( robin snorts, but he's getting off the hood of the car, and moving around to let himself into the driver's seat. )
What prize does the winner get?
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Bragging rights? [ The only real thing of value he has is the suit and there's no way he's giving that up. ] I don't have anything you'd want.
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( keys in the ignition, but robin's still twisting himself around enough he can look to wally outside the window. )
A favor. If you win, you get one from me. If I win, I get one from you.
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Fine. Ready when you are.
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but he looks confident enough behind the wheel as he throws a grin wally's way, leaving the car in neutral but pressing on the gas just for the noise. )
Go.
( no countdown, because why bother?
robin quickly shifts gears and the batmobile rushes ahead. they hadn't established a finish line, but it's not as if that matters much. he knows wally will win, he's just - allowing the boy to show off a little. )
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There's nothing remarkable about the way he runs, even though it feels like there's static in his brain. But if you didn't already know how fast he could actually go, you'd never think he had the makings of a varsity athlete. ]
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because the tires spin out for a minute, yes, but wally? is clearly not trying. unfortunately for him, damian is willing to take risks to prove a point - so he shifts the batmobile into reverse quickly, turning the wheel so the rear end of the car is heading right toward the boy.
it doesn't look like he has any intention of stopping before ramming right into him. damian wouldn't cause damage if he could help it, doesn't intend on actually hitting him, but he certainly isn't going to make that obvious. )
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Like now - when he sees the car slam on its breaks and reverse toward him moments before it does just that. ]
Shitshitshit!
[ Red lightning sparks to life as the car speeds closer and closer and he has no choice now. He has to run or he's going to be rammed by the car. So he does. He runs, faster and faster until he's able to leap into the air and clear the car totally. The landing is...not a graceful one, but at least he didn't eat dirt. ]
What the hell is wrong with you?!
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but robin is.
his head jerks forward, but not enough to hurt him any. and after it's stopped, robin's leaning out the window, brow furrowed as he looks to wally. )
Why'd you go up?
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