Wally's fighting, taking down some two-bit thug when it happens. There's a loud snap as... something breaks, the sound reverberating around the area like a gunshot. He pays it no mind, (no one's screaming, so obviously things are fine - man, that's one messed up way of thinking) lands a kick to the goon's stomach and hits him hard in the temple, quickly rendering him unconscious.

After a moment of reveling in his easy victory, Wally turns to the source of the noise. Just in time to see Dick falling, gloved hands fumbling for a spare grappling hook he doesn't have.

Shit.

Victory forgotten, Wally spends another .5 seconds gawking, and then his speed kicks into overdrive, feet moving faster than his brain because there's no time to think. Dick's normally lively expression is replaced with a look of gaunt terror. It stirs something in Wally that makes him go faster, push his limits, because he never wants to see that look on his best friend's face again.

Everything seems like it's happening in slow motion. Dick's flailing, arms reaching out into open air as if he could grab something to stop his fall, and then he just. Stops moving. Closes his eyes, like he's accepted it. Wally doesn't want to think about what he's accepting.

He gets in range just as Dick hits the ground with a sickening thump. Wally can hear every last crack of his best friend's bones, the whoosh of breath leaving his lungs, and the sound alone is enough to make Wally's stomach turn. Dick's mouth opens like he wants to cry out but can't, because all the air has been knocked out of his lungs and he has nothing left to give.

When Wally finally reaches Dick's side, he immediately crouches down to inspect the damage. Even - even if he doesn't really want to.

What he sees will probably be burned into his mind for the rest of his life.

There's - Dick's body is contorted at an impossible angle. His shoulder is very obviously popped out of it's socket, and his other arm is broken badly. Nobody's legs should ever bend like that, either. He presses two fingers to Dick's carotid artery, and thank God, his pulse is there. Weak and erratic, but it's there. His chest is moving in short, jerky breaths, and there's a thin trail of blood running down Dick's chin to his neck. Wally wonders if he bit the inside of his mouth or if it's from internal damage. Probably both.

The thought makes him panic, badly.

Internal bleeding. There's nothing he can do about that. It's not like he knows how to perform surgery, and even if he did, he couldn't do it here. It's unsanitary, dangerous, and he has no supplies.

"Shit, Rob, wake up," He murmurs, feeling at a loss. Then he has a thought.

Hello, Wally.

In his panic, he'd forgotten that the rest of the team was out here too. Granted, they had split up and were in different areas, but they were all in the same general vicinity. He can ask for help.

The mental link is down, which is - concerning, but he doesn't dwell on it, turning on his comm link instead.

"Miss M? Aqualad? Can you hear me? We have a... situtation. Robin - Robin's down. We need backup ASAP."

The only response he gets is static.

Comm's jammed.

Fucking wonderful.

And now he's really starting to freak, because - Dick won't wake up, they're alone with no way of contacting anyone, and there's absolutely nothing. He can do. While his best friend is lying on the ground dying.

"Please wake up, dude," He says.

Predictably, there's no reply.

Maybe - maybe he could pick Dick up and run him to the team's rendevous point. Get him to the bioship, a proper medbay, and hopefully patch him up.

No, he thinks. I can't pick him up while he's like this, let alone run with him. And there's nothing around to make a stretcher with, either. Damnit.

Just as Wally's cursing every higher being he knows of for letting this happen, a low groan sounds from beside him. It's probably the best thing he's ever heard.

"Rob? Can - can you hear me?" He says, urgency leaking into his tone.

It takes a second, but he gets a response this time.

"K...F? Where...where'm I? H'rts..."

Wally digs his nails into his palm to keep from whooping with joy, because that'd be really inappropriate right now. But Dick's awake. He's talking, and that means he'll be okay. Thank God.

"You're - We're in Star City. Remember? We had a mission here. You... your grapple line got cut while we were fighting. You... fell."

Dick sucks in a sharp, wheezing breath at the new information, and it hits Wally that he just fell the same way his family did. He reaches over and grabs Dick's hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

Dick, in turn, closes his eyes and says, softly, "Hurts. 'M I dying?"

Wally squeezes his best friend's hand even harder. "No. Don't say stuff like that, man. You're just - you're just banged up. You'll be fine."

Dick snickers in return, but stops when the movement jostles his chest. "Valid question... KF. S-Stay... whelmed."

Wally almost scoffs, because of course, Dick would use his stupid un-words in this situation. Weirdo.

After a brief moment of silence, Dick speaks up again.

"What's... the damage?"

Wally breathes in deep. He doesn't want to tell Dick. Doesn't really want to acknowledge the boy's injuries himself. But he knows, that if he were in Dick's place, he'd want to know too.

So, he gives it to him straight.

"It's... bad. Dislocated shoulder, broken arm, broken leg. The works. I'm... I'm more worried about what I can't see. Your ribs, your back... they're probably pretty messed up. And I think you're bleeding internally."

There. It's out in the open. Wally still feels sick from the weight of it all.

Dick smirks, then winces. "Well... th-that explains a lot."

There's a look in his eyes now, though. Something grim, deep and nothing that a fourteen year-old should be carrying.

Seeing that look makes Wally shudder, and an awful thought starts niggling at the back of his mind.

He's not gonna make it through this.

Dick seems to be thinking the same thing, because out of the blue, he blurts, "I'm sorry."

"F-For what?" Wally replies, not missing a beat.

"I'm... gonna die, KF. 'S k-kinda obvious," It's barely a whisper, hardly even audible, but it makes Wally's stomach drop all the same.

This is the day he's feared since he started being a superhero. The day he loses someone on his team, someone he considers family. Someone he can't afford to lose. Why does it have to be Dick?

No. No. He shoves those thoughts away. Dick isn't dying. He's gonna be just fine.

"You're not. Don't say that," Wally's voice cracks on the last word. It's something Dick would tease him about, if it happened somewhere else, someway else.

Dick is silent for a moment. He opens his mouth, closes it, and his head lolls to the side a little as his eyes droop shut, sleep tugging at him once again.

Wally, in a panic, grips his hand tight and yells, "Stay awake!"

Dick's eyes snap back open, and he looks at Wally for a few seconds, uncomprehending. "What...?"

Shit. He's even more disoriented than before. Wally curses, then mutters fervently, "Just stay with me, okay?"

Dick nods. "I'm... with you."

More silence. For once, Wally doesn't know what else to say.

Dick speaks up again, and it's the opposite of anything Wally expected to hear.

"You... know I love you... r-right?"

Wally freezes. Stares, for just a second. Then:

"Yeah," he chokes out. "I do. I love you too."

Dick smiles, a little bit. And this - this is a scene out of every cheesy chick flick they've ever made fun of. Near-death love confession. Cliché as hell. The thought makes him let out a sob.

Dick fumbles to grip his hand tighter. "I don't... wanna die. Not like this. N-Not... like them," And he's tearing up. He's scared, and there's nothing Wally can do to help.

"I'm sorry," is all he can think to say.

"Not your fault," Dick says back.

And that just. Breaks open the dam.

"But it is. It's my fault. I should - I should've been paying more attention. I should've been faster. I should've caught you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Somewhere along the line, his words blur into tears, and Dick starts crying too, albeit soundlessly.

"Stop. Wally, stop. It's not... not..."

He trails off, and his eyes go glassy. After a moment, they snap back to reality and give Wally a look of utter conviction that makes him shiver.

"Not your fault. If... if you b-blame yourself... I'll haunt you. Forever. I'll scare the - the crap out of you every night. Mess with all... your stuff. Don't."

"Ghosts aren't real," Wally says past the tears.

"We'll... see about that," Dick gives a cocky smirk, and it almost makes Wally forget he's minutes from death. Damnit, where's his team?

Wally sniffs, and things go quiet again.

"Guess it's time... for last words, h-huh?" Dick hisses through gritted teeth, startling Wally.

"No-" Wally starts, but Dick interrupts.

"Y-Yes. I... have to say some th-things. Please. Listen."

Wally stays quiet. Dick continues.

"You... you're g-gonna," He pauses to cringe, breath hitching as pain makes it hard to force out the words, "You're gonna... be okay. Without me. All of you."

Wally shakes his head, starts to object, but Dick shushes him.

"It's... hard. To lose people. I know, and - I'm... sorry. For doing this to you guys. But it'll get better... I promise."

"And - tell Br - Bats. Tell him he's a good dad. Don't let this ruin him. D-Don't... don't let him blame himself. 'Kay?"

"Tell - tell everyone I'm sorry. And keep 'em whelmed."

And - there's so much more that he wants to say, Wally can see it in his eyes. But the pain has gotten past the point of tolerable, and Dick looks like he's losing the battle against unconsciousness.

Wally reaches up, touches his face.

"I will. I swear."

I love you.

Wally's nothing if not loyal.

Dick gives him a crooked smile, seeming satisfied.

And then his eyes slip shut.

Not fast enough.

Wally presses his fingers to Dick's neck to feel for a pulse, again. There's nothing there. No heartbeat, no breath. Nothing. He tries CPR, mouth to mouth, and after 20 minutes of fruitless attempts and blood on his lips, he stops.

He starts crying. Loud, ugly, sobs, yelling for Dick to wake up. They could probably hear him in Gotham.

There's a knife on the ground, next to them. It's obviously what caused the line to break. Whoever threw it is long gone, must've run away while -

While Dick was dying.

A coward killed his best friend.

A lucky throw killed his best friend.

The team finds him an hour later, hunched over Dick's lifeless body. Artemis says something, her voice wobbling with tears, and tries to pull him away. He lashes out and shoves at her hard. Nobody tries to move him after that, but they do gather around closer. Wally feels gentle hands on his shoulders, and soft sobbing in his ear. He can't bring himself to care.

Not fast enough.

crossposted from my ao3 under the same name. thanks for reading! reviews are always appreciated. :^)