Disclaimer: disclaimed
So this came to me a few weeks ago after reading the one-shot in the back of the collection of The Lightning Saga (Justice League under Black Canary's lead; Wally returns after disappearing. It's epic).Anyway, WALLS is about Vixen (Mari) and Roy (Red Arrow) being stuck under a pile of debris and having to fight their way out. It's VERY good, and by Brad Meltzer, one of my favorite comic writers. I hope you enjoy my version as well.
The first thing to trickle back is consciousness. One second he's drifting and the next his eyes sluggishly open to stare dully—at what, he can't yet comprehend.
Next are his senses: the smell of wood and metal and dust, the sight of darkness, the feel of earth and dirt, the taste of blood in his mouth. And the haunting, utterly terrifying sound of the debris shifting.
Memory adds fuel to the fire, and as he remembers the aftershock, the frantic rescuing, the jump, the screams, and the pain, panic sets in a suddenly Kid Flash is very, very afraid.
Frantically he coughs once, twice, then three times before hoarsely yelling, "Guys, I'm trapped! I need help!"
Silence.
"R—Robin? Aqualad? Superboy!" He forces himself to breathe. "I'm getting crushed down here! M'gann! Dick! Kaldur!" He's shaking and that's bad because if he shakes he'll vibrate and bring the whole goddamn building down—"Help, help!"
Someone coughs and whimpers. "Wally? Is that you?"
"Artemis! Oh, thank God you're okay—"
"Wally." Her voice is quiet and small. "Th—there's glass in—in my neck."
There's a moaning sound and everything moves and Artemis screams, and all Wally can do is lie still. When it's over, she asks, "What's going on?" He opens his mouth to answer but she beats him; her voice is knowing now. "Oh, God—Oh my God. We're trapped, and—holy shit; it's settling, isn't it? It's crushing—it's crushing us. Wally, if there's another aftershock while we're down here—"
"Artemis." He prays his voice is calmer than he feels, because if they both panic they'll never get out of here. She continues rambling, swinging from Vietnamese to English mid-sentences. "Artemis, Artemis!" She stops, and ragged breathing fills the small space. "I need you to calm down, and I need you to listen. Now, follow my voice, okay? You have to find me."
She grunts every time she drags herself forward and the soft comforts he's murmuring aren't doing anything for either of them but damn it he has to do something. After a few moments he hears her hand sliding along the debris closest to his and their hands meet. Both hold on for dear life.
"I can't get any closer," she says with thinly veiled fear. "There's something blocking my way and I—I don't want to rick upsetting the debris…"
"Light?" He rasps before she can freak out again.
Small, shaking hands fumble with the clips on her belt; her bow is long gone and the Kevlar in her quiver saved her back, but she couldn't crawl with it and it's doubtful she'll find it again. She moans softly in pain as she brushes the gash carving from her hip to thigh. "A piece of wood must've clipped me earlier; I—I don't have my flashlight."
The fallen building groans again, metal snaps somewhere in the distance and wood splinters. Artemis half-sobs something in Vietnamese that sounds like a prayer and Wally breathes through his nose. When it stops he realizes she broke his pinky finger.
A few moments pass in apprehensive silence, before she whispers. "This one's bad, isn't it."
"We'll get out," he tells her, because lying is so much more merciful than something as inconsequential as the truth. "We'll get out." Artemis knows he's lying, but she doesn't contradict him. "Is that your mom in your quiver?"
"What?"
"Taped to the back. Looks like Cheshire—minus the mask."
"Yeah. Th—that's her." Despite herself, her lips curve into a faint smile.
"She must be so proud of you," he murmurs.
Artemis is quiet for a moment, and when she speaks, her voice breaks. "I try to make her proud." A small snapping sound signals one of the pouches on her belt being opened. "Should I risk lighting a flare?"
"Might as well," he grunts back, and she hesitantly withdraws her hand. Immediately light flickers into existence, muted by her cupped hand. Her mask is gone and there's a cut on her forehead and she's sprawled awkwardly: on her stomach, legs twisted around metal poles impaling the ground, head and shoulders uncomfortably shoved inside Wally's little cave.
"Holy fuck," she breathes as they both realize his position is much worse: lying on his right side, pinned down by—by too much debris. "Oh, God damn it."
Somewhat unnecessarily, he says, "I'm stuck."
Her lips twitch. "You don't say."
"That means you have to find a way out," he demands softly.
Gray eyes widen. "I'm not going to leave you!"
"You're not," he stresses. "But if you don't do something we'll both die down here." She hears the truth in his words but still she hesitates. "Go," he commands.
Chapped lips press into a thin line. "I'll be back, Wally." And with a squeeze of his hand she gets on her elbows and knees. As she crawls away the light goes with her.
The seconds and minutes blur together into an eternity. Wally forces himself to breathe, despite the pain in his ribs. (inhale, exhale)
Tick tock.
The rubble creaks and his knee pops. (inhale, exhale)
Tick tock.
The silence is suffocating. (inhale, exhale)
Tick tock.
More than once Wally almost launches into a panic attack. (inhale, exhale)
Tick tock.
Think of Uncle Barry, he tells himself. (inhale, exhale) Think of Dick and M'gann and Kaldur and Connor and everyone else. (inhale, exhale)
Tick tock.
Think of training. (inhale, exhale) Think of sunlight. (inhale, exhale)
Tick tock.
Think of running. (inhale, exhale)
Tick tock.
Think of anything. (inhale, exhale)
Tick tock.
Please, Artemis… (inhale, exhale)
Tick tock.
Don't leave me. (inhale, exhale)
Tick tock.
Finally the light—blessed, beautiful, illuminating light—returns with Artemis's pained breathing; she must've broken some ribs. "I think I found a way out. The rest of the team split up to look for us and I found a place where Robin thinks Superboy can lift the debris without destabilizing the rest."
"Good." He swallows loudly. "Make sure to come back for me, 'kay?"
"What?" She sounds surprised, and then comprehends. "Oh. But…I won't leave you."
"Unless you can life God-knows how many tons of wood and steel, you definitely are." Fear's bubbling to the surface again despite his attempts to smother it and once more it's hard to breathe normally, making him lash out: does she think he wants to stay here, unable to move anything except his mouth? He literally wants nothing more than to be above ground where there's air and light and room to move—but he can't and she might as well get out.
Her hand finds his again and Artemis says softly, "No, I'm not." And he wants to fight back, to argue, to tell her to leave, but it's…it's her life, and the sincerity in her voice eases his fear just a little bit. "Look, you didn't hear me out; I have an idea. What if you vibrate your whole body, wouldn't that loosen you up?"
He considers this briefly, before replying, "But I'm really sure that it'll destabilize the rest of the debris."
"But you'll be out," she says with renewed determination. "And at least we'll have a chance to make it to the exit."
"Are you insane?" he rasps. "We won't make it."
"I marked every piece of debris I passed; I know exactly where to go. And you're the fastest—"
"Only when I'm standing up," he interrupts. "Down here, I'm as fast as you."
"Wally," she says impatiently, and that faux confidence she built up gets a crack and he feels how primal, how raw her fear is: and that's what changes his mind. "It's that or wait for the next aftershock."
There's a swallow as he deliberates. Finally: "Get back." Artemis squeezes his hand again, then retreats silently. The light's still there, but barely, and Wally focuses on that as his wills himself to move. It's easy, and smooth, and as he wrenches himself out of the wall, the world begins to fall. "Go!" he yells, and throws himself through the small opening.
Without any other prompts the light moves and if he could hear anything over the sound of moving rubble, Wally would hear Artemis' stumbles as she crawls and half runs back the way she came. Her breathing's short and pained and her heartbeat's loud in her ears. The only thing she's sure of is her grip on the flare because if she drops that they're both dead.
Behind them, far too close for comfort, come crashed and the shrieking of metal too far stretched. Dust rises and they both cough, but don't slow. they duck and weave around debris blocking their way, tripping and cutting themselves in their haste. Time is meaningless, all that matters is the here and now: getting out alive.
Finally Artemis sees light and wheezes, "There!" and although she can't hear Wally, his relief mirrors hers. With one final lungs she throws himself forwards and immediately feels strong hands grip her shoulders, hauling her out quickly. "Wally," she slurs, trying to stand; suddenly she feels very weak.
Sentences echo around her, both physic and physical: "She's out!" "Are you okay?" "You were too panicked for me to link you up; I'm so sorry—""Aftershock!" "Call for backup!"
The world moves again and everything snaps into focus. Artemis steadies herself just as Wally jumps out of the debris. Immediately, the entire pile flattens, and Miss Martian relaxes. As soon as the speedster crumples to the ground, Artemis follows, too exhausted to continue. A medic gently examines her and Artemis hears "Concussion," and "bruised ribs" "infected wound" and "broken bones," but she really doesn't care anymore.
Through half-lidded eyes the two survivors watch each other in relief, just drinking in the fact that the other is alive.
With a tired grin, Wally holds up her now-burnt flare. "Souvenir!"
For many of you, you know that I'm a Spitfire fanatic, but I wanted this to be more...real, I guess. I tried to figure out a way Wally and Artemis wouldn't be stuck down here, but Superboy isn't afraid of being crushed, Kaldur could lift it off of himself, M'gann could use her powers, and Robin...well, he's Robin. You know.
Please leave a review; I'd like to know how this turned out.