The Silent Speedster (AU Young Justice)

Chapter 3: Blessings and Curses -

A/N: Readers, prepare for sadness... This chapter has love, food, knowledge, and pain, all in one. Please be warned. Also, thank you to everyone who has checked out this story. Right now, this one has more reads than my other book with three chapters in it. (Sparks In the Water)

Wally groaned, as he was punched in the gut, and sent flying to the ground. All around, his teammates grimaced at the situation. On the ground, he couldn't move. Every muscle in his body refused to help him get up, and fight back. Every bit of his head was more lightheaded and pained, than ever before. Wally blinked, then looked up at Conner. The clone had his hand out, and begrudgingly, Wally took it. He got to his feet, as Conner said, "Sorry Wally." The speedster remarked, "It's okay, Conner. You and I had to fight, and you evidently won. Congrats." About two hours later, Black Canary called time out, and the rest of the team dispersed from the room, joking as usual. Wally was about to leave with Robin, when he felt Black Canary's hand on his shoulder. He grimaced in pain, although she never saw the twinge of pain. Black Canary said, "Wally, I need to see you in my office, please." For once, he was confused. What had he done now? Why did he need to talk to Black Canary in private? Instead of asking, he just did as he was told, and followed her. 

Black Canary led Wally into a small office space, next to the room, where they had conducted interviews after the simulation incident. He stared at the chair he had sat in, remembering eating popcorn and talking to the psychologist mentor/friend, that now was ahead of him. Black Canary opened the door to the office, and Wally followed. He took the seat opposite of the desk in the room, as the older blonde shut the door quietly behind him. She came to sit across from him, and seemed to be gazing up and down at his face and body. Wally leaned back, slightly nervous and intimidated from her looking. Finally, he asked, "Um, why am I in here?" Black Canary said, in a gentle tone, "Wally, Robin told me he thinks you skipped eating this morning. He said you looked pale, and from what I saw today, I think he may be right. You had several opportunities to take out Conner, but you never did. You just froze, and looked sick, like you were about ready to throw up at any time. Is there something you'd like to tell me?" The speedster answered, "I-I don't know what Robin told you about. I did eat! I know what I'm supposed to do! I-" He stopped, then watched her blue eyes gaze over him. She leaned back, and said, "You look much skinnier, than you did a week ago, Wally. If there is something you need to tell me, you don't have to worry. Everything we discuss stays right here in this room." "I'm fine, BC. Really!", Wally answered back. 

Black Canary picked up a folder, and looked at it for a minute before saying, "Wally, when you first became a hero, your uncle came in here, and distinctly told me to put everything about you and your needs down. One of which, said that you, at the average speedster metabolism rate, and at your age, you should be consuming at least 64,050,278.5 calories a day, if not more. That's half of what your uncle has to take in a day. And from how thin you look, it looks as if you haven't exactly followed that plan." (Yes, I did the math. Take the number of cals Barry has to consume: 128,100,557 and divide by 2, Thus, the answer...)  Wally was stunned at the amount, but said, "And I did have that amount yesterday!" Black Canary sighed, and set the folder down. "Wally, everyone just wants to make sure you don't pass out if you have a mission. Any number less than that, could be catastrophic to your health. Our job as mentors is to be here for you, and to teach you how to handle what powers you were given or born with." Wally replied, "I know that. Barry has given me the same lecture. Please, Black Canary, can I go now? Speaking of food, I'm a bit famished." Sighing again, Black Canary reached into her drawer, and handed the young ginger an energy bar. She said, instructing him, "This is to tide you over, until you get to the kitchen." Wally took the bar, and unwrapped it. He slowly took a bite, then with part of it in his hand, he opened the door, and raced to the kitchen. 

By the time he had reached the kitchen, not even thirty seconds later, the energy bar was gone. Wally threw the wrapper in the trash, then came to sit next to Artemis, on the couch. He kissed her again, as she said, "Your breath smells like chocolate. And by the way, why'd Black Canary want to see you in her office?" Wally answered, "Is smelling like chocolate bad, babe? And BC just wanted to talk to me about how much I've been eating. Apparently Robin and she think I've been skipping meals and not eating as much as I should be." Artemis responded, "No, I like the smell of it. Makes you seem more romantic. And why would they think that? You eat every time there's food available, and I know now you have to, in order to keep you safe." Wally answered back, "I know, right? I just don't get it. Rob talked to me before practice, and said I looked pale. Black Canary said the same thing. I'm a ginger, Arty! I'm supposed to be more pale-ish in skin color!" "Aw, babe, are you okay?", Artemis asked, caressing Wally's hair in her fingers gently, as she pulled his head closer to her chest. He said, "I am now.", in a young, childish, mocking love tone. (like Cody did in TSLOD episode: In the Line of Duty) Just then, Wally felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He remembered he hadn't told his father where he was, nor had he called. He was in so much trouble, and he knew it! 

Pulling away from Artemis, he said, coming up with a good excuse he knew she would understand, "Babe, I've got to get home. My parents...they are expecting me since my uncle and aunt are coming for dinner." Artemis looked sad, but said, "Oh, okay Wally. Just text me later to let me know how the night went, okay?" Wally nodded, then rushed out of the kitchen, and went straight to a Zeta-tube. He put his information back in, then was whisked back to Keystone City, his home town. Sighing, Wally started to make a mad dash for his house. 

He arrived four minutes later on the front lawn, and trudged up the front steps. He hadn't even opened the door, before the door opened in front of him, and he was forcefully grabbed, and pulled inside. Wally smelled alcohol first thing, and a lot of it. With a loud bang, he watched his father slam the door, and yell at him, angrily, "You had me worried, boy! I know where you were!" Wally uttered, "Dad, calm down...please!" Rudolph slurred his words, as he muttered, "You incoherent, ungrateful, little twerp...", and let a fast fist fly right into Wally's already bruised chest. Pain overtook him, and in an attempt to cover the targeted area, Wally crossed his arms in front of his chest, which only seemed to make his father more upset. Instead of trying again for the covered area, Rudolph took the half full beer bottle on the table by the door, and threw it at Wally's head. The ginger dashed out of the way, as the broken bottle glass hit the wall, and fell to the ground in a shattered pile. Due to Wally's quick thinking, beer spilled over the carpet, creating a dark brown mark on the floor. In anger and frustration, Rudolph clenched his fists. He towered over Wally, and kicked him once, twice, three times in a row. Wally heard the snaps of a few of his ribs breaking, and he hunched over. Finally, he looked up, and saw his father above him, cornering him by the kitchen entrance. Rudolph looked around, and saw an empty beer bottle close by. He grabbed it, and quickly slammed it onto Wally's head. Glass shards mostly fell onto the floor, but some of them punctured the ginger's skin. He tried to move, but his hands got cuts from the glass around him. Wally looked around, as his vision blurred. He groaned, and whispered, "Dad...", before he was overcome with the cool blanket of darkness, and gave into it gratefully.

Words: 1549

A/N: Again, thank you to everyone whose reading this! Such a travesty that children have to grow up in this kind of environment. To raise awareness of the situation, keep on reading this book. Someday, hopefully, this torture will end. I'm not saying you have to vote or comment, but both are appreciated to let me know you also pledge to end it!