What Brings Us Together (A Ralph Dibny/ The Flash Fan-Fiction)

Chapter Twenty-One: Muggers Are Superhero 101

(Laura's outfit above)

It was Saturday, which meant that Barry and I had the day off. Currently the two of us were standing in Jitters with Ralph getting coffee to start the day.

"I owe you for the Java, Rookie. Can't beleive I left my wallet at home."

"Don't worry, it could happen to anyone." Barry said, putting some cash in the tip jar. "Five times in a row." Ralph took the money out of the tip jar and I grabbed it, putting it back.

"I'm beginning to wonder if you even have a wallet." I stated, pushing him away from the counter and away from the tip jar.

"And can you please stop calling me rookie?" Barry asked as we headed for the door.

"Sorry, old habit from when I was your superior officer. You know, before you got me fired, ruined my career, and ruined my life." We headed outside, walking down the sidewalk. "Crushed my spirit, left me alone without a friend in the world."

"Don't forget how he turned you into an amorphous, stretchy blob. Though to be fair, we all had some part in that." I threw in, taking a sip of my coffee and looping my arm through Ralph's.

"Actually, that's the one good thing you've done for me. Of course, you didn't do it on purpose, so you don't get credit." I shrugged at his logic.

"All of you," We turned around to see a crazed man pointing a gun at us. "Hand over your cash, now!" Barry pointed at him, a smile on his face.

"Hey! Pardon us, one second." We all turned around, facing away from the mugger. "Ok, this is perfect. We've been teaching you, right?"

"Muggers are Superhero 101." I said.

"Ooh, Ralphy Like-y."

"Alright, what's your plan?"

"Ok, I was thinking about this in the shower this morning: How sweet would it be to turn into a giant slingshot?"

"That's a weird plan, but ok." Barry went along with it.

"Ooh, I've got an even cooler idea."

"Hey! I'm still robbing you guys!" I turned around.

"We will be with you in a moment! Patience, please!" I shouted, turning around again.

"Ok, what if I did like a human slinky thing, maybe wrap him up, throw in a few on-theme puns?"

"Whatever, Ralph, we just gotta hurry up a little bit."

"Relax, rookie. I've seen a lot of thugs. This guy is no shooter."

The man shot and Ralph's skin stretched out through his chest, parallel to my face before shooting the bullet back out of the initial hole. The mugger screamed, falling to the ground. I covered my mouth with my hands.

"My leg! Ah!"

"Well. Out work here is done." I grabbed his arm, holding him in place.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing, we can't leave. You just shot him."

"I didn't shoot him. He shot him."

"Well, I..."

"Do you feel like I shot you?" He raised the gun again, and I felt Ralph push me behind him. The bullet went through his hand and shot into the mugger's butt.

"Stop shooting him!"

"I am not shooting him!" 

"Oh, they shot my butt!" 

"Ok, so he's a little banged up, but we caught the bad guy. Isn't that what superheroes do?"

"No, Superheroes first job is to protect people."