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Wally couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Connor, the baby of their group was not only the clone of Clark and Lex-fucking-Luthor, but the villain was also extorting him to go to Santa-prisca.
For drugs.
What the heck!!
What kind of father make his son an addict?!!
Luthor, that’s who.
Before Wally, or anyone could say anything else, Artemis let out a sigh
“Listen, Superboy is not the only one suffering from bad DNA” she announced, approaching the computer to pull the files of three villains on the holo-screens “My mother is Huntress” she finally admitted, looking at the screen that had the image of her mother with the logo ‘RETIRED’ in capital red letters “An ex-con… and the rest of my family… well… they are not even ex” Artemis signalled to the next image, a blond man with a hockey mask “My dad’s sports master, and he’s sending my sister, Cheshire, to fly me to Santa-Prisca too”
Oh… OOooh..
“That’s why…” Wally said… So she was confessing it now because of the Santa-Prisca bit. It made sense. He almost hummed.
“Yeah” the archer admitted, there was a relieved tone in her voice “I was so desperate to make sure none of you found out…”
“I knew” Robin said, making the rest of the team turn towards him “Hey, I’m a detective” his best friend continued, Wally felt a small chill on his back, and not for the first time he wondered what else did he knew “But it never mattered” It didn’t? Dick didn’t care? “You aren’t your family; you are one of us”
That squashed the small seed of hope inside Wally, he thanked the speed force because it made his wince last less than a second, letting him control his face before anyone could see it.
He walked towards Artemis and put a hand on her shoulder.
“So… who’s next” he joked
“I am” M’gann said, lowering her eyes to the floor and crossing her arms.
No dammit, M’gann, not you too! Wally screamed internally
“I swear I was kidding” Wally raised his arms, trying to stop her.
It didn’t.
“Queen-bee has been... blackmailing me” the Martian started “She wants me in Santa Prisca too”
Oh good, please no more of this!!
Wally’s stomach was flipping inside of him.
“Blackmailing how?” Kaldur asked.
“She knows my… true Martian form”
“Bald M’gann?” Robin was smiling again, because, yeah, a little bit of hair didn’t made much difference “Who cares…”
“No” Miss Martian interrupted, before transforming into a bald… hunched... white… ripped…
Holly shit, that’s Big!
Wally couldn’t help but take a step back, his mind cataloguing the traits on her, the number of fingers, the lack of lips, and the Martian turned to look at him before hugging herself.
‘ I realize you would never accept me if you saw what I really am ’
Her voice spoke inside everyone’s heads.
Come on Wally, he scolded himself stop analysing her form, it’s rude.
But even if a part of him knew why she was trying to hide this from them, because: Hello, pot meet kettle, another bigger, nerdy part of his brain was just asking himself, what kind of evolutive pressure, and how many generations to get each of those traits? she was… honestly fascinating.
“M’gann” called Kaldur “Do we really seem so shallow?”
“I couldn’t take the chance” the vulnerability of her thoughts, the way she tried to curl into herself. “Being a white Martian among the green on mars…” It made Wally realize how much courage it took her to admit this to them. She really thought they would reject her… after everything… “I endured constant rejection… I couldn’t take that from-”
“From me?” Connor cut into her admission, taking one of her hands…
White Martians among the green… racist Martians… she was talking about racist Martians…
Wally knew he was fortunate; he was a white boy in America. He couldn’t understand how much rejection she must have experienced…
And then Connor confessed that he knew of her true form, even before they started to date. It made Wally fell…
Fuck…
“You are amazing M’gann” he told her, turning the attention of the room on himself “You are truly incredible” he tried to slow his thoughts so she could read him, to open his mind to her, to let her in so she could see that he means it.
‘ thank you, Wally ’ she told him, looking an inch away from crying.
Artemis took a step closer and touched her arm in support ‘ I... we are here for you ’ she assured, the rest of the team agreed.
“But, damn girl, you are big!” Rocket flied closer to M’gann, putting a hand on her shoulder without problem.
“ So big” Wally couldn’t help but agree, his voice betraying his fascination.
Everyone turned to him, some with amusement, others with incredulity. Connor pinned him with a glare.
Shit.
Robin coughed.
“Well… unless anyone else wants to confess something” he looked around, from Kaldur, to Rocket, to Wally “then I think is time we…” Robin’s eyes stopped on Wally....
“Err…” please don’t notice me, please don’t notice me…
“Wally?” Megan said, turning back to her green human form “Do you…”
“NO!” he yelled back… too fast, he closed his eyes “I mean…” please, somebody shut me up “I may… have a confession too?”
Oh God .
“Wait, is somebody blackmailing you too?” Artemis asked.
Wally shook his head in denial. The team closed on him, and he took a step back.
“Whatever it is, you can tell us” Robin assured, he took three steps forward, making Wally look around, looking for an out “Are they threatening your family? Your aunt?”
“Oh my God, Dude. No!” he couldn’t help but say, because, what the heck Rob? he would personally murder anyone who tried that shit “Look, nobody is treating me to go to Santa Prisca, or anything” he pulled up his arms up “I promise; it’s just a personal secret that doesn’t have anything to do with this” he raised his lower lip and tried to make his eyes bigger “So maybe we can forget about it?”
“I think we all want to hear this” Kaldur said, he didn’t seem convinced, and, as Wally looked around, he could see that the others weren’t either.
With a sigh, Wally lowered his hands… so much for trust.
“You have to promise not to tell anyone” he turned to Kaldur “No Aquaman, not Batman, definitely not Barry” he pointed at Robin and then at the rest “Not anyone” he looked at Conner “I mean it!”
Kaldur looked at Robin and the rest of the team, dubious.
“Your secret will be safe with us” he said, surprising Wally, he didn’t expect him to agree so fast.
“Uggh…” he breathed in “I’m Klepto”
“What?” Artemis exclaimed, she seemed surprised.
“Oh, boy” Rocket raised an eyebrow at him.
Conner glare intensified.
Zatanna covered her mouth with a gasp.
Kaldur remained impassive.
Robin seemed to be surprised for a second before snorting.
“What is Klepto?” M’gann asked.
“He means that he is a kleptomaniac” Robin told the Martian “It’s a mental disorder. It means that he has this urge to steal things, even if he doesn’t need them”
Wally glared at the floor, taping at the floor with mania… Oh, God , did he had to describe it like that?
“Eh” Rocket shrugged, making Wally glance at her ‘ Eh? ’ is that all she was gonna say? “Got any good make up stored somewhere?”
“…yes ” he answered, hating himself a little, Rocket laughed “But that’s not what I mean” he forced himself to look up “I mean, I am a kleptomaniac… but…” he flashed over the console, tipping away as fast as the computer responded until his file came up “I’m also Klepto”
The holo-screen came to life, an image of a man wearing black, cargo pants, vest full of pockets, shades and a cap appeared. It was not even a villain costume, the only thing that could be remotely related to his name was the black t-shirt with a barely discernible black K in his chest.
“You. Are. Kidding me!” Artemis walked furiously towards him “You are a villain!” her left eye twitched “You!”
“Hey!” Wally called offended, because she said it as if she wouldn’t believe he was capable of it, he paused “I will not call myself a villain… exactly”
“You are a Rogue !!” she continued.
“Honorary Rogue” it had been uncle Len idea, and it had seemed funny at the moment “more like: small time criminal”
“You stole a bank!!”
“Without endangering anyone!” he defended “And it was donated to charity!” most of it… well, at least some of it. Speedsters gotta eat after all.
For some reason, Artemis looked even madder than before.
“Wally” the calm voice of Kaldur cut through the room like a sharp knife. The Atlantian looked at the speedster, face blank “Did you take my Thavnarian crystals?”
Holy shit. Kaldur was gonna kill him!
“Ah… maybe?” he didn’t remember if he had taken them, most probably… and anyway “what are Tapatian crystals?”
“Red auburn rocks with purple inclusions, three of them” and Oh, yeah, he did “Bring them to me. Now”
Wally may or may not have made a terrified sound, but he did ran towards his room to take said crystals, the MAC eyeshadow he shoplifted last year, two birdarangs, an arrow, one cookie cutter, a white felt glove and three pennies (Superboy really need to get more shit). He left the rest and rushed back, pushing the things in the hands of the team before forcing himself to slow down.
Kaldur wordlessly put his rocks away, still blank faced, Connor frowned at the pennies in his hand confused, Rocket mouthed ‘Score’ as she pocketed the makeup, and Artemis… she looked ready to return her arrow at him, with the help of her bow.
“Dude, these are old!” Robin said as he inspected the birdarangs.
Yeah, Wally knew. They were before Robin started to put trackers on them. Most likely because of him.
“Look…” he started to say “I know I have a problem. And I’m sorry” he failed to look at them, the floor was more interesting “I really try to stop, but… it’s just so difficult” he felt his throat start to close and forced himself to breath deep because he was not going to cry, he didn’t deserve to cry “I’m sorry, ok? I’ll stop”
It was a promise he knew he couldn’t keep but he was going to try anyway.
A pair of arms hugged his middle and the familiar weight of Robin was suddenly on him. Wally returned the hug silently, and he may have cried a little.
“I got you KF” his best friend reassured him.
Wally gathered himself before he nodded and Robin offered one of the birdarangs in return “Souvenir”
Oh… of course.
Wally snorted and took the gadget “Thanks Rob”
“Wait” Artemis called “does your souvenir collection count as stolen?”
Wally rolled his eyes “Well, duh”
The blonde archer paused, inspected her arrow for a second before putting it on her quiver “Damn”