#caps anon

Wally finds Len. Alive. So wonderfully alive and without the burn marks on his forehead that he had seen while trying to find his Rogues in those horrifically blank ‘hospitals’. Len freezes behind the desk as Wally stands there. The two take each other in, staring silently. This Len looks a million times more worn than his own. The hints of smile lines that decorated his Lens mouth corners were overrun with stress and frown lines on this Len.

“F-flash?”

The man slowly rises as if scared of startling him off. Wally shakily steps forward and stops.

“I'm… I'm not your Flash. I'm from another universe. Another time.”

“But still a Flash. Still a Wally.”

The man's eyes are soft, and Wally nods hesitantly. His face is not hidden by a mask and Len reaches out. Wally leans into the cold touch, suddenly feeling all the tiredness from his emotional discovery. His stomach grumbles.

“I … sorry to bother, but do you have any food? Maybe coffee?”

Len snorts and grabs his arm and tugs him along.

“Still Wally. Come on. I keep things stocked. It became a habit when Flasher was still alive and he had alien invasions to contend with almost daily for one month. Started feeding him so he could keep beating me. Probably one of the reasons the lords didn't wipe me too.” He taps his forehead where the twin dots would have been. “And why they let me negotiate for James.”

Wally freezes.

“James??”

His voice comes out strangled and Len shoots him a slightly pitious look.

“He's on a lot of meds. Some days he's more lucid then others. A lot of the time he doesn't understand what's going on. Or what happened. Flashers death rattled him.”

Len then sighs as he passes food over to Wally who starts automatically eating.

“Flashers death rattled a lot of folks. The Rogues had to end in the face of the Justice Lords. Boomers dead. Mirror Master vanished. Glider went straight and I… I became one of their boots to keep James and her safe.”

Len cracks open a coffee can and passes a second one to Wally. Wally sips and glances away.

“Sorry. For the world going nuts. I-”

“It's not on you kid. Heros have limits. And Luthor forgot that. Dumb*ss. I guess the Lords brought you here?”

Wally nods.

“I think they were… replacing their Flash? Or… well, lord Superman said that they were saving me from my dimension.”

Len snorts and sips before rolling the can between his scarred hands.

“Yeah, I'm sure they believe that. It's similar to what they tell the world. Ruled to save us from ourselves. God's to rule us. Or maybe something else.”

“Gammy Flash used to say the devil likes to dress like the angel he once was and convince people he's God.”

Flash murmurs and Len snorts again.

“I've missed hearing Gammy Flash’s sayings. I take it she wouldn't much like this world either.”

Wally bites the edge of the can considering. He hums and sighs.

“Well, no. But… I think what you said is true. Even heroes have limits. And she would have been that. Good men can do horrific things when in pain. Not… not trying to excuse-”

Len puts up a hand eyes shimmering ever so slightly.

“I've done horrific things in the name of the Justice Lords. To keep James and Lisa alive and not lobotomized. I don't love the Lords. But I also cannot stand the thought of another Flash falling to a Luthor like person. So you don't have to explain that you're not excusing it. I know you're not.”

Wally bites his lip at the age and pain in his frosty villains eyes. This world seems to have beaten him down.

“You've always been a good man Len. I've always said that. And I'm sure he said it to you too.”

Len looks down at his hands crinkling the can slightly.

“I don't deserve this. This… conversation. I don't.”

The man whispers and Wally finishes eating and then touches his hands.

“Don't tell me what you do and don't deserve. I sought you out. And I think if your Flash was here, he would understand why you've done all you've done. I know you'd fight the world for Lisa, and the fact you're looking after James too when everything is so set against you is a bit of hope I needed today. Please dont think you've failed or undeserving. Everyone deserves a little forgiveness. The Lords have forgotten that. Mercy and forgiveness don't always end the problems of the world but it makes for a more hopeful world.”

Len folds and ends up leaning against him. Wally hugs the man. They stay like that for a while with Wally gently patting the man's back. Len then leans back, cheeks suspiciously wet. But Wally says nothing about it.

“If they are devils, your one heck of an angel kid.”

Len murmurs and Wally laughs.

“Thanks. I think.”

Len smiles.

“It's n’ice’ to have you here.”

Wally laughs loudly again.

“My pun master!! He's back! Thawing out a bit frosty, huh?”

Len smiles at Wally who bounces. Len then sighs.

“As much as I love you kid, I do have to call in that you're here. Or they might do something.”

Wally bites his cheek.

“They'll be pissed at you if I disappeared, wouldn't they?”

Len sighs.

“More than likely, but keeping a speedster contained not easy. Learned that when they recruited me for getting rid of Zoom.”

Wally hisses, not wanting to ruin things for this Len.

“Maybe… take me to see James. That way you can say your trying to contain me and I get to see James. And if I get away from them there… thats on them, not you.”

“Bleeding heart.”

Len hums and Wally smiles sadly.

“Digger always says that about me, right before chucking a stick at my head. Did… did they kill him?”

Wally asks as they start to exit the pantry and Len pulls out a communicator. Len winces and sighs.

“Not directly. The government snatched him out of jail and put him on a suicide squad. Put a bomb in his head and had him on a mission to try to take out that Watchtower they watch us all from. And when it went south, they blew him up, hoping to take out any nearby lords.”

Wally winces then clicks his tongue.

“Does… does he have a grave?”

“Nothing official. But I have a private shine for the Rogues that aren't around. I don't know whether Weather Wizard or Pied Piper are alive, so they have placements there. Id invite you over to pay respects, but I don't know if you'll have the time.”

Wally frowns. He's not sure he'd ever get home, so he might as well have lost them. And he knows if he was gone and a visiting Flash appeared he would be appeased by them paying last respects to his villains. He wonders if his villains mourned him. If his league had gone crazy without him there. No. He cannot think about it.

“Id like to pay respects.”

“Then it's at my home. Outskirts of central. Old safe house I reconfigured. The backyard has the shrine. Weather Wizard was Catholic, but I did my best. Pied Piper didn't believe in much and Digger always told me that he just needed drinks for the rest of his afterlife and he'd be fine. But when he got real drunk he'd mutter about his grandfather and the aboriginal traditions he held. I did my best.”

“I bet you did perfect Len. You always were a perfectionist. You'd find flaws in even your best plans.”

Wally shoulder bumps him and instead of the normal bump back, Len just leans against him. Ah, his friend feels touch starved. Wally throws an arm around his shoulder.

“Make your call Len.”

Len nods as he melts against Wally’s side.

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