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The mission had seemed simple. Infiltrate the facility, gather intel, and get out. Easy, right? Except for the part where it was buried deep in the Amazon rainforest, the humidity thick enough to suffocate, and the team had been pushing through the jungle for almost eight hours without rest.
Wally West, Kid Flash, was running on fumes. Literally. He'd run out of energy bars two and a half hours ago, and honestly, he had no idea how he was still moving.
The team had split up to cover more ground, and Wally had been assigned to take a decoy route, much to his displeasure. His job was to draw the guards away from Robin and Artemis, who were trying to sneak into the heavily guarded facility. What that really meant was sprinting back and forth across miles of dense jungle, dodging bullets, traps, and the occasional wild animal. He hadn't eaten since breakfast, and even then, it was just a couple of granola bars stuffed into his mouth while boarding the Bioship.
His head was spinning, his body was beyond tired, and every step felt like a mountain to climb. After what felt like hours, Wally checked his GPS. Still two miles from the rendezvous point. The time? Just under 17 minutes to get there.
A chill ran down his spine. "Wait, why am I shivering?" he thought. "It's a jungle… it's crazy humid here."
The cold gnawed at him, a strange thing to feel in this heat. Wally gritted his teeth, trying to push forward. "C'mon, West, you've got this. Just two miles. You can do it." Then he paused, realizing he was talking to himself. 'This is bad,' he thought.
—୨୧—
The mission was over. The fighting, the hacking, the heists, all done. All that was left was for the team to regroup and compare notes. Simple, except… Wally hadn't returned. It wasn't like him to be late, but this time, he was twenty minutes overdue. The team tried reaching him on comms, but he didn't respond. They waited, tension building in the thick jungle air.
Robin paced back and forth, his thoughts restless. Wally always cut things close, but something felt off. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his gut.
Artemis leaned against a tree, arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently. "Of course it's Wally. Of all the idiots to send off, it had to be him." She shook her head, guilt tugging at her. "But what if something's happened to him? What if he's hurt? Ugh, this isn't fair."
Miss Martian hovered near the edge of the clearing, her eyes closed as she focused on reaching out mentally. Still, nothing. She tried again. Nothing.
"Wally?" M'gann's voice was barely a whisper. "Are you there?"
Superboy stood motionless, his fists clenched at his sides, eyes scanning the treeline like a hawk. He wasn't much for talking, but he could feel the tension building. No one had to say it, but everyone knew: something wasn't right.
Aqualad stood near the Bioship, still as stone. His calm, controlled exterior didn't hide the worry gnawing at his insides. 'I shouldn't have sent him alone. I knew something could've happened. I should've gone with him,' he thought. But he quickly pushed the thought aside. He couldn't afford doubt right now. Not when the team was relying on him to keep it together.
—୨୧—
Wally stumbled into the clearing.
Conner was the first to hear him, his enhanced hearing picking up the faint sound of Wally's ragged breathing. M'gann stiffened next to him, her gaze snapping to the edge of the jungle. Robin turned, then Artemis, and all of them froze.
There stood Wally, pale and barely able to stay upright, his steps unsteady, bruises painting his skin in stark contrast to the faint yellowing of his cheeks. His eyes were glassy, unfocused.
"Wally?" Robin asked, his voice soft but filled with worry as he slowly approached. "You okay, man?"
Wally blinked slowly, trying to muster a grin, but it was weak. "Chill, dude… I'm... fine."
He wasn't fine. The world tilted, his vision blurred, and in the next instant, his knees gave away beneath him.
"WALLY!" Artemis cried out, dashing to his side. Miss Martian was right behind her, but as she hovered near him, her hands trembled. She reached out, her expression one of confusion and dread.
"M'gann? What's wrong?" Conner asked, seeing her discomfort.
"He… he's… so weak," M'gann whispered, struggling to find the words. "He needs food. We need to get him something right now or—"
"Right," Robin cut in, kneeling beside Wally. "It's the running. He burns through so much energy so quickly."
Aqualad's sharp gaze scanned the area as he spoke. "Does anyone have anything that could help him?"
"Yeah," Artemis said hastily, pulling at her belt. "I've got… a granola bar. Doesn't matter, just-just give it to him!"
Robin grabbed the bar and gently forced it into Wally's hand. Wally barely seemed to register it, but when he saw it, his eyes widened.
"Is… is that food?" he croaked, his voice rough.
"Eat, Wally," Artemis ordered, her voice uncharacteristically soft.
He didn't need to be told twice. Wally tore into the granola bar, devouring it with a desperation that was almost frightening. As he chewed, color began to return to his cheeks, his body slowly gaining some strength.
"Thanks, guys," he murmured hoarsely, finally managing to sit up. "You're the best team ever…"
Robin patted his back with a chuckle. "Yeah, yeah. Next time, pack a lunch, genius."
As Robin and M'gann worked to get Wally back on his feet, Superboy lifted the speedster with ease, following Aqualad's orders to get him to the Bioship.
Wally, still feeling groggy, managed to mutter, "So... who's explaining this to Flash?"
"YOU!" the team shouted in unison, all grinning.