James was about to reach out and comfort him when he saw a red dot appear on Hartley's head. Oh God no. "Get down!" James yelped as he tackled Hartley down, the shot barely missing them. Then there was another and another. They hid behind the boxes, the same boxes as last time, and James felt like he was definitely hitting breaking point.
He was so tired, he wanted this all to be over. He wanted Deadshot to stop.
"We can't let this keep happening. We need to put him down for good. One last ditch attempt. What do you say? You got your flute, I got my bombs. Let's do this."
There was blood in blond hair. Finally, as he knew it was. Hartley held his friend, the music drowning out everything else, the song that wouldn't stop until he stopped.
Deadshot. They had lost him at last. Hartley was crying. He didn't think he had stopped since James had finally noticed it. Would Barry run again? How often did he have to go on this circle? How often until he broke enough to end the world?
James wasn't gone. Not this time. Not now. He was so alive. There was blood in his head because the bullet clipped his ear and there was a shot to his shoulder but he was alive. Hurt but living. And Deadshot? Man, he had no idea what Hartley did but he fell clear from the train and lost his helmet. If he survived that, he wouldn't be following. "Oh God, this really hurts. Piper? Piper, you can stop playing."
He reached out and grabbed onto Hartley. "Hartley! You can stop."
For too long a time, Hartley didn't stop. Hartley wasn't aware, not of anything other than his grief, his anger. A fight that was lost already only to be started again. He was trembling, but the tune held steady. Until he finally stopped, arms still around James and eyes squeezed shut. Still warm. He could smell his blood.
"Hartley? Hartley, come on, you're scaring me. It's okay. I'm okay. I-I'm not dead. Neither are you. We won, man, we won." He reached out and grabbed onto Hartley in return, having to angle himself oddly to do so and hell, he was pretty much in his lap but fuck the no homo bullshit, Hartley was trembling in horror and he didn't know what to do. He was freaked.
He held him tight and leaned in, talking quietly into his ear. "Don't let them break you, Hartley. I'm here. I'm still here. Please don't do this, don't break. We need to stay together. Please? I can't do this on my own."
No. Hartley opened his eyes and stared at James. There wasn't a hole in his forehead. His face was still animated. He was bleeding. He wasn't dead. Was he dying? Why wasn't he dead? Hartley was losing it and he couldn't afford to. He had to stay whole, for everyone. For literally everyone. "You should be dead."
Not a reassuring thing to say, he was guessing. Hartley stared at him. "I don't want to do this any more."
"No, genius. I got shot in the fucking shoulder though. The asshole tried to get my cape and then you started to play and ... didn't stop." Which was awkward. James's hand was a little bloody as he reached up and tried to push some of Hartley's hair back. He was damp with sweat and still trembling, he had no idea what to do to make this better or what was going on. He was in so much pain but he had no time for it, he just kept holding onto Hartley.
"I know Hartley, I know. I want to go home too." James gripped him a little harder, wishing he could make this better. "I think we offed Deadshot, we'll be okay. We'll go home and hide out underground, just me and you. We need each other. Don't give up now."
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James was about to reach out and comfort him when he saw a red dot appear on Hartley's head. Oh God no. "Get down!" James yelped as he tackled Hartley down, the shot barely missing them. Then there was another and another. They hid behind the boxes, the same boxes as last time, and James felt like he was definitely hitting breaking point.
He was so tired, he wanted this all to be over. He wanted Deadshot to stop.
"We can't let this keep happening. We need to put him down for good. One last ditch attempt. What do you say? You got your flute, I got my bombs. Let's do this."
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Deadshot. They had lost him at last. Hartley was crying. He didn't think he had stopped since James had finally noticed it. Would Barry run again? How often did he have to go on this circle? How often until he broke enough to end the world?
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James wasn't gone. Not this time. Not now. He was so alive. There was blood in his head because the bullet clipped his ear and there was a shot to his shoulder but he was alive. Hurt but living. And Deadshot? Man, he had no idea what Hartley did but he fell clear from the train and lost his helmet. If he survived that, he wouldn't be following. "Oh God, this really hurts. Piper? Piper, you can stop playing."
He reached out and grabbed onto Hartley. "Hartley! You can stop."
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He wanted to be gone too.
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He held him tight and leaned in, talking quietly into his ear. "Don't let them break you, Hartley. I'm here. I'm still here. Please don't do this, don't break. We need to stay together. Please? I can't do this on my own."
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Not a reassuring thing to say, he was guessing. Hartley stared at him. "I don't want to do this any more."
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"I know Hartley, I know. I want to go home too." James gripped him a little harder, wishing he could make this better. "I think we offed Deadshot, we'll be okay. We'll go home and hide out underground, just me and you. We need each other. Don't give up now."