luckiest_flash (luckiest_flash) wrote in newalliance, @ 2013-04-11 12:16:00 |
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Entry tags: | wally west |
Who: The Flash, Narrative
Where: Central City
When: Friday, April 12th, 2013 (forward)
What: The Flash pops up at a rally. His biggest opinion? Don’t be d****s, y’all.
Rating: Insinuated swear words is all.
Every superhero had a following. It was easy to see for anyone who went online. Heck, a few even had official fansites, like Booster Gold. Others just had a multitude of fan-created hot spots. Every cape dealt differently with these followings as well. Some capes slunk away from the public eye as much as possible, like Batman and Daredevil. For others, like Iron Man, The Human Torch, and Superman, the public looked forward to their interviews and what snippets of media they could get.
But when it came to just going out and talking with people, few competed with the Flash.
Barry had established the Flash as a people’s hero long ago. It was a lot more than doing an interview now and then, or telling police to keep up the good work. Barry would talk to the policemen, firefighters, and store owners. He had known so many citizens by name. Wally was no different, and even though he had a few rough starts with people accepting him as the new Flash, they quickly realized the snarkier, more spazzy Kid Flash filled the shoes in the way expected--He was still a people’s hero. He still talked to them, and while he was pinned as full-of-himself at times and quite goofy, the fun-loving, easy-going nature in which he would stop and chat, even if there wasn't a camera to pose for, had endeared him to the public for the most part.
Which was why, especially in Central City, the debate over the Registration Act was especially fierce. Demonstrations about how it was unconstitutional sprang up almost immediately. Others who were for the law, however, sprang up as well. The two groups occupied either side of the street before the court house, hollering their slogans at each other and waving their colorful signs.
On the pro-registration side, signs proclaimed “Heroes don’t wear masks!”, “Safety in Schools!”, and “No One Above the Law!”. The worst ones were those listing people’s names who had died at the hands of those with superpowers. On the anti-registration side, there were signs like “Protect our Protectors!”, “Privacy Rights!”, and even goofy ones like “Meta, Mutant, Mecha, and Super Saiyans=People!”, and “I <3 Heroes! (Call me!)”.
The crowd had grown, hundreds gathering, and when some harsher taunts were called and a few harmless items thrown, the riot police came out as a cautionary. It only seemed to egg the crowd on, and soon glass bottles and rocks started to fly.
It stopped when a blur of red and lightning blazed through, sending a blast of wind over the crowd. Wally halted by a trashcan, dropping bottles and other would-be missiles he had caught before turning and pointing at both sides. “No throwing! This is Central City! Central City is better than that!”
The crowd roared, some cheering, some yelling phrases that were lost in the din. He zipped to the center of the road, looking them all over. Phones were coming out, which was always the case whenever he showed up, and a news crew was trying to bustle toward him. An especially loud cry was heard from the anti-registration side, a lewd word paired with ‘freak’. Wally didn't even look, pointing the call’s direction. “Foul!” The crowd immediately booed the cussing picketer down, especially the group in Guy Fawkes masks.
“That’s right! Be heard, but don’t be jerks about it! “Wally zipped to a riot cop. “And especially be kind to these guys! They don’t want to be here! They would rather be able to put their voice in on either side or out doing their regular patrols. Instead, they have to make sure you guys don’t get rowdy! Do them a favor and behave.”
The cop in riot gear mouthed a thanks as he zipped down the side of the crowd, giving high fives to the hopeful hands, a common thing for him to do. People with megaphones started leading the chanting, and the Flash listened. On the pro-registration side, it was “Register! Register! Register!” On the anti-registration side, it was “Privacy Rights for People in Tights!”
Well, least nothing was being thrown now but words.
“Flash!” the news crew reporter reached him finally, the cameraman hurrying behind. “A few words, please!”
“Hi Vanessa!” Wally greeted the reporter easily, going ahead and staying in place for her. It’d be rude to run off now. “I gotta hand it to you, I don’t think I could run in heels like that.”
“It is a talent,” the reporter Vanessa agreed with a smile. Then it was to business. “What are your thoughts on the Registration Law?”
Wally held up his red-gloved hands. “I can see both sides of the argument, V’ness. I can’t say either is entirely wrong or right on this one.”
“So have you already registered then?”
Wally laughed. “Not yet! I know, for being the fastest man alive, I can be a horrible procrastinator when it comes to paperwork. You should see how long it takes me to get my taxes done.”
“But you plan to?”
That was the hard question. “It is the law, now, isn't it?” he responded, tone lamed. Then he brightened. “But so long as the list is never made public, I’m not as worried. Problem is, what if it doesn't? That wouldn't be fair to anyone on that list.”
“Do you have family to worry about like other super heroes?”
“Course!”
“A wife?”
“What’s that? A life? Yes!” Vanessa made a bit of a face at his grin and obvious sidestep of that question. “I like being able to have a life, too, without the mask, you know. As much as I love doing what I do in the mask, I also like strolling around, shopping, getting ice cream...”
Someone in the crowd near them yelled, “Ice cream rocks!”
“Word!” Wally agreed, pointing the caller’s direction. There was a bit of laughter from those near enough to hear. “So yeah, I’m not eager to have that taken away at all.”
“So what do you plan to do here currently?”
Wally held his palms up, shrugging. “Talk to people, of course! I know the buzz on the web. Now it’s time to see what it is on the pavement. See ya!”
And he was off, doing exactly what he said, a red blur mingling and stopping on the fringes of the picketers. For the most part, people were able to talk rather civil. Even the ones who obviously were not happy with him didn't get all that bad (likely because the moment they did the crowd booed them down). After about forty minutes of this, he passed one of the police officers he recognized listening closely on his radio.
“Something up, Jerry?”
“Yeah, got some vandalizers on South and Everett, and this crowd has a lot of our guys tied up.”
The Flash grinned. “Leave it to me!” Then he gave a last wave and was gone.