Chapter Text
Will stumbled down the stairs of his apartment building, almost crashing into a stroller before grabbing the pillar right in front of the foyer to his apartment and swinging around to cling to it like a koala.
Maybe not a koala. Those things are so stupid - their brains are entirely smooth. Past the obvious of that, eucalyptus is toxic to them, but it’s the only thing they’ll eat, and they won’t even eat that if it’s off the tree because they’re too dumb to recognize it out of the context of the tree. Will liked to pride himself as at least a little bit more intelligent than that.
He is clutching a stone pillar like it’s his lifeline while multiple people stare at him though, so really who’s to say?
Will dropped down to the street, looking down as he ignored the fire on his cheeks. He checked the time on his phone, cursing quietly as he realized that getting through this crowd and 2 blocks away would NOT be possible in the 15 minutes that he had before he was supposed to meet his roommate. He really didn’t want Hazel to think that he was a mess though - he’d mostly got his shit together since high school, and his first impression after not seeing her for over a year being showing up late and sweaty wouldn’t make her believe that.
He scanned past the heads of passerby, looking for………there. He threaded through the crowd, mumbling ‘scuse me’s and ‘sorry’s until he was in the alleyway he’d spotted, then leapt to grab the bottom of the ladder he’d spotted.
Will pulled himself up to the top of the ladder, looking around for any sort of handhold before he spotted a fire escape across him. It was a small gap, and it didn’t take much to jump across, grab the bottom of a platform and swing himself onto the platform below it. He ran up the stairs, getting to the top of the building and breathing a sigh of relief as he saw a straight shot across until the end of the block. He backed up on the roof, breathed in deep, and started running.
He tucked and rolled onto the next roof over, promptly getting up and running again, repeating until about 4 buildings over, where he ran into a little problem.
Emphasis on the little.
“God, Dark Lord, can’t you leave me this one time? I’m not doing anything!” Will rolled his wrists, cracking them. The other boy made a face.
“Ew. Stop crunching. And calling me that. Also, no, this is very illegal and also unsafe. I swear you’re just doing shit to annoy me. Have you gone one day in the past month without doing something that could get the cops called on you?” Will opened his mouth, and was promptly cut off with a “-no, that’s on me for phrasing that too leniently. Have you gone one day without breaking the law?”
“I only break the stupid laws! I know how to do this, and I’m in a rush to get somewhere! Besides, I literally have accelerated healing. I cannot hurt myself. There’s literally no downside to me doing this, especially because I really need to be somewhere in-” Will checked his watch. “-six minutes, if you don’t get off my case-”
“I have to be somewhere soon too! And instead I’m here babysitting your stupid baby ass!” The raven ran a hand through his stupidly fluffy hair.
“Have you considered just leaving me alone? Also, why are you late to something? You can-” Will waved his hands around, dumbfounded. “-can fucking-" "Language." "-teleport! Just appear in an alley near where you need to be!”
The Italian's (Italian? Some sort of European. He was kind of ethnically ambiguous) cheeks flooded pink. “Um. None of your business. Besides, I wouldn't have caught you!”
Will rolled his eyes. “You forgot you could, didn't you?”
“Nuh uh.”
“Yuh huh.”
“Nuh uh.”
“Yuh huh. Also, you suck.” Will stuck his tongue out before sprinting and jumping another building, turning to make eye contact with the other boy for a second to really rub it in. It was worth it to see the agitated look on the hero's face for a second, then less worth it as he missed his landing.
Will pinwheeled his arms, yelping before trying to grab the ledge as his body succumbed to gravity. His fingers failed to make purchase on the unforgiving brick and his nails scraped mortar as he frantically looked around for anything to grab as he fell, deciding on a rather unpromising windowsill before he felt arms wrap around him from behind.
He screamed for a second before it was muffled - not by a hand, but rather by a lack of.....anything. It was like they were in a vaccuum - there was inky black darkness all around and sound wasn't emerging the way it should. Will panicked as he tried to breathe and found no oxygen to fill his lungs, struggling before he was tightly pulled back and pinned to whoever was behind him. He elbowed the person behind him and they let out a small grunt, not releasing him, until suddenly the world exploded with color again. Will was let go and he collapsed on his knees, not processing his swirling surroundings as he focused on getting as much air in his lungs as he could. He vaguely registered someone coughing near him, doubled over and fuzzy, but he didn't pay them any mind as he took in big gasps of oxygen tinted with the scent of garbage.
He fell forward onto his hands, dry retching for a few seconds before his world stabilized. He took a few more big breaths before he stood up, looking around for whoever manhandled him into living. His eyes fell on none other than the boy he'd seen on the rooftop only a minute ago. He scowled slightly. "Never do that ever-" He coughed. "-ever again. That was fucking terrifying."
Dark eyes stared at him balefully, as the shadowed teen straightened up and rubbed his ribs. "Wasn't planning on it, especially not after you tried to knock out my organs on the way. You're welcome for keeping you alive, though."
Will quirked an eyebrow. "Isn't that what all you supers do?" He went to straighten his glasses, then caught sight of his watch. "Fuck! Hazel!" He spun around and took off running, ignoring the pounding in his head.
A call rang out against the walls of the alleyway they were in, but Will was in too much of a rush to hear the question.
Nico stared as the blonde boy left from sight, and all he could hear was his own question echoing back at him: did you just say Hazel?