ASTRAPHOBIA ⚡︎ W. West

Chapter I - Independence Day

"You left without me! You know how hard it is to travel across the country that fast with barely any sense of direction?! I've been running around for over an hour!"

"Heh... sorry?" Kid Flash - aka Wally West, her best friend - said sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck.

The girl sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose then smiled a bit.

"It's fine," she turned around to look at the rest of the heroes and 'sidekicks' - Aquaman and Aqualad, Green arrow and Speedy and even Batman and Robin - who were gathered behind her, "can we go now?"

With a single nod from the older heroes, the teens quickly made their way towards the hall, where press and paparazzi were gathered.

"Oh my gosh, is that Batman?"

"Look, it's Flash Jr.!"
"I thought his name was speedy?"
"Isn't that's green arrow's sidekick?"
"Well that doesn't make sense?"

Those were a few of the conversations she overheard from the crowd, but the last thing really stuck out to her...

"See? Told you there was a girl hero our age!"

What? She's been a hero for years - almost as longer than Robin, and in training for almost a full year before that - and people still don't think she's real? Well,  of course that doesn't apply to people from Central or even Keystone City, she's pretty well known. She's a household name, and especially popular among younger girls. Hell, people from Star City even know her from the few times she's worked with Green Arrow, Black Canary and Speedy.

She was quickly dragged out of her thoughts from Kid Flash elbowing her in the arm and giving her a slightly concerned look. With a small shake of her head, he dropped the silent question and turned around to address the rest of the group of teens.

"Hey, have all five sidekicks ever been in the same place at the same time before?" The young speedster asked. Astra raised him an eyebrow, as if to ask 'seriously? You still think we're just sidekicks?' But she didn't voice her opinions.

"Do not call us sidekicks," Speedy said in an irritated tone, "not after today."

"Err.. sorry? First time at the hall... I'm just a bit overwhelmed," Responded Kid Flash in a nervous tone.

"You're overwhelmed, Freeze was underwhelmed, why isn't anybody just whelmed?" Pitched in the boy wonder, who earned an eye roll and a smile from Astra.

"Whelmed? Where do you even come up with this stuff?" She asked with a small laugh. The boy simply shrugged his shoulders and turned back around to the entrance of the Hall of Justice while they walked in.

Astra looked up to see the golden statues of the founding members of the league. The tall figure of Superman stood at the front, with Wonder Woman and Batman at either side. The other founding members - The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter - continued a similar pattern going around  the entrance to the 'authorized-personnel-only' section of the hall.

"Oh... maybe that's why..." the boy wonder said, quickly giving Kid Flash a fist bump and a smile as the doors in front of them opened up to reveal Red Tornado and Martian Manhunter who welcomed the young heroes.

"Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Astra, Kid Flash. Welcome." The alien said in a monotone voice, "you now have complete access to the gym, our fully stocked gallery and of course - our library."

Flash turned to look at the teens once again, and with a smile and his arms spread out , told the group to make themselves at home.

Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad all sat in the three open chairs. Astra went to sit on the arm of Kid's chair while Speedy simply chose to stand up.