||Mount Justice
||November 11, 16:20 EST
"Ugh, seriously, why'd I even come?" I grumbled, brushing some of the snow off of my jacket.
"Cause it's my birthday?" A voice spoke.
My head snapped up, the hood falling from my head. I wasn't expecting to see Wally standing alone by the entrance as I walked inside. On top of that, he had a frown on his face, his arms crossed in front of himself as he leaned back against the wall, the cast no longer on his arm. It was hard to take his bad temper seriously with the party hat sitting crookedly on his head.
"Why do you look so grumpy? Oh, did you finally figure out Megan and Conner are dating?" I question.
"Seriously?! Everyone knew but me?!"
"You were just too oblivious. Too lost in your little dream world with your crush. I'd say it's not your fault for not noticing, but it kinda is. By the way, what's the birthday boy doing all the way out here?"
"I dunno. I just thought I'd come wait for you."
I took off my jacket, pulling out a gift from the pocket before hanging it over my arm. "Jeez, lighten up, Freckles. You were that bummed out that you'd rather wait for me to get here than enjoy your party?"
"Freckles?" He chuckled, walking towards me, taking my jacket in his hand. "That's a new one."
"I figured since it is your birthday I should be less harsh. Take it or leave it."
"It's better than Speedy."
He rushed away without saying anything else, so fast it took me a second to realize he was gone. I awkwardly stood there for a moment, rhythmically tapping my fingers against my leg, a little tickle in my nose making me sneeze.
"Bless you."
When I opened my eyes, sniffling a little, Wally was in front of me once again, without my jacket. "Thanks," I mumbled.
"So, what'd you get me?" He asks, throwing his arm around my shoulders as he started guiding me further into the mountain.
"You really think I got you a present?"
"Hey! It's my birthday, could you be nice to me for one day? And of course I think you got me a present, it's right there in your hand."
I showed him the gift, goggles wrapped up in a napkin since I didn't have anything to properly wrap them in. Letting go of me, he took it from my hand, quickly pulling off the wrapping and letting it drop to the ground.
"Whoa. These are amazing! Where'd you get them?"
"Well, truth be told, I made them."
He had a genuine smile on his face, one other than the flirty one normally seen. "Seriously?"
"They're not just plain goggles either. It has built in communications and other stuff."
"Whoa! And you did all that?"
"With some help from an expert. But, yeah, I came up with the design."
"I didn't take you for someone interested in that sort of stuff."
"You don't know who I am. I have a whole secret life, remember?"
As we were walking into the living room where everyone had gathered for the party, he quickly pulled me into a hug. Then, without another word, he let me go and ran off towards the snack table, replacing the party hat on his head with the goggles I made. I was left frozen on the spot, hoping my face wasn't as red as it felt.
"You're here late," Artemis said, stopping by my side.
"I had to fly all the way over because before I knew it the Zeta tubes were offline due to the weather."
"I'm surprised you still came. Who'd have thought you liked him that much."
"Huh?!" I exclaimed. "I do not! I just really wanted some cake."
"I'd hurry up, then, if I were you," she tells me, motioning to where the cakes sat on the table. "Before he eats it all."
Sitting on the floor in front of the cakes was Wally, his mouth stuffed with two other pieces held in his hands. Sensing our eyes on him he looked up, holding out one of the pieces as if to offer it to us.
Artemis chuckled, lightly pushing me forward. "Go get him, tiger."
"Shut up," I grumbled.
"Attention, team. Suit up," Batman said over the PA. "Polar stealth. Mission briefing in five."
We all ran off to get changed, soon meeting up in the mission room, everyone wearing their white stealth outfits. Batman's face appeared on a giant screen in front of us, the usual scowl on his face.
"Where's Flash?" Wally asked.
"Flash and Red Tornado already have their assignments. A massive ice storm has paralyzed North America from coast to coast. Satellite imagery has detected five flying ice fortresses, source unknown, which seem to be responsible and must be stopped."
"Can't the Watchtower blow them out of the sky or something?"
"What's a Watchtower?" Zatanna asks.
Batman sighed. "The League's orbiting headquarters is not weaponized. And with both Green Lanterns off world, I need all hands on deck."
"Does that mean what I think it means?" Robin asks. "The League and the team fighting side by side?"
"Whoa, really?!" Wally asked excitedly.
Batman began giving everyone their specific mission details, everyone listening intently as they waited to hear their name. Everyone but Wally and I were given missions.
"Uh, Batman? I think you skipped..."
"Kid Flash, a young girl in Seattle is in desperate need of a heart transplant. With all conventional air traffic grounded by the storm, you'll need to pick up the donor heart in Boston and run it 3000 miles across country."
Wally's smile fell instantly. "Who is this girl?"
"Does it matter?"
"No, of course not... but can't we zeta-?"
"Zeta tubes are off line. Sorry," Robin told him.
"Right, then how can I say no? Guess I won't be needing stealth," he tapped the logo on his chest, his outfit turning back into its normal yellow and red. "Speedy Delivery Boy, at your service."
"Noire, you'll be flying along with him. Law enforcement will clear the route for Kid Flash, but we can't have any delays, so-"
"I'm on bodyguard duty?" I finish for him.
"You could say that, yes. If any problems arise, you take care of them."
"What? But she can't keep up with me, how will that help any?" Wally argues.
"Her speed is similar to Superman's. She won't be left behind," Batman assured him.
"Since when?!"
"I always could," I tell him. "Just never needed to get anywhere fast. And, you know, my powers were messed up for a bit, couldn't do anything to my full potential."
Everyone else quickly left to do whatever they had been told. Wally was about to leave, the frown on his face very noticeable, but I stopped him.
"Wally, wait just a second."
"What? We need to go," he said unhappily.
"It's important. I know this isn't the birthday you wanted. Remember this. On my birthday I had needles injected in my body every hour or so, and they stung like hell. But today, on your birthday, you get to save someone's life by delivering that heart. Go do your job. Don't think it's pointless. Think about their smiling face when you arrive and they get to live. Someone's life is on the line and you're the only one who can do anything about it."
"Talk about a pep talk," he mumbled.
"I'll be just ahead of you," I tell him, lightly punching his chest. "Go on, go get that heart."
||South Dakota
||November 11, 16:10 MST
"Hey, Kid, slow down for a second."
"What? Is there trouble up ahead?" He asked through our comms, slowing down in the process.
I flew down so I was just above him, waving the energy bar in front of his face, surprising him. "Here. It'll keep you going the rest of the way."
"What? Seriously?" He questioned with a smile, glancing up at me.
"Take it before I take back my offer. If you run out of energy then that girl doesn't get her heart. Don't think this is me looking out for you."
He happily took it, speeding up once more as he quickly ate it. I lost sight of him for a bit, having to speed up to catch up to him. He had stumbled across a group of policemen and a familiar looking foe. Vandal Savage had picked Kid Flash up by his head, a panicky look on Kid Flash's face.
"Little hero, do you really think you have what it takes to survive Vandal Savage?" Savage asked.
I kept up my speed, barreling down, crashing into Savage's back to make him drop Kid Flash. All it did was toss him off balance a little, but it was enough to free my teammate. Savage was shocked at my sudden appearance, turning towards me with anger in his eyes, but that anger seemed to calm when he saw my face.
"Kid, get out of here!" I ordered. "There's no time for you to fight. I'll hold him back."
"But-"
"Don't make me call Batman!"
Kid Flash groaned but ran off, taking my warning seriously. When all that was left of Kid Flash was the snow kicked up behind him, my attention went towards Savage.
"Hmm. You're certainly not as weak I expected," he told me. "When Lex told me about his pawn, I thought it was going to be some useless brat."
"Lex Luthor?" I ask. "What's he got to do with this?!"
"Everything."
"Does this have to do with the Light? Is that what Klarion was talking about? How did I not piece that all together sooner?" My voice turned into a hush as I continued mumbling to myself. "That was way too obvious. Maybe I've spent too much time around Wally's stupidity, it's all rubbing off on me."
Savage smirked. "So you do know everything that's going to happen next."
"W-what?" I asked, slowly backing away from him.
"Don't worry, you go catch up to the boy," he says. "I've done my part in delaying this."
I instantly took off, flying in the direction Kid Flash ran off in, trying my best to contact him. But all I got was static.
I sighed, mumbling to myself as I flew as fast as I could. "There's so much I need answers to, but I need to focus on the mission at hand."
||Seattle
||November 11, 17:34 PST
I was waiting inside the hospital near the front doors, awaiting Kid Flash's arrival. If I remembered these events correctly, he was currently fighting against Count Vertigo for the heart. Without that heart that would save the Queen of Vlatva, Vertigo would reign, a very unpleasant outcome.
Kid Flash came rushing into the hospital breathlessly, shoving the container holding the heart into a surgeon's arms. He fell down to his knees, looking like he was just about to pass out.
"You got the heart back?" I ask.
He tilted his head to look at me, his eyes barely open. "How did you know...?"
"It's you. I always expect you to mess up."
His eyes rolled to the back of his head, his body finally giving out on him, slumping forward to the ground. I knelt down beside him, gently patting his back.
"Good job, Kid. Good job."
"Miss?" A nurse rushed over, a worried look on her face. "We should probably have him checked over for any injuries."
"I got it."
I rolled him onto his back then picked him up in my arms, following after the nurse as she led me towards a hospital room.
||Seattle
||November 12, 08:03 PST
"She's been here since you passed out from exhaustion. She even carried you up here herself."
I shifted a little, trying to get comfortable while curled up in the chair, but found my eyes opening instead. A nurse was checking up on a sleeping Perdita, talking to Wally who was sitting in his own hospital bed, looking at the nurse as she spoke.
"She seems exhausted as well."
Wally and the nurse both glanced towards me, finding I had just woken up. Seeing that Perdita was still alive brought a tired smile to my face.
"It all worked out in the end?" I ask.
"She's stable," the nurse tells me.
"That's good."
As soon as the nurse left the room, I sneezed, a sudden chill running over my body. I clutched the blanket laying over me closer, hoping for every bit of warmth to rid myself of the cold.
"You really managed to get sick?" Wally asks me.
"I was out in the cold a lot longer than you. So, yeah," I muttered.
"You even slept through Vertigo trying to kill Perdita. You must be really sick if even that didn't wake you."
"I just need some rest and I'll be fine, so let me sleep."
"Thank you," I let my eyes shut, but listened to him as he spoke. "If you didn't speak to me before you left I never would've met queen Perdita, she wouldn't be alive and Vertigo would be a king."
"I didn't do anything, it was all you. I only pushed you, made you think of the things that were to come with your actions. Whether you made it on time or didn't come at all."
"Still, thank you for your help."
"Oh, by the way..." I mumbled. "Happy birthday."
||Mount Justice
||November 13, 12:50 EST
I woke up in the middle of the night, finding myself wandering out of my room. My legs took me towards Wally's room. After all the exhaustion, and school being closed the next day due to the snow, the both of us had decided on staying in the Cave to rest up. I managed to sleep off the little head cold I had, but now I couldn't get this off my mind.
I stopped in front of the door, now suddenly hesitating. Having recently learned more about my situation, just how dangerous this thing they had done to me was, I wanted someone to help me figure out what to do. For some reason, I thought he was the best person to bring my troubles to, thinking perhaps he could put some logic behind it.
I lifted my hand, going to knock, but had to stop myself. "I can't," I whispered.
I sighed, continuing on down the hall to the kitchen. I couldn't think of why he was the one I wanted to tell as opposed to Batman, my mind was all just a mess at the moment and I thought he'd be able to help me get my thoughts straight.
I stood next to the island, leaning back against it as thoughts ran through my head. And almost like he knew I had been looking for him, Wally walked into the kitchen, a confused look on his face.
"Were you just outside my door?" Wally asks.
"Um... no?" I responded unconvincingly.
"Did you need something?"
My gaze dropped to the ground as I contemplated telling him. After some more thought I decided it would be better to get it out of the way now instead of worrying about it later.
"I did," I responded. "I-I had to talk to you."
"About what?"
"About what happened to me when they took me."
"I thought they just ran more tests on you? You know, completing whatever Desmond had started months before that. You said it wasn't that big of a deal."
I shook my head. "I lied, obviously. They did more than that. They put something into my head so they can control me."
"Mind control?"
"Basically."
"Did you tell Batman?"
"Not yet."
"Why not?!"
"Shh!"
"Why tell me?"
"I just felt like it? I dunno. I thought out of all the others you'd be able to put some sort of logic behind it. And I didn't tell Batman because then it'll just be all the more real... I don't want this to be real."
"Well, it's real," he said, taking a step closer to me. "You'll have to deal with it. But we're all here for each other, you can't just not tell us about something like this. Especially Batman. He can help you. We all can."
"But you can't," my voice was strained as I held back the sobs that wanted to escape. I held my head in my hands to hide my face from him.
"We will. We'll help you. We need you on our team, after all. It wouldn't be the same without you."
I slowly lifted my head to look at him. He freaked out a little bit, surprised to see the tears forming in my eyes beginning to trail their way down my cheeks. Everything was finally starting to become too much, especially without the help of the voice who had been guiding me through everything.
"H-hey! What're you crying for?!"
"I'm just... I'm scared," I said shakily.
He took another step closer, wrapping his arms around me while gently pushing my head down onto his shoulder. I let my eyes shut, trying to focus on the warmth instead of everything else overwhelming me in this moment.
"Why haven't you mentioned this sooner?" He asked quietly.
"I hoped it'd be fine, that there wouldn't be any problems. But... I learned something new that makes this even more dangerous."
"What did you learn?"
"I-I can't tell you. That'll have to be something I say to Batman first. I don't want to drag any of you into my mess."
"If that's what you decide. But remember we're all here for you. Okay?"
The longer I sat in his arms, the more clear it became that I didn't hate the feeling. I also hadn't realized it at first but my face felt hot. Even with all of that, I found myself not wanting him to let go, which made me snap back to reality and get him to let go before my thoughts started to wander even more.
"Y-you can let go of me now," I mumbled.
He quickly let go of me, stepping back to put some space between us again. I kept my head low, not wanting him to see the blush on my cheeks. I didn't know why, but I suddenly felt nervous.
"You're okay now?" He asks.
"Mhmm."
"Alright, I'll be off to bed, then. Night."
"Goodnight."