Rylie's POV
"Wally!" I gasped as I ran over to my best friend and knelt beside him. Not again not again not again. Was all I could think as I checked him over. "Are you okay?" He didn't answer. His eyes were closed, but he was breathing fine. From what I could tell, he had fallen and landed on his back pretty hard. Not again not again not again! My heart was racing at high speed, I could feel my throat tightening in panic, I couldn't breathe, and all I could think about was my parents. Not again not again not again!
Just as I was about to call for help, his eyes flew open and he sat up, almost giving me a heart attack in the process.
"Got you good, didn't I?" He asked with that stupid smirk of his, and I smacked his shoulder. He had thought it was funny!
"You jackass." I mumbled as I pushed myself off the ground, trying to keep the memories away. "Don't scare me like that." I could feel his eyes staring at my back as I headed over to where I had set the water bottles and sat down, putting my face in my hands. Images passed through my mind, one after another like a twisted slide show. The trapeze, the Zucco brothers, my parents falling... I heard him draw in a quick breath of realization before mumbling that he was an idiot, and I suddenly felt him sit next to me. I looked at him, and his green eyes were filled with guilt.
"Al, I'm sorry." He apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. "Forgot about the back story for a second there. That was really stupid of me. I get it if you don't want to train me any more. I-I should just go." He stood up, but I grabbed his wrist, not wanting him to leave.
"Don't go." I started as I stood up and faced him. "It's okay. I shouldn't have freaked out like that anyway." His eyes grew cloudy with anger.
"Shouldn't have freaked out?!" He exclaimed softly, knowing that the others shouldn't hear that. "Alli, that's one of the things you should be freaked out by! It's the way you got hurt as a kid." His voice grew even softer now, and he lifted his hand up to rub his thumb across my cheek and wipe away a loose tear. I hadn't even noticed I was crying. I did that way too much now. "It's the way you lost your parents. It's okay to be scared of losing someone else like that. But I promise you beautiful, I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with this speedster." I giggled softly, smiling at the freckle faced boy that had come to mean so much to me.
"Thanks Wally." Taking a deep breath, I went to peck his cheek, but the smartass turned his head and caught me full on the lips. My body reacted immediately, my hands winding up his shoulders and into his ginger locks as he wrapped an arm around my waist.
Team and Canary, please report to the launch bay. We jumped apart, a steady blush climbing up both our faces. Stupid loudspeakers. I thought as I said,
"Um..we should probably go." Wally nodded sheepishly.
"Yeah." He turned around as if to give me a piggyback ride. "Hop on. It's faster." I hesitated for a second. I had just kissed Wally and, knowing Bats and his thing for security cameras, people were likely to suspect things. How would it look if he ran in with me on his back?
"What?" Wally asked, his head cocked slightly. "Don't you trust me?" There was the smirk I couldn't resist. Ugh, damn my teenage hormones! Pushing aside my anxiety, I hopped on his back, lacing my arms around his neck and wrapping my legs around his waist.
"You drop me and I'm breaking your neck." He ran, and within milliseconds we were in the hall next to the rest of the team. I hopped off KF's back and turned to face my mentor. Batman was standing in front of us, and you could barely see it, but his eyes softened when he looked at me.
"Computer," he boomed. "bring up the Cadmus files." Images flew onto the screen.
"We have found and shut down two Cadmus locations so far: the Washington and Happy Harbor campuses. As you know, each location was working on different illegal genetic projects. Washington's main project was Project Kr, but we didn't know what the Happy Harbor location was working on."
"Didn't, Sir?" My twin asked as I stood up a little straighter, trying not to look as scared as I felt. What had they found? I felt Wally grab my hand, giving me a reassuring smile.
You good, Alli? Thought Connor from the other side of the room.
Fine. I thought back as Batman continued.
What do you think they found? Artemis thought at us.
No idea, but it has to do with where I was held. I turned my attention back to my mentor.
"They were testing how fear and adrenaline in children's minds correlate. They kidnapped children from all over the world, aged on average from 5-16. They were put into fear simulations that lasted anywhere from two hours to two years. Each one was filmed and put into a file that the league took when we shut Cadmus down yesterday." Cadmus is shut down? Cadmus is shut down!
"Wait, are you saying what I think your saying?" I asked, almost unable to contain my excitement.
"Yes Nightingale." Said Canary with a smirk. "Cadmus has been officially destroyed. You are free to go on patrols without an escort." I did a mental happy dance as Batman continued. Yes. No more Cadmus!!!!
"As I was saying, we have the data of this project. Project Fear. We have your data, Nightingale." My breath caught in my throat.
"My data?" I stuttered. "W-What does it show?"
"Your reactions to the serum, vital signs, and other outer effects. We have no idea what the fear simulation showed you."
"The choice is yours, Alli, but we would like to set up a room where the others could view your tape if they want to, to see what these kids went through." Canary spoke gently, as if she were afraid that I would bolt at any second. I squeezed Wally's hand a little tighter, taking a deep breath.
"I-I'd be okay with it," I started as I half turned to my team. "As long as you guys go in one at a time, and don't ask questions after. It's-That's not something I want to relive." My brother moved to put his arm around my shoulders, and I smiled at him and then Wally, happy to have the moral support.
"The viewing area will be available tomorrow for anyone who wishes to use it. Now, onto our other order of business." Said Batman as the images on the computer faded. "Nightingale, since you have been absent for an extension of time, the choice is yours. You can stay here at Mt. Justice or come back to Gothem with me. You'll be part of the team either way, but if you choose to rejoin the Gothem heroes, you will have to resume your old duties as well."
I thought for a moment. I wanted so badly to go back to Wayne Manor, but I had grown to love it at Mt. Justice, and I kinda wanted to separate myself from the Batman family. I had always been overlooked when I was part of the dynamic trio, and as much as I wanted to be Rylie Grayson again, I knew I was of more value to the team, especially if I could return to my full strength.
At the same time, I had my own selfish reasons for wanting to return to Gothem. I wanted to reconnect with Ricky. We had been best friends four years before, practically inseparable. Two halves of a whole. But now, it was starting to feel as if I didn't know him any more. He had changed in the time I had been gone, come into his own as a hero and a person. He had learned to live without me. I had changed too, but negatively. I was guarded where I had been open, shy where I was once bold. Cadmus had sucked the life out of me, and while I was starting to get it back, I knew I was never going to be the same person. He didn't seem to see that. I had thought if I went back, that could solve things. We could be Rylie and Ricky, the Grayson twins. But, deep down in the bottom of my heart, I knew that wouldn't work. I couldn't admit it to myself.
What do I chose?