Hey nerds. New story. Hope you like it!

"Wally, wake up!" My mom hollered.

I groaned and shoved my head under his pillow. I really didn't want to get up. My head and back hurt from the mission last night, and all I really wanted to do was sleep the whole day. But, knowing that there was training at the mountain at 7, I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed, slipping on some faded jeans and a Nirvana tee-shirt. Trudging into the bathroom, I ran a comb through my hair and brushed my teeth.

"Wally! Come on, you've gotta be at the mountain by six!"

I sighed. "I know mom! Gimme a minute!" Flying down the stairs, I perched at the counter. As usual, Dad was nowhere to be seen.

She turned to me. I saw that there were four dark bruises tracked down her left forearm, suspiciously shaped like fingerprints. It was noticeable that she had tried to cover them with makeup, which worried me. She wanted

to make them unnoticeable, which leaned that something had happened that she didn't want to know about...

"Hurry up and eat," she said as she shoved a few protein bars at me. "I didn't have time to make breakfast today, so those'll have to do." She slid a glass of Orange juice toward me.

I nodded and shoved the protein bars into my mouth.

When I was finished chewing, I looked up at her, concerned, and gestured to her bruises. "Mom, how did you get those bruises?"

She quickly looked down to her arm, then back up at me. Panic flitted through her eyes as she tugged down the purple sleeve of her sweater, but she quickly recovered. "Oh, those? It was just one of the machines at work, and I hit my arm the wrong way, nothing to worry about."

"Oh," I said. But I wasn't convinced at all. No machine that I knew of had parts shaped like that. Not even where dad worked. I hadn't been getting along with my dad that well the last few years, our tempers colliding more than they used to. The last few months he had been pretty stressed at work, and apparently, my "teenage attitude" didn't help. I wondered...

No, I told myself. He wouldn't.

"They weren't there last night, were they?"

Apparently my mom could see the concern on my face, because she sighed. "Honey, I'm fine. Now c'mon, you don't want to be late."

I nodded, giving up and quickly kissed my mom on the cheek. "Bye mom."

She smiled and kissed me on the forehead. "Bye sweetie."

I ran out the door and to the zeta platform in Central City. It was disguised as an old refrigerator, and the alley it was in smelled like dead squirrels. But, hey, what else was I supposed to do?

I couldn't stop thinking about my mom's face when she saw the bruises. Her face was already pale and had she dark circles under her eyes. It was like I had found out a deadly secret. Stop it, you're just being paranoid, I told myself. I punched in the code to open the door. It was then I realized that mom had never answered my question...

I shook my head as if to clear my thoughts and was transported to the cave.

M'gann looked up from her... mush... and waved. "Hey Wally!"

"Hey M'gann. Why aren't you in uniform and in the training room already?"

"Oh, you didn't get the message? It was cancelled: Black Canary got the flu."

"Oh." I shrugged. "Guess I'll just hang out then. Need any help in the kitchen?"

She smiled warmly. "Nah, I'm good. But thanks!"

I walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch. Picking up the remote, I turned on the tv and flipped through the channels.

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, no.

Real Housewives of Atlanta, nooooo.

Say Yes to the Dress...

"Ooo!" M'gann squealed. "Can you keep it on this? I love this show!"

I shrugged. Why not.

Apparently it was a marathon, so it was on all day.

Soon Superboy came to join us. We had to spend the first five minutes explaining what a wedding was, and the next five explaining why the mother's of the brides were such bitches.

Robin was next.

Pretty soon, the whole team was crowded in the living room, all marveling at how people can be so picky about a wedding dress.

So, that it how I wasted my afternoon.

Pretty soon, it was time for dinner. I was supposed to be home by six or so, meaning that I had to go.

I pushed myself off of the couch and stretched. "I gotta go guys. See ya tomorrow."

"Bye," everyone chorused.

I walked over to the zeta platforms and zapped to Central City.

Stepping out of the disguised zeta tube, I began my walk home. It was raining, hence mid-July. Turning down my street, I noticed that my dad's car was parked in our driveway, meaning he got of work early.

I walked up the walkway, but paused when I heard yelling. I could just make out my mother's voice.

I could instantly tell by her tone of voice that something wasn't right. She sounded frantic and panicky, like someone or something was hurting her. I flew up the steps of our front porch, but jumped back when the front door swung open, revealing an extremely pissed off Dad. He shoved past me as if I wasn't even there, slamming me against the brick wall of our front porch. He stormed past me and got into his car. I watched in awe as he sped away.

Peering back into the house, I noticed that the living room and kitchen were in shreds, and my mother was on the floor, sitting against the wall. She slowly pushed herself up, favoring her left wrist.

"Mom!"

I ran over to her and helped her to the couch. "Mom, what happened? Did Dad do this?"

But I already knew the answer. The bruises should have been my first hint as to what was going on.

She shrugged weakly. "Honey, your dad was having a rough day at work. I forgot to make dinner, so he was upset. It was my fault. I'm okay, everything's fine-"

"Mom!" I said incredulously, "Why would he do this?"

She sighed. Clearly, she was trying to hide something from me. "I told you, he was having a rough day at work. His job is becoming more and more stressful, and I should have had dinner ready. It's my fault."

I stared into my mother's blue eyes. "Mom, how long has this been going on? How long has he been doing this to you?"

Her eyes shifted from my gaze and she looked at the floor. "It hasn't been going on for that long..."

"How long," I hissed between clenched teeth, growing more frustrated by the minute.

"I swear, it was just yesterday," she whispered, clearly ashamed.

"Mom, why didn't you say anything?"

"Because!" she protested. "He doesn't mean to! Its mostly my fault!"

I was beside myself. How could she have kept this from me?

"Wally, please don't tell anyone, please!" She begged. "He never meant to hurt me!"

I sighed. "Mom, l have to tell someone-"

"Please!" She pleaded. "Please Wally. Just wait a day or two and you'll see. You'll see!"

I contemplated her words in my head.

After a minute I spoke. "Fine. I won't tell, but if he even hurts you on accident, I want to know and I'm going to tell."

Relief washed over her face. She grasped my hands. "He won't, I promise."

I nodded meekly. "Okay.

She smiled a bit. "Okay. Let's go make dinner," she said, trying to change the subject.

I nodded and followed her into the kitchen, wondering if I had made the right choice.

After a dinner of spaghetti, my Mother and I were lounging on the couch, watching America's Got Talent.

"Wow," I commented at the guy lighting his hair on fire. "That has got to hurt."

My mom nodded and yawned. "I know. I'm gonna head up to bed. Long day. Finish this episode, then go to bed, okay?"

I nodded. "Kay."

She stretched and headed up the stairs.

I heard the door to her room close, and decided that it was safe to turn on Jimmy Kimmel.

Suddenly the door opened, and my dad walked in. I quickly shut off the tv.

"Wally?" He walked up to me.

Oh man. What is he going to do to me?

He reached out his arms and wrapped me in a hug. "I am so sorry."

Wait, what?

"I have been so stressed at work lately, and- I'm just so sorry. That was no way to treat your mother, and it will never happen again. I'm so sorry."

I was shocked. I accepted the hug numbly. I could see that he was genuinely sorry by the way he said it.

He pulled away. "I promise that it will never happen again. I just- I feel so horrible."

I nodded and relaxed a bit. "It's okay dad, I understand."

He shook his head and sighed. "Thank you for understanding Wally. I'm going to go talk to your mom."

I nodded. "No problem dad."

"I love you son."

"Love you too dad."

I switched off their tv and climbed up the stairs. Maybe it was just a bad few nights.

Hopefully.

-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#-!#

The next morning I went to the mountain again.

"Hey Wally!" called M'gann as I zeta beamed in.

"Hey Megs," I replied. "Where is everyone?"

"I think Robin is-"

She was cut off by the voice of Batman over the intercom. "Team, suit up and report to the debriefing room."

When we all arrived, Batman walked in. "Team, you will be going on a mission, blah blah, warehouse blah blah blah Detroit."

...at least that what I heard.

I wasn't paying attention, really. I was more focused on the look on my Dad's face last night. It was mixed with guilt, sorrow, and regret, but I couldn't tell which was more. He sounded sincerely sorry. And, I believed that he was sorry, I really did. But if he was that sorry...

Why did he do it in the first place?

Having a tough day at work just didn't cut it in my book. Maybe-

"Kid Flash!"

I snapped my head up and looked at Batman, who gave me a glare that made me want to shrivel up and die.

"Repeat what I just said."

"Um, uh," I stuttered. "You, ah, wanted us to go check out a gang in Detroit...?"

Batman sighed. "No. Robin will fill you in while you are traveling there. Pay attention next time," he growled.

"Yes sir," I mumbled as I trailed behind the team to the bio-ship.

This was going to be a long day.

Until next time, my fanpeople!