DON'T OWN JL/JLU
Warning: sad stuff ahead
The fire had been raging for over half an hour when he had arrived back on Earth from the WatchTower. Flames flicked out of all the windows and even the brick had turned black and even starting to crumble in some places.
He skidded to a rough stop when he heard the panicked screams of a young woman who was being held back by several ash covered firefighters.
"NO! MY BABY'S STILL IN THERE!" She clawed and raged against the stronger men as one of the firefighters attempted to explain the situation to her.
"There's no way into that room…" He started, coughing as the wind shifted and the fire started billowing further outward.
"NO! I'LL GET HER! JUST LET ME IN!" The woman sobbed, her groceries from the round the corner market littered around her.
"We can't!" One man cried desperately as Wally sped up to them.
"What floor?"
The woman looked shocked as the Scarlet Speedster repeated his question with more urgency,
"What floor!?" He asked again, his head looking back to the multi-storied apartment building with wide eyes.
"…the 5th…apartment 512. Her name is Cassie." She said, almost in shock that someone was willing to go into the inferno even as hope sparked behind her dark eyes.
One of the firefighters grabbed Flash by the arm and held it tightly, "That building's going to come down any minute." He warned with hardened eyes.
"Then don't hold me up." Flash snapped before zipping off. He'd apologize later but for right now he had to get that little girl. He ran up the wall of the building as the front door was completely engulfed and he entered through a 4th story window that had been broken when one of the tenants through a chair through it to form another escape route. Wally was forced to cover his mouth to keep himself from breathing in the volumes of black smoke that swept over him. The flames were so bright that he was having trouble seeing as he made his way to the stairwell.
It took him several moments to get to the 5th floor and as his vision grew worse he felt the bronze numbers on the doors which burned his fingers through his costume. When he finally found the 12th door, the heat was so intense that he felt his costume melting onto his skin. He hissed in pain and pushed on, struggling past an upturned kitchen table. It was then he saw what had been giving the firefighters so much trouble, a hole in the floor with no way around it. He knew they would have never been able to cross it and he shuddered to think what happened to the brave man who tried to jump across since only flames lay below.
"Cassie!" He called out hoarsely, "Where are you?" He called and when he heard no response, he took several steps back, before rushing at the wall next to the hole, gaining speed to run up and across the wall.
"Shit!"
The floor jolted when he landed and he hadn't even landed hard. "Cassie!?"
He called as he entered the only room that was left, a small princess themed room. The flames were flicking at the edges of make believe dresses and tiaras and in the corner, covered in a pink bed spread that was becoming dangerous close to being overwhelmed by flames was Cassie.
"Cassie!" The Flash picked her up and held her close before he froze.
"…Cassie?" He shook her softly in his arms, shaking his head somewhat. "…no."
He lifted the bed spread gently to see the pale face of a young girl no older then eight, her eyes were closed and it was clear that she wasn't breathing. The floor shook again and Wally knew he had to get out yet he clutched the small body to his frame, keeping her covered as he fought his way out.
"He's coming out!" A firefighter yelled as Flash burst out of the apartment, just as the building started to fall into itself.
"Sir. You're burned." A young EMT ran up to Flash, wincing at the burns and melted degree of his costume.
"…yeah. I'll be back in a minute." Flash whispered softy, as he started walking back to the woman.
She turned to face him, taking a moment to see what—who he was carrying.
She fell to her knees, grabbing at her face and crying, "NO!" She was shaking her head as Wally knelt in front of her, gently placing the covered body onto the ground. She pulled the bed sheet back as if believing it was all a trick, tears flowing down her face as she looked at her daughter.
"CASSIE!! NO! CASSIE!! PLEASE…GOD!! NO!! OH GOD!!" Her body was close shaking so badly that she was pulling out strands of her hair. She looked up at Wally, her eyes hurt and blank.
"Why?"
"...I'm sorry."
Wally bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from crying out. He was grateful when the EMTs finally rushed over to take the woman and the body, one of them staying to start treating Wally.
"Sir, I need you to…SIR!?"
Wally had taken off so fast that he had knocked the EMT over as he ran off, tears flowing down his cheeks, getting caught in his mask.
He ran for miles.
He ran until he thought it would stop hurting.
But it didn't.
His body finally collapsed in field that was several hundred miles from where he had started. He was finding it hard to catch his breath with tears and sobs racking his body. He finally passed out.
It was nearing daybreak when he finally woke up, in pain from the burns but he was no longer crying. He couldn't explain to himself why he had lost it.
Maybe it was her age?
No…he had seen children even younger dead at the hands of some sort of disaster.
Maybe it was because he failed?
No…even that wasn't it. Wally wasn't naïve enough to believe he could save everyone; he had too many experiences that proved that even he, with his super speed, was only human.
"THEN WHAT IS IT!?" He called out angrily to the sky but his only response was a shade of green that cascaded over him, landing softly next to him.
"Wally." John looked worried, his eyes raking over Wally's burns with concern. "I heard what happened."
Wally's eyes brimmed with tears once more and he looked over at John, pulling his mask off his face with difficulty to reveal a troubled young man.
"I don't understand John…I'm not supposed to react like this…" He breathed out. He was a member of the Justice League for pity sakes! He couldn't imagine any of the others falling apart like this.
John sighed, taking a step forward to pull his friend into a hug.
"Wally. When you stop reacting like this, then we'll worry."
Wally was their heart; he was their soul and their compassion. He felt things that most of the other Leaguers had forgotten how to feel. They needed someone to remind them of the pain that people go through…it just…
It kept them more human.
"C'mon. I'll take you to the med bay."
Wally nodded, unwilling to argue at this point. John's green light covered them both as he lifted them up to the stars.
Wally looked down at the Earth as John put a hand onto his shoulder, giving it a squeeze.
"…thanks John."
Just a quick one shot to keep me up.
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