Disclaimer! All character and original story line rights go to DC comics.
It wasn't too inspiring for me. To become a hero I mean. Sure, you save the world and people applaud you for it, but they also rely on you and stop thinking for themselves. Jaime did a great job with locking that jerk behind bars, I only heard later, but mom did wait for me to come back. Now that he is gone, we had to move, in case he seeks revenge as a good comic book would say.
But we didn't.
Because as long as I have my abilities, no one will harm the people that I love.
"Come in, everyone! We are having a lunch break!" a shout came from the kitchen, the sweet aroma of food began overcoming the smell of paint.
"Great!" replied Bart, I'm starved and falling asleep! So moded…"
"You said it, but we need to finish painting before nightfall, while we can see."
"Can't I just go speed on this?"
"No, you don't want to attract attention like this!"
Putting the paintbrush to the side and closing the lids on the paint buckets Tai turned to the two arguing teenagers, no one would know that those two were actually Kid Flash and Blue Beetle. "Thanks guys; don't know if I could do all this without you."
"No problemo! Totally crash. Too bad Virgil couldn't make it today."
"Come on! Static has a mentor! Let him have his fun!" there was a twitch of jealousy in Jaime's voice.
These two really enjoyed saving people, I was offered to join them, but how could I? I ran instead of trying to protect my mom from abuse. I am no hero, just a runaway punk.
As they entered the house, the food made him remember the old times, when his dad was around. When nothing bothered him. Way before the Reach.
"Come on, Tye! You can't be the last at the table at your own house!"
He took his seat and swept his long hair back. Bart stared him.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing! Just the first time that I saw that much of a smile on that poker face of yours…"
He noticed his mom smiling she looked better, healthier, livelier. He had to protect her, now more than ever.
"Come on now!" she said getting out a bottle of coke, "Eat before it gets cold!"
The days passed slowly as the summer went by and the paint on the walls dried. A new colour, a new beginning, a new life. He walked down the road as his pockets rang with the change from the shop- every penny counts. Taking all of the possible shortcuts, he rushed home. Since The Reach, she didn't want him out after dark, but she didn't want him in shady streets either.
It was one or the other.
"I should have known it would run out soon." He muttered to himself as he realized that if he gotten the paint earlier they would have less work left for tomorrow. He looked up to the brief view of the sky and the gathering storm clouds.
Thunder.
It scared him at first; it did for most of them. The memory of the electric shocks remained strong in their minds. He could still feel the cold metal of the capsule and in his mind rang the buzz of the electric shocks; his body shook in the memory of pain.
"Come on, just like grandpa taught you," he reminded himself, "Take a deep breath and relax."
He came out to a small street and his mind cleared from the sound of police sirens and a woman screaming. A child stood in the middle of the road with a ball in their hands with a speeding car approaching with police on their tail.
"NO!" he released his power over his hand covering the child from approaching danger as he still stood in the dark alley, the car crashed against it and the police car stopped just in time get out and to surround the doors.
"FREEZE!" Shouted the police officer and at that moment Tai released his power. The mother was already on the other side hugging her child tightly in her arms.
Tai turned to run the second he saw a police officer turn his way.
"Ma'am, is everything alright?" a policeman aproached the mother.
"Yes, yes it is" she squeezed her child tightly in her arms and kiss their forehead.
"Mommy, what was that golden hand?"