Hey everyone, just figured I'd give you all a heads up. I did the prologue in third person, but from here on out everything will be from Wally's point of view. The character of this story just seems to work better in first person.

It took a while, but after two hours of sitting on plastic diner seats, eating French fries and twiddling our thumbs, mom finally managed to convince me that it was safe to go home. I picked her up and zipped through the streets of Central.

It was weird to be running through the streets, mostly in my civies save for the goggles on my face, carrying my mom. Matter of fact this whole situation was weird, and scary. I'd heard stories about domestic abuse. How could I not? Especially in my line of work! But I'd never ever thought that something like that would happen in my family. I was supposed to be the (relatively) normal one.

Richard had his trauma-filled childhood, Kaldur lived in the ocean, M'gann was from Mars, and Supey was cloned! As for Artemis, her past is as shrouded in mystery as Robin's is (though Robin told me his identity which makes him less mysterious). But me, I'm supposed to be the normal one! I have parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins! I live in an average house in an average neighborhood with ordinary people. That's the way it's supposed to be, that's the way it's always been, so why is everything changing now?

I stopped in front of the house and set mom down in the driveway. I zipped into the house ahead of her to make sure that I'd be on the receiving end of any more attacks if my dad was still angry.

Well, I was attacked, but not in the way that I was expecting.

"Wally!" I jumped slightly and turned to see my father rushing towards me. I braced myself but was shocked when my dad pulled me into a huge bear hug. I tensed from head to toe.

"I'm so sorry son, I'm so sorry I hurt you! Are you okay? Is your mother—"

Rudy caught sight of his wife

"Oh, Mary!"

Rudy dropped to his knees and pleaded with my mom.

"Please forgive me my love, that was completely inexcusable, I'm so sorry!"

Mary knelt down in front of her husband, and embraced him.

"I'm sorry too!" she wept.

I just stood there wondering what was going on. One minute dad was a raging bull, and the next he was a blubbering mess? What had gotten into him! Dad doesn't do big emotion. There are times he when he could give Batman a run for his money!

I watched the two of them babbling, not really listening to what was being said. I did pay attention when the two of them started up the stairs. I waited until they reached the top before following. There was no way I was going to just leave them alone together.

I posted myself outside of their bedroom door as soon as they closed it, pressing my ear to the door.

"Mary, I'm sorry, I wasn't myself"

"I know, dear, I know."

"I don't know what to do, I mean, your face! What are we going to say?"

"We'll just have to make up an excuse" said Mary reassuringly and I cringed, not liking where their conversation was going.

"Like what?" Rudy asked, though he spoke as if he already had something in mind, like asking his wife was simply a formality.

"I could say that I tripped, fell into the bed post."

"That's not very believable Mary. I think we should say…" he paused a moment, pretending to think. I could tell he was pretending. Being best friends with Batman's partner for well over two years meant that I know a thing or two about reading people…well, at least people the people that were close to me.

"I think we should say that Wally and his friends were fooling around in the backyard and Wally accidentally hit you in the face with a baseball."

I gritted by teeth as if that would help control the sickening roll of hot anger in my stomach. He's blaming me? I thought indignantly.

"Well…" my mother hesitated. I held my breath.

"…I guess that's pretty believable."

She's letting him! She's letting him blame me for this? How dare they!

I wanted to get up and storm away, I was just so angry, but I wasn't about to leave until I knew my mom was definitely safe.

It was approaching four o clock in the morning when they stopped talking and the sound of sheets rustling and lights clicking off met my ears. I had two hours until I needed to be in school.

I staggered into my room and laid facedown on my bed without even bothering to take my shoes off.

The next thing that I was aware of was an aching headache, a growling stomach, and an incessant noise. I realized that the incessant noise was my alarm clock and I shut it off at once, fully intending to go back to sleep. I rubbed my face against the pillow, my watch digging into my wrist and my shoes snagging on the sheets…

Wait, shoes? Why am I wearing—I bolted up as the events from last night came at me like ticked off football team. I was tackled with all the emotions that I'd felt that night and I realized that my hands were shaking in super-speed.

He was just trying to steady them when there was a knock on his door. Wally took a deep breath and let it out before getting up and opening his door.

His mother stood there in her work clothes with a smile on her face.

"Hello, Sweetie."

I just stared at her. Her whole left cheek was swollen and bruised. I could see that she was wearing a lot of make up to hide the coloring, but there was nothing she could do about the giant puffy area that used to be smooth skin.

"…Hey" I said.

"I made breakfast, come downstairs."

It took me a second to register what she had said.

Mom got up to make breakfast? She never gets out of bed before eight, and she hasn't made breakfast on a weekday since I was in the second grade. I thought, eyeing my mother suspiciously.

I sat down at the table and my mother piled my plate high with waffles, eggs, and bacon.

Okay, now I know she's up to something if she's breaking out the waffle iron. She hates cleaning that thing.

She waited until she had sufficiently stuffed (well as stuffed as a speedster can be) myself until she spoke.

"So how about I give you a ride to school, that way you don't have to walk?"

"O—kay" I said now seriously wondering why she chose this morning to spoil me. I didn't have to wait long to find out though, we were halfway to my school when mom finally spoke up.

"So, Wally, dear…You're dad and I were thinking of a way to explain my bruises in a way that won't get everyone all riled up" she glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, trying to gauge my reaction.

"Well, honey, we need to pretend if it's an accident, and you see neither Rudy nor myself is very accident prone, but you've built up a bit of a reputation for clumsy moments" she said, chewing her lip.

"We decided that it was best if we said you accidentally hit me with a baseball. You're a child, no one will blame you, and things will be able to calm down again."

I didn't say anything. I knew now what the whole breakfast and ride to school routine was all about. It was a bribe, one I' d accepted without realizing it.

"Honey?" she asked as we pulled up in front of the school.

I wanted to refuse, but she was giving me that look. It was the one that moms used whenever they were trying to guilt you into something.

I rolled my eyes, kicking myself for letting them drag me into their lie, and took a breath.

"Right, baseball, got it" I said flatly as I unbuckled my seatbelt. "Have a good day at work" I said climbing out of the car and walking towards the school before she could say anything else.

I felt a bit disappointed in myself for giving her a hard time, given everything she'd been through lately, but I couldn't help it. I was too tired and frustrated to be tactful, not that I usually am, but even so…

I sighed. This day was not going to be fun…