Author's Note:
Hi, so someone commented on my late chapter asking about how the timeline for my story is so I'd just thought I'd clarify it a bit without giving away too much.
The story starts 4 years after Wally 'dies'. I also used a scene from the comics in chapter 2 of when Zatanna and Dick kissed, which takes place in season 2; I used it because in all honesty I didn't know it was from the official comics. I wrote the first 2 chapters a few months back so I was pretty new to the fandom. I found a screenshot of the comic and thought it was something that it was fanmade and I thought that it was so cute that I just had to mix it in. So just clearing up the confusion a bit.
Also concerning when the Guest said that Dick didn't leave the Team and disappear and how he still continued being a hero.
I know, but Dick said that he wanted a break from the Team and put Barbra as 'second in command' if Kaldur needed help. Dick still continued as Nightwing in Bludhaven but was not affiliated with the Team. In my fan fiction, Dick planned on keeping contact but didn't. At least not with Kailer. He did not return to the Team until 4 years later.
I hope this answers your questions, and please feel free to ask me some more. I'd be more than happy to answer them.
CHAPTER 7: FLAMES
I woke up suddenly in my old bed at Wayne Manor, the sun was barely peaking out the large windows. My eyes darted to the bright neon numbers next to me, the clock read 5 AM. I rarely ever woke up so early but all I remember from my dreams was being engulfed by flames. It was like a kick to the face to wake up.
I groan into my pillow, I always had bad dreams whenever I slept in the Manor, no matter what. Now that I've woken up, I'll never get back to sleep. The bird chirped loudly from outside as I glared at them from under my covers. Fine, I'll get up. My fingers reached out and tried to grab the nightstand so I could pull myself out from the mountain of blankets but instead they grazed upon my laptop.
"Wally." I said with surprise. I have to get to the cave and talk with Bart about the Speed Force, now.
Pulling off the blankets, I ran out of bed and to the bathroom, careful not to trip as I showered like I have so many times before. Brushing my hair would have to wait, I didn't have time to manage my mane. I opened the closet and looked for some clothes, it was cold out and I had no jeans. The ones that I wore last night are all dirty.
I sighed and grabbed a pair of jean shorts along with a black long sleeved shirt and my old Chuck Taylors. This would have to do but as soon as I get home, I am changing into some sweatpants. There was talking outside the room, Dick and Damian must already be up and Tim must've just gotten home with Bruce. Alfred got home late last night. I grabbed my laptop and went down stairs.
My messenger bag was in the living room where I left it when I got to the Wayne Manor, Dami must've looked through it.
"Miss Kailer, I didn't know you had returned, welcome home." Alfred said from the kitchen, I smiled at him and gave him a giant hug.
"I miss you too, Al."
Dick was drinking coffee out of a mug and looking out the window. He was still dressed in his pajamas which wasn't much but soft pants and no shirt. I rolled my eyes at him, that boy had sense of respect, did he?
I poured myself a cup, "Hey, you do realize that people live here? It's not just you, you don't even live here in general. This isn't your apartment, so go and put on a shirt."
"Hm, how about no?" He said sarcastically and went back to looking out the window.
"And why are you here? What happened to your apartment back in Blüdhaven, you know, the city you protect, which isn't in Gotham?"
Dick smirked at me, something that we both were doing often to each other, "Let me ask you this, when did you get all up tight, Granny?"
"Dick, you're older than me by a year." I said seriously.
He shrugged his shoulders at me. I sighed and looked at Damian, he was sitting down eating eggs benedict and reading the newspaper like he always did every morning. I sat down across from him. Ever since I moved out from the Manor, I've realized that I barely ever see Dami if I don't come and visit. He refuses to join the team, mainly saying how he's not much of a team player, something that I agree with. But he even refuses to visit me at the cave, M'gann annoys him to much and Garfield and Bart pressure him too much into joining. So I can see where he's coming from, but it still would be nice to see my little brother more often.
"Any important news?" I asked him from across the table.
He shook his head, "Not really. The paper mostly consists of the usual concerning Batman and I but there's are article about Nightwing and one about you, well, Blaze."
Tim came walking in, looking like he was a dead man walking. The bags under his eyes were a deep purple and his eyes were bloodshot, his hair wasn't even in its usual glory. He said down next to me and put his head down against the table.
I raised an eyebrow, "Hey, Timmy? You alright there, bud?"
"Cassie broke up with me." He said, muttering most of it but I could still make out what he said. I frowned and sighed. Why do I always have to deal with the broken relationships in this house? I swear, the day that Damian walks up to me and asks from relationship advice will be the day I run myself over with the Bat Mobile.
"Was she your first real girlfriend?" I asked the Red Robin.
He nodded.
"Do you know what the percentage of teenage relationships actually last?" I asked him. I could see Dick freeze in the corner of my eye, it was the same question I asked him before with Zatanna.
Tim shook his head no.
"I don't know either, but I fucking bet that it's not good." He chuckled softly, something that I haven't seen him do for a while. "C'mon Timmy, you're either gonna break up or marry the girl. Did you really think that you were going to marry Cassie?"
He nodded.
I laughed out loud, Dick did the same. "You fucking liar!" Tim smiled.
There was a silent lull in the kitchen after we quieted down and the moment passed. Damian finished his breakfast and left to the Bat Cave to train a bit. Tim went back to his bedroom to mope around a bit more but this time with a small smile tugging onto his lips as he left the room. The only people left in the kitchen was Dick and I.
"I better get going, I don't really want to catch the morning traffic. Besides, I have some business to take care of a the cave and the sooner I get there the better." I shrugged on my leather jacket and grabbed my keys.
Dick chuckled, "Its Sunday, Kai. There's is no traffic today."
"Well, all the more reason to get a move on." I said as I walked out of the kitchen and to the front door, Dick was following behind me.
"I don't know why you don't just use the zeta tubes, its faster. The drive from Gotham to Happy Harbor is a long one."
"The fresh air will do me good, either way, I have to make a detour to Central City. I'll see you at the cave, Wonder Boy."
"See you, Kailer."
I drove for a long time, I don't know how long exactly but all I knew was that I barley ever stopped on my motorcycle. It was almost like muscle memory as I drove from Gotham to my old home, something that I did almost every week once I moved in with the Bat family. I could feel my hot breaths on my chin against the helmet on my head.
I swallowed hard when I pulled up the to the familiar neighborhood, my bike stayed in park as I glanced at where my old house was. It was reconstructed after the fire but looked nothing like before. They tried to make it look more modern to attract buyers.
The sun was shining from above and was creating heat for me, I hated it when it got cool. It always made me feel defenseless, like I have no strength. I pulled off the heavy duty helmet, allowing my messy black locks to fall on my back.
I climbed the fence of the next house over, a smile tugged on my lips as I saw the small patch of grass that was missing from Wally's old window. The window was unlocked like always. Mary knew that I sometimes liked to come and visit his old bedroom, but I always made sure that the West's were gone when I came.
I can't ever look at them the same, it hurt too much.
My fingered tugged on the end of the window, pulling it up and allowing me to climb inside like many time before.
"Oh, Wally." I whispered under my breath, covering my mouth with my hand. The room still smelled like him, I sat down on the old bed. It still had his old Flash covers on it. In fact, all the superhero posters were still up and the shelf filled with action figures was still standing.
I walked to it and grabbed the Kid Flash figure. I had the exact replica in my old room before it all burned down. Wally bought it for me for my 10th birthday, I can't believe that he always dropped little hints of him being a sidekick all the time.
"Don't cry, only weak people cry. You are not weak, it's been four years. Besides, he's not dead. He never was, so suck it up." I mumbled to myself, sharply breathing in air through my teeth.
I opened his closet and saw one of his old t-shirts, it was pastel yellow. It grabbed it and wrapped it around the action figure, stuffing it into my messenger bag.
My eyes stared at the picture frames that was next to his bed. One was of him and Artemis, another was of Wally and his family, the third was of him and Dick. I sneered at it, but a small smile tugged on my lips when I saw the last one.
It was of Wally and I. We were young, about 14 and 11. I was waving outside of the window of my treehouse and Wally was hanging from one of the branches, we were laughing.
I left the bedroom and closed the window behind me. There was a rustling from the wind that echoed through the houses.
My eyes darted back to the neighboring yard, the large tree was gone.
"Wally?" He chuckled and held my hand tighter. "I guess you figured it out, I always knew you would, little sis."
I smiled, "You were right, I've finally met a superhero."
"I guess I'm just that awesome, huh?" Wally said as he ran his fingers through his ash infested red hair. I chuckled, but it hurt. I held my chest with my hand. Parts of my clothes were singed and dark as the night sky.
I looked at him, the smile fading from my mouth.
"What happened, where are my parents?" I tried to sit up but he pushed me back down to the cool grass. His face was starting to get cleared, my eyes no longer burned when I blinked. Wally's face was covered in dark ash, his gloves had holes. They were burned.
I pushed harder and looked at my house, "No!" I screamed out.
My body was no longer infested with pain, I looked at my body. There wasn't any burns on me even though my clothes looked like I ran through a forest fire.
I got up against Wally's protests, "Kailer, don't go in there!"
But I didn't, I was frozen like a statue. Tears ran down my cheeks, I looked at my hair. It was burning, smoke was coming off of it but there was no fire.
"Woah." Wally muttered.
I ran and sat down across the yard as far from the fire, pressing my back against the wooden fence that we shared. Wally looked at me with pity. I pressed my face into my hands and cried until I heard other voices.
"Status report, Kid Flash?" It was a deep voice, he was near by but obviously talking to Wally.
"Batman, I think she's a meta-human. The stress and shock of the fire must've jolted it to cause a chain reaction. I'm guessing she breathed in a lot of smoke but she' not hurt by the fire at all. There are no burns, not even singed hair."
I looked up and saw Wally talking to the Batman. There was a group of teenagers with him, one of them was controlling water and putting out the fire while a girl with green skin looked wearily at it.
All I could feel was anger. My parents are gone. My only brother is dead. And he was right, you only meet superheroes when something bad has happened.
I had to lose my family to meet them. What a price to pay.
I stood up and yell in aguish, feeling heat coming out of my hands. Tears streamed down, smoke covered my eyes as I fell to the ground on my knees.
I threw my first fireball that day, directing at the large tree in my backyard and catching the old treehouse on fire.
