So you guys are kind of awesome. I don't know if you notice but last chap, we cracked 200 reviews. I have no idea how we did it but we did. When I started this story, I didn't think anyone would like it but you guys have showed me so much love. It's been fantastic. Kudos to you guys who noticed the parallels to Beauty and the Beast in the last chapter. It felt like such a good thing to add in and so appropriate for the tone of the chapter. I know I don't reply to all of you but I really do read your reviews and some of you, I've started reading your stories (check out Ms. Issues, she's started a killer story right now, the third chapter was so beautiful) and they're really good. So, long story short, I'm happy that you're happy. As always, I'm open to criticism and questions. Lots of love -IFW
Chapter 14
In another universe:
"Any news Master Bruce?" Alfred Pennyworth had waited patiently for his ward to return home. When Bruce stepped out of the bat-mobile, the butler already had a steaming cup of coffee waiting.
"I got to see him. He's unharmed." Bruce replied shortly.
"Oh wonderful. I know you were confident when you left. It won't be long before Master Richard is back home with us." Alfred replied jovially.
Bruce only nodded. Had the cave always been that quiet? No...he could always count on the Boy Wonder's vivacious laugher to bounce off the walls and ceiling.
"I miss him too. Things have not been the same since in his absence." Alfred set down his tray.
"He'll be back soon. I am worried about Superboy, though."
"Don't tell me he's having problems with that world's Superman as well. I like to think the boy's had enough." Alfred had heard of the young clone's plight.
"No. It's the opposite. He wants to stay in that world. Apparently that world's Clark is much more pleasant with him." Bruce explained.
"And this displeases you?"
"He can't stay. We have such a delicate balance to uphold. He just can't."
"You honestly expect someone, a child, to give up their one chance at happiness? Can you truly ask that of him?"
"I have no choice. There are greater things at work here. He simply cannot stay. There's nothing we can do about it. Though I do believe Black Canary has managed to scare Clark into stepping into his role as a father." Bruce pulled the cowl off of his head and sighed. "We can only hope for the best."
"I suppose you're right. I just fear for him as all. Not everyone can be as happy as Master Richard." Alfred stood next to his ward. "It appears you're getting a call, sir."
Bruce looked up to see that his removed com was in fact ringing.
"Going to be called away again already? You only just got back."
"Duty calls. It could be Ted with more information on the kids." Bruce answered the call immediately. "What's happened?"
"Come immediately. J'onn found something." Diana's voice rushed.
"What did he find?"
"One of the children."
YJ
"I know you had just gotten home but this was too important." Superman led Bruce down through Happy Harbor.
"Diana said one of the children had been found. She was in this dimension?"
"As far as J'onn can tell, she never left. But you'll have to see the damage for yourself."
Batman mouth pressed into a hard line. Damage? How had the girl been hurt.
"Her name?"
"Kelly Raines." Hundreds of faces passed through Bruce's mind until he finally locked on the one he sought. Raines, Kelly: vibrant green eyes and long blonde hair. Age: ten.
"I remember her from the list. What damage was done?"
"It's not something I can explain. You'll have to see for yourself." Clark appeared visibly shaken by what had transpired. For a moment, Bruce was actually fearful of what he might see. "I'm beginning to think the team is better off in that other world. If they can avoid this fate…well maybe it's better for them."
They had reached the containment room and pushed open the door. Even though the room was dark, Bruce could clearly make out the shape of a woman in the corner.
"J'onn hasn't been able to get near her and we're starting to worry."
"Turn them on anyway. She'll have to get used to it." Bruce replied darkly.
"Okay. But I mean it Bruce, you won't like what you see."
As soon as Clark flipped the switch, the girl let out a bloodcurdling scream.
"Kelly! Kelly calm down! You're alright!" Clark tried to soothe her.
Her hair looked like straw and her once rosy cheeks, sufficiently hollowed. Her pupils were so far dilated that the ring of green was virtually nonexistent.
"This can't be the same girl." Bruce said.
"I assure you, it's her. J'onn picked her up just an hour ago. It's like she appeared out of nowhere."
"Have her parents been notified?"
"Yeah…but we've told them she's not ready to be seen."
"And J'onn can't make heads or tails of it?"
"He says she's been wiped clean. It's like her mind is blank. Not just of her attackers but of everything. It's just gone." Clark tried to coax her out of the corner. "And as soon as she got back, another kid was taken."
"So they don't let them go unless they have another child readily available. Anything else off besides her metal state?" Batman attempted to assess the girl's condition.
"Her entire body's been drained. Like they sucked the energy right out of her. I don't understand. And now she's some kind of zombie." Kelly pulled her knees in closer and shook.
"Bruce…if this is what's happening to all of those kids-"
"-then we've got a serious problem."
YJ
"J'onn s still working but does not believe he will find any more children tonight." Wonder Woman had never felt so worn.
"This is a disaster! First the team goes missing. Next thing we know, kids all over the planet are getting snatched and now, now they end up like this?" Flash was in shock. "We have to do something!"
"You act as if we aren't trying! What can we do? Until we get her to tell us what went on when she was taken, we've got nothing." Green Arrow spat.
"J'onn says her memory may never recover. Even if we can get her to stop being so afraid, we might never recover what's been lost." Hal said seriously. "We're on our own."
"Maybe not." Diana stood and walked towards the monitor consul. "Ted, do you think you can get us online with the team?"
"Yeah, I'll contact Atom." Ted went to work on his laptop.
"You think they can help us?"
"They've dealt first hand with these people in ways we haven't. They may know something we don't." Wonder Woman affirmed.
"We'll soon find out."
YJ
In another universe:
"Dude! He really let you go out on patrol with him? That's amazing! What changed?" Wally was upstairs in his bedroom talking to Robin via webcam.
"I don't know. The other night…we just exploded at each other. Finally got a lot of things sorted it. He decided to give me a chance. It was nice." Robin shrugged his shoulders. "Almost like home, you know?"
"Oh no, don't pull a Superboy on us dude. We can't have you deciding to stay here too; we'll be down two members." Wally groaned.
"No way. I'm not staying here for anything. All I'm saying is that it's nice to have some sense of normalcy. Still, it will be so much better when we get back home." Robin asserted.
"I wish I had your luck. Clear Batman has some semblance of sanity about him. Now if we could fix this world's Barry, we'd be golden."
"I can't help you with that. Things are still awkward here for me. You'll have to pull this one together yourself. You can make friends with almost anyone. I don't see why he should be so different."
"At least your Batman wanted to try. He still won't look at me unless Iris makes him. Nothing's going to change." Wally cried despondently. His brief interaction with his real uncle had made him feel so much better but the euphoria was beginning to dissipate.
"C'mon Wally, you can do this. Just stand up and tell him that he needs to get used to you being here. Having Iris on your side definitely won't hurt your cause either. Alfred certainly pushed the Bruce and me together. She can be your best ally." Robin tapped his lip on the other side of the screen. "I'm really tired Wally, I'm heading to bed. You should too. I know you haven't done any of your homework since we got here. Maybe you could start on some of that."
"No way. I'm not doing that. I'd rather go to bed myself."
"Then go to bed." Robin switched his camera of and Wally groaned. All alone in that big stupid house again.
"Wally? Wally sweetie? Are asleep again. I swear, that's all you do!" he heard Iris outside his door again. Wally held back his groan of frustration and buried his head in his pillow.
"I'm awake." He said, his voice muffled by his pillow.
"Oh! Good then. I'm coming in and so is Barry." This time Wally really did groan.
"I changed my mind, I'm asleep." He called.
"Too late." Iris pushed the door open and pulled Barry in behind her. "I thought I'd let boys be boys and have the two of you hash it out but apparently that's not going to work. So now I'm stepping in."
"She made me come up here." Barry sighed.
"I noticed." Wally sighed.
"Barry, you need to apologize to Wally for being so rude to him. I think it's time you both decided to be grown up about this whole thing." She chided them both. Alfred called me and said that Batman and his new young friend have managed to work out their differences. I don't see why the two of you continue to be so hardheaded. Why is this so hard? I mean, really?"
"Iris, you're blowing this way out of proportion. We don't seem to have any issue with this arrangement."
I don't want you to talk for Wally, I want him to speak for himself. Tell us how you really feel, hun." She touched his hair lightly. "I promise we won't be mad." Wally cringed at her voice. It was so much like his real aunt's.
"I just want to get back home where things are normal. I'm sorry that I've been so distant but that's just my way of dealing with things. It's not that fun being treated like you don't exist." Wally admitted carefully. It seemed the woman wouldn't leave him alone until she got the answers she wanted. Best to tell her now.
"You are wanted, Wally. By both of us. Why, I feel like you're family. And even though Barry won't admit it, I can feel he does too. He just needs time to warm up to new changes is all. But perhaps we can speed this one along. I know an excellent little coffee shop on the east side. I think the two of you should head over there and actually talk. Then, we may get somewhere. Agreed?" her smile was so warm that Wally couldn't possible say no. maybe she had some kind of superpower. Barry huffed exhaustedly and nodded.
"Might as well. C'mon Wally." He said.
Wally blinked a few times. He had never heard the older man call him by his first name.
"Yeah, I guess. Okay." He replied.
"Have fun and play nice. And I mean it, talk."
"Thanks au-miss Iris." Wally cringed at the hiccup. She wasn't really Iris, he had to keep reminding himself of that fact. 'Not real. Not real. None of it is real.'
"We gonna go or what?" Barry pulled him from his reverie.
"Yeah. Just had to remember something."
'Not real.'