For those wondering, there will be other characters from the past stories popping up later on. It'll be a surprise what roles they now have.
4.
Palo Alto High School
September 09
16:57 UTC
At the sound of a starting pistol, a group of teenagers took off in a dead sprint from marked positions on a black top track. Among them was Isis West, mostly known as Irey to her friends and coach. Being a Meta-Human, unknown to her non powered peers, she was the star of running track and quickly became the captain. Winning came easy to her as she inherited her father's speedster genetics, but she did not always win. During meets with rival schools, schools known to be tough competitors, she would make sure to win by a slim margin or lose by a fraction of a second. Still, she made sure to beat the other runners on the team as she quite enjoyed the label of captain the coach had given her.
Crossing the finish line halfway down the track, Irey waited for the other four girls to join her. Making sure to breathe like them, she extended her hand as they crossed, receiving fives from each.
"Okay, girls," the coach, a fit blonde middle age woman, called, "good practice. Beth, I want you to work on your launch for the long jump more. You're taking off too early. Jacqueline, keep hydrated and take in more potassium, you'll cramp less. Irey, good job. I see you've been training during the summer. Elissa, great improvement on your..."
"So, how's it going with your sentence? Warden let you out yet?" Walking beside the red headed Irey, a dark headed girl her age wiped her brow of sweat with her shirt.
"Still in solitary confinement," Irey told her.
"So that's a no to Alex Smith's party this weekend then."
"Looks like. Mom was all, 'You're grounded until you learn to not play', and then I kinda zoned out. Something about how my dad was staring at my pizza on the table that made me grab it before he could. He added another week for that."
"You know you're dad's wired, right?"
As the girls stopped at the metal bench where their bags were, they quickly grabbed their gear and bags as Irey continued. "Yeah, but it's a good weird. Just give him cake and he's happy."
(-)
Nearly an hour later, Irey exited the girl's locker room and hit up the vending machines on her way out of the school. Refueled by an energy drink and a couple of king sized Snikers, she walked to her usual secluded spot and made sure her backpack was on tight with her duffle bag strapped securely around her chest and back.
"Irey West steps up to the starting position," she whispered as the prepared to take off running between two buildings where no one could see her. "The crowd grows silent as the fastest woman alive prepares to take home the gold for the US. She readies, the starting pistol fires and-"
"Hey, baby cakes."
Making her jump with a yell, Irey felt her heart accelerate faster than it usually did and turned to see her father standing behind her. "Dad!"
"Scared ya, huh?" Wally smirked. He then took a bite of a banana. "What took you so long?"
"You're spying on me to make sure I get home now?" Irey irritatingly asked.
"No." Tossing the peel into an over full trash can, Wally stepped up beside his daughter. "I just figured you would like to, I don't know, get bested by your amazing father is all. Lightning fast that is."
"I thought we weren't supposed to use our, you know, in public."
"Like you were just about to?"
"I was gonna go slow, dad." When the teenage girl saw the way her father looked at her, she held her hand up. "I swear."
"No one in our family is slow."
"That's what mom says about you."
"She lies!" Wally said quickly. "Um, what, what are you talking about?"
"What are you talking about?" Irey asked with a questioning look.
The two stood in silence for a moment, both uncomfortable before Wally finally broke it. "So, um, what do you say to a quick run?"
"What's the bet?"
"If I win," thinking for a moment, Wally developed a sly smile. "If I win, I get your dessert tonight."
"And if I win?" Irey asked.
"If, and only if, you win, I'll take a week off your sentence."
"What's for dessert?"
"Your mother made a strawberry cake with that thick cream in the center."
Bouncing while biting her lip, Irey made a whining sound. "I love that cake."
"Not sure of yourself?"
"Um, tell you what, let me go to a party this weekend and it's a deal."
Narrowing his eyes, Wally looked his daughter over. "Deal. Hope you like staying home, pickle pants."
"I was a baby when that happened, let it...GO!"
Taking off at full speed, Irey got a slight lead over her father as a gust of wind and trail of dust was left behind her. Shaking his head, Wally chuckled. "I'll never understand how those pickles got in your diaper."
Taking off at full speed, the former Kid Flash, and current Flash, soon caught up with his daughter. With the alley between the buildings empty, a small brown lizard scurried away, making its way to the roof. A moment later, a hawk flew off into the sky.
Gotham City
September 09
18:35 UTC
Dinner for the Grayson's went as usual, except Carrie's father was actually present. It was always a welcome surprise when the current Batman would take the costume off for a few hours and 'be a father', as his daughter would put it. She even noticed and was happy at how her mother appreciated her common-law husband being home and not out in the city as a costumed vigilante after a long day of police work. Barbara herself was in line to take over for her father as Commissioner when he retired. Not a day goes by she was not grateful for her legs being able to walk again. Intergalactic medicine and surgery at its finest.
"So, dad, I was thinking," Carrie said as she spoke with her mouth full of mashed potatoes and corn, "since I've really been working hard and have shown I can pass all the training modes in the cave, that I should be able to-"
"No," Dick simply said as he put his glass down.
"But dad-"
"End of discussion, Carrie. You are not going out as a Robin or any partner of mine."
"But you were younger that I am when grandpa Bruce made you his partner!"
"And look what happened. Slashes, broken bones, gunshots, concussions, all before I was fifteen."
"Mom," Carrie pleaded, "come on. Tell dad I can do it. You were Batgirl and I-"
"Your father has made his decision, Carrie," Barbara told her.
"Mom?!"
"If he says it's too dangerous, it's too dangerous. He has a point."
"But you were Batgirl!" Carrie said, feeling betrayed as their conversation earlier had her thinking her mother was on her side. "You were out there bustin' heads and ignoring names!"
"And losing the use of my legs." Reaching over, Barbara squeezed her daughter's hand. "He just doesn't want you to get hurt and after hearing him out, I have to agree."
"'Scuse me." Leaving the rest of her dinner, Carrie left the table and headed to her room, disappointment evident in her voice and the way she moved.
After a minute or two, Dick and Barbara heard their daughter's bedroom door close.
"You think that did it?" Dick asked.
"Hope so," Barbara answered. "I told her I would talk to you about letting her go out as a Robin or Batgirl earlier."
"Think we did too good of a job raising an obedient daughter?"
Shrugging, Barbara gave him a sly grin. "Hope not. If she really wants this, she'll go out and become her own hero without us officially knowing."
"And when she does, her tracker will let me know exactly where she is. I'll keep an eye on her." Leaning back, Dick, wiped his mouth then swirled the contents of his glass. "You know, with only the League and Titans in operation, if the kids do go out and follow in our footsteps, we could have another black ops group up and running."
"If the others agree with you. You've got friends and cold shoulders, Dick. Tread carefully." Barbara then took another drink. "On that note, how long do I have you for?"
"Bruce has the city under surveillance. It's been quiet for a while now with most of the super losers incarcerated. Why? Is there something you really want me for?" Dick asked as he leaned forward.
"Very," Barbara answered with a wink and a grin.
"Then I'm here for as long as you need me, Babs."
"Good." Scooting her chair away from the table, Barbara stood and went over other still sitting common-law husband. "Then you can get the dishes while I take a long bubble bath."
Tossing a towel over Dick's head, the former Batgirl and current Oracle for the Justice League, left him and the kitchen behind. "Finish in twenty and you can join if you want."
The moment Barbara headed up the stairs, Dick sprang into action.
(-)
Lying on her bed, Carrie tossed a baseball into the air and caught it using three fingers. Using a hand to do so was easy and the reduced number of digits at least added somewhat of a challenge. Still, with the training her father and mother provided, this was proving to be too easy as well.
"Stupid," Carrie muttered as she caught the ball yet again. "I can be a Robin. Or a Batgirl. I can go out there and handle myself. It's what they did. But noooooooooooo. I can't go because I'm dad's precious little princess. Pfft. Rather be a knight than a prin-"
Putting a stop to Carrie's mumbling, her cell went off on her nightstand with the ringtone of some Japanese anime show blaring. Catching the ball, she rolled over and knocked off a few throwing knives and homemade leather masks resembling the ones her parents wore and checked to see who was calling her.
"Irey?" she answered.
"Hey," said the female ginger. "Guess who's not grounded anymore! FREEDOOOOOOMMMMM!"
"Nuh uh. How'd you manage that?"
"My old man challenged me to a race and I won. Just barely. And I don't know about you, but I feel a little cooped up stating at home. Gotta stretch my legs if you get my drift."
Looking at the door to make sure it was shut, Carrie sat up and spoke softly. "You mean you want to sneak out?"
"Yuppers."
"I, I don't know. My dad kinds freaks out if-"
"Oh come on, Care Bear!" Irey shouted. "Stop being the responsible daughter and break the rules. We're teens in the prime of our youth and it's expected of us. If we don't do anything stupid then who will, huh? Huh? Huh?"
"Okay, okay, but how-"
"We'll hack into the Zeta Tubes tomorrow. We got to get the others though. A whole Saturday by ourselves."
"Kay. I'll get to work on hacking them at lunch tomorrow at school. You text the others and let them know of the plan."
"That's my girl. There may be hope for you yet."
"Oh come on," Carrie said, "I'm not always the perfect daughter. I'm just good at not getting caught."
"Whatever you say," Irey scoffed. "And hey, if we're lucky, we might just bust some heads while we're at it."
Looking at her open closet, Carrie saw a utility belt she had been working on since her 'grandpa' Bruce gave it to her on her last birthday. "Oh, we have got to bust some heads."