Sacrifice

A couple days had passed since Chelsea's kidnapping. Despite the point Batman made about them being helpless to defend her when they were present with her before, Wally never left her side. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, which made everyone assume that whoever this Dr. XYZ was, he was plotting. Bruce had returned to the batcave and was pouring over information about medical staffs throughout Gotham in the last ten years. He didn't want to miss even the slightest clue. He also went over Chelsea's medical records time and time again. The doctor had used an alias that was simply untraceable. How did a guy manage to just disappear?

Bruce hadn't slept in almost seventy two hours. The idea that someone was out to get Chelsea kept him awake. Alfred watched over him with a look of worry. He looked so drained. He had seen him pull all-nighters before, but Bruce was still human. Rest was necessary for him to function properly. He knew if he tried to pull him away from his research, he'd simply protest and continue on with his studies.

Chelsea laid on her couch in her apartment, and Wally sat there beside her. She hadn't said much in the last few days. He knew she was worried. Quite frankly so was he. If something happened to her, he'd be at a loss. He wanted to try to get her mind off of it for a while.

"Come on," he said, tapping her leg with his hand, as he stood up.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Out," he told her, grabbing her hand.

They arrived at a building in Central City Chelsea was unfamiliar with. Though she wasn't really all too familiar with Central to begin with. When they walked in, the lady at the desk recognized Wally immediately, "Mr. Flash! The kids will be so happy to see you!" She stood up to go into the room behind her.

Chelsea took note of the plaque that was fashioned above the window of the front desk, "Central's Finest Orphanage" Her eyes went to Wally surprised, "Wally, you're the last man on Earth I would think of to adopt. You seem like you'd enjoy the baby-making process a little too much to miss out on it."

He shook his head and laughed, "What kind of guy do you take me for? Plus, I'm not here to adopt. I just come here to see the kids. It really lifts their spirits to meet a superhero. I thought if I brought you, they'd be happy to see you as well. Not as happy as I get when I see you, but still a significant amount," he winked.

Chelsea looked nervous, "Wal, I'm awful with kids. I don't have the patience for them…" she whined.

"You deal with me all the time right? I'm the biggest kid around." he nudged her.

The front desk clerk came back out to them and smiled, "They're really excited to see you both. Go on in." She unlocked the door that separated them from the kids and sat back down.

When Chelsea and Flash entered the room, all of the kids sat in lines on the floor very well behaved, "Mr. Flash is here!" said the caretaker woman as she grinned at Wally.

"And I brought a friend." He motioned his hand toward Chels, "This is Starlight."

"You guys can call me Star, if you want," she said sheepishly, becoming the most awkward buffoon when it came to children.

"Miss Star," a girl tugged at her pants leg, "are you Mr. Flash's girlfriend?"

Chelsea's face lit up like a Christmas tree, "Not exactly," she replied. She glanced at Wally and he smiled at her.

Wally wanted so badly for her to be his girl. He was perfectly fine with being her best friend she went on dates with, but that wouldn't last forever. He wanted to be able to freely love her the way she deserved, "Everyone gather around," he told them, and they all sat at his feet, "It's story time," He pulled up a chair, and their caretaker handed him a book, "Perhaps Miss Star would like to help me?" he hinted, grinning at her.

Chelsea sighed and came forward. She pulled up a seat beside him and watched him. She was surprised. For everyone giving Wally such a hard time for not being the brightest banana in the bunch, he knew how to keep up with these kids. He'd make an excellent day-care teacher or even pre-school teacher. He gave all the characters different voices and gestured with his hands to help the kids understand. He also made sure to interact with the kids and get their opinions on the plots and such. He did it so naturally. By the end of the book, Chelsea was smiling to herself.

"Alright children, recess!" the caretaker clapped her hands, and opened the back door to the playground, "Feel free to join us." she said, exiting out to watch over the children.

Wally stayed seated beside Chelsea as they watched the teacher follow after her kids, "You're a real natural," Chelsea told Wally.

"Nah," he waved it off, "kids are easy to keep amused. They just want someone to play with them, that's all."

"Maybe I should talk Clark into getting you a babysitter," she winked.

"Why do you think they keep you around?" he retorted.

She smiled at the floor, "I'm serious though, you're great with them." She studied all the pieces of artwork on the wall done by the children, "You ever consider having kids?" she asked, "You'd make a great father."

He shrugged, "Yeah, some day I want to. I love 'em." he stood up from the chair and stretched his back, "My old man and ma weren't exactly the most supportive bunch. My kids will never have to doubt that I love them."

Chelsea frowned. Were his parents really so negative? She'd never guess that on her own with how positive and upbeat Wally was about everything. She watched him wander around the room and examine the kids' projects on the wall. She came over to his side and smiled at him, "You bring all the girls here to woo them?" she asked, "Make you out to be Mr. Sensitivity?"

"No," he shook his head, "there's only one girl I'm trying to win over." he winked at her and leaned in to kiss her when the kids started to file back into the room.

"It's music time," the caretaker smiled, setting up a stool on the small stage. The kids sat down in front of the stage.

"I didn't prepare anything for that," Wally murmured.

"I got it," Chelsea put her palm on his back and then came forward.

"Let's give Miss Star a round of applause," the caretaker started to clap and the kids followed suit. Even Wally with a smirk decided to applaud. He wasn't sure what she would do, but with her shy nature, he was surprised she did it so willingly.

Chelsea adjusted the microphone, and lowered the volume, then whispered something to the caretaker who smiled at her and nodded. The caretaker took to the piano and started to play. Chelsea stood in front of the microphone, and started to sing. It was Ellie Goulding's remake of a classic Elton John song, called Your Song, "It's a little bit funny… this feeling inside." She started to sing lightly, "I'm not one of those who can, easily hide. I don't have much money, but boy if I did," she looked to Wally and smiled, "I'd buy a big house where, we both could live. So excuse me for forgetting, but these things I do…" she lifted her hands and gestured the left and then the right, "see I've forgotten if, they're green or they're blue. Anyway the thing is, what I really mean… yours are the sweetest eyes… I've ever seen."

Wally was so surprised by how natural she looked on stage for being so shy. A smile unlike any other spread across his face. She was one amazing woman.

"And you can tell everybody, that this is your song. It may be quite simple but, now that it's done," her eyes glanced over each face in the crowd, "I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind, that I've put down in words: how wonderful life is, now you're in the world." When she finished, the kids cheered and hollered. Wally whistled and met her halfway when she got down off the stage and was walking up to him.

"You're incredible, you know that?" Wally asked her.

"Nah, I was scared out of my head. If you make a mistake with kids you never recover." Chelsea admitted, her cheeks rosy with embarrassment.

After they left the orphanage, they arrived at their usual ice cream place about ten minutes later. When they sat down Wally whistled at the waitress, "The usual?" she asked. He nodded and then smiled at Chelsea. Chelsea stared out of the window blankly.

"Chels?" wondered Wally

She looked at him and forced a smile. Her mind had long since returned to the situation at hand, "Sorry, started to daydream..." she stood up, and so did he, "I'm just going to the bathroom. I think I've got it covered." she winked at him.

He sat back down and watched her walk into the bathroom. When Wally's usual five banana splits arrived at the table he was more than ready to dig in. That's when he saw a hand reach down into his bowl and pluck the cherry from his dish. He looked up to see a red head with icy blue eyes and a rocking body staring at him. She bit the cherry off of the stem, "Hey," she greeted.

Wally tripped over his tongue that had been sprawled out across the floor. He made a sound that wasn't even human.

She giggled at him and put the stem in her mouth, then took it out to reveal she put a knot in it with her tongue, "You're really cute… Flash right?" she asked, her voice seductive and teasing.

Flash stood up from the table, "So you've heard of me," he raised an eyebrow.

She ran her hand across his cheek, "People talk," she smiled, "but that's not the best way to use lips, now is it…?"

Chelsea came walking out of the bathroom to see some red headed hussy making a move on Wally. She felt a tinge of pain in her chest as she started walking up to the table. She couldn't get angry with him. She knew that. Wally and her were not exclusive. She had been on dates with Bruce. She had no leg to stand on with an argument. Instead of continuing forward, she stopped walking and just stared at them. Perhaps Wally and her were better off friends. Maybe that's what this situation was trying to tell her.

Wally's eyes glanced over to see Chelsea just staring at them. He wiggled out of the girl's confines, "Chels, don't get the wrong idea."

Chelsea smiled at him, "No, Wal. I see everything perfectly." she started for the door, and he was going to follow after her when the red head pulled him back. Without holding back she kissed him passionately.

Chelsea walked along the streets, heading back to her apartment. With Wally busy with that girl she now had no one to keep her company. She started rethinking everything that doctor had said to her, as well as the brother shapeshifter. It just now hit her that they knew about Bruce Wayne. For all she knew he could have been kidnapped or worse. Making her way to Wayne Manor she hit the call button on the large, outstretched, gothic fence around the property, "Alfred it's me." Chelsea told him.

Alfred answered, "Go ahead and let yourself in. I'll be there to speak with you momentarily." he opened the gates for her and she moved forward.

When she got to the door, she opened it and let herself in. Everything seemed really quiet, but Alfred didn't seem alarmed, so perhaps they didn't target Bruce yet. She walked into the nearby parlor and scanned her surroundings. A chandelier hung above her, a large window with the curtains drawn to her left. In the center stood a large dining room table with many chairs. On the right wall was another door which she could only assume got you further lost in this wonderland.

As she approached the table, she saw something laying on top of it, like Alfred had momentarily gotten distracted and tossed it on the table to come back to it. It was a jacket. Chelsea picked it up, examining it further. Hold the phone… this was her jacket. She hadn't seen this for while. That's when it occurred to her: the last time she saw it, was the rainy night near Gotham West High School, with Batman. The feeling could only be described as the shock one would experience if they were blind their entire lives and could suddenly see clearly and fully.

Chelsea stood there in shock, just staring at the jacket. That's when she heard him from behind her, "Chelsea," Bruce's voice was rough, but not in the way of Batman, just sleep deprived, "What're you doing here?"

Chelsea turned around to reveal she had her jacket in her hands. She stared at him, waiting to see his reaction.

Bruce was good with not showing emotions outwardly. He looked at the jacket and knew instantly where her silence was coming from. His eyes locked onto hers, wondering if she would say something.

"So," she murmured, "this whole time…" she set the jacket on the table, "How did I not see it…?" she leaned back against the table and her eyes were searching for the answers on the floor.

Bruce didn't move. He wasn't sure what emotion she was feeling other than confusion.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" she finally asked.

Bruce locked his jaw, "No," he admitted without even considering it, "but now you know."

"After everything we've been through…? You wouldn't have told me? Eventually? Do you even trust me at all? And don't say you don't trust anyone! Because I know you trust me!" her voice was starting to leak with anger.

He sighed, "I trust you," it was sort of true, at least as far as people in close proximity to him go.

"This whole time…" she couldn't believe the hero she looked up to and the man she held the deepest desires for were one in the same. How did she not see it? It was so obvious to her now.

"I'm sorry," he meant that sincerely, "You shouldn't come here anymore." he instructed, "We'll see each other in passing at The Watch Tower, but-"

"Stop!" Chelsea barked, "No! You don't get to do that!" She pointed at him, "You don't get to make me care about you, love you, and then just write me off! I'm not like the others Bruce! I'm not the type to abandon someone just because they're not perfect. You know what? Even now to me you still are. In every way!" she slammed her fist on the table as her eyes welled up. That's when she realized she had said the word 'love' and 'you' following it. Did she really just say that?

Bruce came toward her, and looked her over carefully. His lips parted to speak, but he didn't know how to form words. The woman he desired so much just admitted something. Perhaps without even realizing it herself. His hand reached out to her and cupped her cheek, brushing a tear away.

She remembered these hands. Rough, worked like sandpaper, but so strong. She swallowed, "Bruce…"

His lip curled up for just a second, "Don't you mean Mr. Wayne?"

She couldn't help, but start to laugh. She laughed until more tears slid down her cheeks, "Very funny…" she said sarcastically.

He got her to laugh. It was silly in his mind, but it felt like a huge accomplishment. He saw her start to speak, and silenced her with his thumb. Leaning forward he claimed her lips once more. He missed the taste of her mouth. The softness of her lips. The innocence of her touch. This kiss wasn't extended as long as previous ones between them had been, but it was still as passionate as all the others. He stared into her eyes longingly, but the dominant emotion was confliction. He was so conflicted. Here stood a person, unlike any other, one he couldn't see himself living without. He had never felt like this before.

Chelsea pulled away from him and took his hand in hers, "I think I understand now." she told him, "Oh my god your parents…" she covered her mouth. If Batman and him were one in the same then, "The man of Gotham who has everything… and still ends up with nothing…" she murmured, staring at his pained expression, "I am so sorry."

He looked down at their hands, and tried to change the subject, "I've been staring at hospital records for hours… I can't find the man who did this to you. I haven't slept in over three days and I'm probably not thinking the clearest, but I promise you this much. I will protect you."

She believed him with all of her heart, but she didn't want to be protected. She wanted to stand on her own two feet. She'd take on the whole fleet of them if it meant protecting the ones she loved. That's when it occurred to her, "Father wanted me to fetch you. So I did. He's taught me and the others such valuable things. My twin sister and I can change our appearances," Those words echoed in her eardrums. Could it have been that-? Her eyes widened, "Bruce I have to go!" she started for the door.

"Where?" he barked, following after her.

"Wally," Chelsea replied, "they attacked us and I missed it completely! There's a pair of shapeshifting twins. A boy and a girl. The girl was hitting on Wally when I left him at the parlor." She turned back to him momentarily, "I have to help him. I don't know what she's capable of, but I know it's her. I got a bad feeling from the moment I saw her!"

She started to exit out the door when Bruce grabbed her arm, "You shouldn't go alone."

"I'll go on ahead, and you follow," she instructed. When it came to Wally, there was no waiting around. Quickly she pulled away and bolted off into the sky. She hoped she wouldn't be too late.

Bruce watched her take off, amazed at how quick she was to drop everything when it came to Wally. Would she have done the same for Batman? He could only wonder.

Chelsea chimed into the communicator, "Wal! Wally are you there?" she spoke, but no reply, "Flash!" she cried. Her heart stopped when she saw the ice cream parlor had been nearly leveled and was set ablaze. She landed in front of the building, or what was left of it, feeling tears burn the back of her eyeballs. When the final beam collapsed and the building fell, out from the mayhem came none other than Batman with an unconscious Flash in his arms. Bruce was still choking on some of the smoke inhalation. Coming forward Chelsea looked at him and then to Wally. When her eyes met Bruce's however, she had this odd feeling. Her fist balled up, and a light was now in Batman's face, "I didn't fall for it once, and I never will…"

A small laugh escaped the Batman's lips, "You must really love him…"

She looked over Wally, her eyes then narrowed as if disgusted as she pounded the fake Wally in the stomach. Batman revealed himself as the male twin, and Wally, the female. Chelsea struck a defensive stance, "Where is Wally?" the two did not attack her.

Instead, "Aww, abandoned the Bat already?" asked the girl.

"What?" Chelsea growled.

"Shadow caught us a Bat flying over this way…" informed the boy twin.

Chelsea shouldn't have left Bruce alone. She was careless. Reckless when it came to Wally. Her heart sank. Now both of the people she cared more about than the whole damn world were in trouble and it was all her fault.

"Come with us. Their fates depend on your actions," said the girl.

Chelsea had no choice, "Lead the way."

They were teleported instantly back to that dimension. White walls everywhere, no windows. As they walked down a long hallway, the twins were granted access to a regularly sealed room. Chelsea was walking in front of them. They wanted to keep a close eye on her. Of course her brain was working like clockwork. They walked through this empty room, but Chelsea took note of a concealed button on the wall. When they entered the room next door, there were Flash and Batman, arms and legs bound in futuristic shackles that pulled each limb apart in a way that their bodies made an X shape, limiting mobility. Wally was unconscious, but Bruce however, had a cold stare, as he looked passed Chelsea and onto the troublesome twosome behind her.

"Batman," Chelsea said, starting to walk forward, but the male twin pulled her back. Her eyes went to Wally who was slouched in his entrapment. Her heart started to burn with pain, "Wally…" she whined, "what did you do to him?"

The doctor appeared out of thin air, "As I hypothesised, you came." he spoke with a gentle tone. Walking up to Chelsea he grasped her chin once more, "I know you won't leave without them, so I thought I'd bring them here… with a proposition in mind." Chelsea swallowed hard and he smiled at her, "Good girl…" he ran his fingers through her hair, "I'll make you a deal… do as I say, and they live."

"Or else..?" Chelsea growled through her teeth.

"Ah," he pulled away from her and started to walk back and forth with his arms behind his back, then held up his left index finger, "If you so much as disobey, I will kill them, which will mean you, will indirectly, kill them. For the speedy one… I'll accelerate his molecules at such a rate it will cause him to vanish. He was be trapped in some dimension, and you will never be able to find him."

"Don't listen to him!" Bruce protested, "He's just trying to blackmail you! Find a way out of here! You shouldn't have come!"

"For the Batman," the doctor tapped his chin, "at first I thought your punishment would be to fight him to the death as your purpose originally entailed, but then I thought… he is just a man. So instead, I've made a serum. A serum that will act as a poison. Slowly, it will rip him apart from the inside out. Painfully, slowly, and he'll have you to thank for it."

"He's bluffing," Batman huffed.

The doctor turned to Batman and pulled a syringe from his lab coat. The serum inside was a deep purple color. He was about to stab him in the chest with the needle when Chelsea blasted the doctor's hand with a light bolt and spun around to knock the twins back into the wall. She then came toward the doctor and started her attack on him, send him spiraling to the ground.

He slicked his blonde hair back and raised his hands to stop the twins from returning fire, "Chelsea, you disappoint me… you have exposed your weaknesses so willingly, and I have them tangled in my grasp." Chelsea was standing in front of Batman, as if protecting him. Tears burned down her cheeks. She was so frustrated! What could she do?

Wally started to shake his head, "Oh man, my head…" he groaned. When he opened his eyes and they focused, he looked around the room, "Woahhh, what did I miss?" he took note that he was chained and saw the doctor, "You're that guy Chelsea was talking about! What's going on here?" he noticed the female twin waving at him and his expression grew cold.

"Wally…" Chelsea breathed. She hovered in front of him and wrapped her arms around him tight, "Oh thank God you're alright…" she rubbed her cheek against his and looked into his eyes, "I'm so sorry… it's my fault you're trapped like this…" her eyes turned back to Bruce. He watched them expressionlessly. She landed, standing in front of them with her arms outstretched, facing the doctor, "You're wrong." The doctor waited for an explanation, "They're not my weakness… they're my strength."

She hovered up into the air and shot at the cuffs that kept them suspended off the ground. Her force was strong enough to break them. When Batman and Flash hit the ground, landing on their feet, Chelsea reared back and shot a blast at the doctor so impressive he smacked the ground hard. The twins started their pursuit, but it was cut short when Batman used one of his net guns to trip and tangle them up together. Flash ran around them several times, making the mess of knots they were in, all the more challenging. He was at Chelsea's side once more, and Bruce was on her other. Without hesitation she grabbed for their hands and raced into the other room. She guided them to one side of the room, then tossed Bruce something as she went over to the other side.

Bruce caught the object and looked it over. A cell phone?

"Uh Chels," Wally started to wonder what was going on, "shouldn't we be finding a way out of here?"

"We are," she told them, "They'll never stop you know? They'll never stop pursuing me until I face them. And in their pursuit they will likely try to take you both from me. I cannot handle that. So…" she smashed her fist into the emergency exit button, sparks shot from it as a gate opened up behind them.

"What?!" Wally looked back over his shoulder then to her once again, "What're you-?"

"Chelsea, don't-!" Bruce started to argue.

"Goodbye…" Chelsea said, teary eyed as she shot bolts at both of them to send them through the gate. It closed up behind them instantly and disappeared. Chelsea lowered her hands down to her sides and the door opened, revealing the doctor. He stared at her thoughtfully. She looked back with an empty expression.

"Can I ask… why you did that?" asked the doctor.

"Because," Chelsea turned away from him to examine the broken button on the floor, "they'll come. It may be a week, months, possibly years… but they'll find me… and when they do…" she turned back to him, "We'll take you down."

Batman and Flash were spat out of the gate onto an abandoned street in Gotham. They were thrown, and rolled across the ground a few times before they stopped. Wally shook his head and instantly popped up on his feet. He ran to where the gate once was and started frantically looking around, "Bats! Why did she-? How did-? What're we-?" he started to tremble, "She's gone…" he finally accepted it and sighed, sinking to his knees.

Batman walked up beside him. The object Chelsea tossed to him. It was a new cell phone. So she must have bought a new one after he smashed her former one. He activated the screen to see there were pictures of inside the facility. She had also recorded the whole experience while having the lens poking out of her pocket. She was giving them clues. She wanted to be found, "Stand up," Batman commanded, "you won't find her on the ground like that."

"What is that?" Flash stood up to take a look at the video playing on the phone.

"The way back…" Bruce said, turning to walk off.

Flash looked confused, "English, please!" he begged, following after him.

Author's Notes: Hello everyone! I just wanted to thank everyone for the positive feedback and support! Gosh it means so much to me! I really appreciate it. Your reviews bring a smile to my face. So again... thank you.