So it's not like I meant for that to happen...but it did, which was bad. I mean mom was seriously pissed at me! I was grounded until college-literally. It was not fun. And that's all I've got to say for now. Oh and I hope you like the next chapter here. Until next time, got to go beat up Boomerang with Flash!
Irey stood on the top deck of the watchtower that looked out at Earth. She had a faint smile of amazement on her face as she looked down at Earth, her eyes skimming over every curve and jut in the land and water.
"It is quite the site isn't it," A kind, deep voice asked as he stepped beside her.
Irey jumped slightly, looking over and, sadly up at the Man of Steel himself. Her smile grew some as she looked at Superman, mainly because he's always been so kind to her. Somehow, he always managed to catch her at times when she was rather calm and slow.
Irey nodded in agreement, looking back down at the blue and green globe. "It is. I always like coming to this spot in the Watchtower and just looking…" She trailed off, knowing he'd understand.
Superman glanced down at her, surprised by her maturity for being a Flash. She was unlike any of the Flash family he knew. Though there were some obvious similarities, but otherwise she was rather calm and collected compared to Barry or Bart. But so too was Wally, once he grew up that is.
"Something you'd like to ask me, Superman?"
She looked up at him with a small smile, having sensed that he was watching her. He looked frightened for a moment that he'd been caught but was quick to compose himself, looking out the window at Earth. Irey did the same, feeling awkward staring at others for too long.
"I was just taking note of your maturity for being a Flash."
Irey laughed lightly. Superman looked down at her, raising an eyebrow questioningly. She smiled, crossing her arms and using one to gesture to nothing in particular. "It's funny because, in the future, you said the exact same thing to me when we first met. Only then you had said something about maybe the fact that I was a girl had something to do with it or other. I don't really remember the whole thing but that line was the exact same."
And that was one thing he instantly noticed they had in common. They rambled easily. Perhaps it was a way to get rid of some excess energy, he didn't know but he found it funny how they could talk so long and about anything.
He smiled, "Is that so? How long have you been acting as a Flash or Kid Flash?"
"Almost four years. Mom," She groaned. "Wouldn't let me start any earlier than fourteen. Was and is way too worried about my safety. Bart also agreed with her that I couldn't start until then too." She groaned loudly, slouching. "It sucked. It felt like forever before I was let out of the house to run."
Superman laughed heartily.
Irey looked up at him, giving him a slight glare, "Hey. We speedsters have an appetite for running. Not being able to do so-everything is just too-slow."
He shook his head, laughing only lightly now. "She was right to worry, Irey. Crime fighting isn't something you go into lightly. Much less let your child go into is so easily."
A man cleared his throat behind them, and they both turned to look at him. Batman stood, tall, dark, and menacing just a few feet behind them. Irey couldn't help but feel scared by him; he was so serious and dark.
"Batman," Superman acknowledged, nodding to him.
He returned the nod and then looked down at Irey, making her frown. She began to tap her toes in anxiety, she didn't like being stared at and didn't like staring. So this amount of intensity in his stare… "Hi Batman," She said, smiling at him even through her anxiousness. "How are you doing today?"
His eyes squinted slightly at her and her smile faltered. She looked away, just glancing back every now and again. "So, am I supposed to leave so the grown ups can talk or something? Or are you just going to stare at me?"
Superman cracked up slightly. He was able to hold back his laugh but not his smile. "What do you need Batman? Mission?"
Batman was quick to get to the point. "When do you plan on going back to your home time, Irey?"
Irey made an 'o' with her mouth and nodded slowly as she thought about it. "I was planning on going today actually. After I got done staring at the Earth when Superman interrupted me." She smiled at Superman. "Though it was totally fine. And I'm glad and honored I got to talk to you." She looked back at Batman, her smile flattening. "I could go now actually."
"And you weren't going to say goodbye?" Barry asked, speeding into the room.
Irey dropped her head with a sigh. And then readjusted her position and took a deep breath. "I didn't want to. I think all of you are awesome and amazing and just leaving is hard enough. Saying goodbye on top of that, it's like I'm not going to see any of you again." Sadly, some she wouldn't see again.
Barry smirked, and nodded. "I understand what you mean."
"Perhaps you'll let a few of us accompany you to your time machine so we know you get home alright," Wally threw out there, walking over to the group with Kaldur.
Irey's smile grew bigger at the sight of the two of them. "Um, sure."
Kaldur nodded politely, a very small smile gracing his face. "Then would you allow Wally and I to accompany you? We wish to know that you are successful in leaving this time."
Irey nodded quickly, her hair bouncing with the quickness of it.
Barry and Superman both let out a short laugh. Batman just glared out of the window, deciding that he could stop glaring at her. Wally smirked, crossing his arms over his chest and Kaldur walked over to the zeta tubes.
"Where is it that you had appeared at, Irey?" Kaldur asked.
She jumped, running over to the controls for the zeta tubes. Kaldur quickly stepped to the side, letting Irey rapidly type it in. One of the zeta tubes powered up just down the way from them.
Wally walked over next to Kaldur, keeping him between her and him. He still had awkward feelings and wasn't ready to have to have a serious confrontation with her. He hoped he didn't have to honestly. It was just too much at once for him…it was going to take some time.
Irey turned to look at the other three, vibrating with excitement. She smiled widely at them, waving. "Well this is goodbye, please give the others my goodbyes." She felt a little sad that she had to leave but before she could negotiate her stay she ran into the zeta tubes.
Kaldur and Wally quickly followed after her, surprised by her sudden disappearance. They appeared on the other side of the zeta tube, standing in a rather dark, dank room.
"Irey." Wally called with a hiss. "Irey."
"Has she left us?" Kaldur asked, looking around for a light source.
Big, metal doors creaked open and Irey stood beside it, pushing it the last foot to be fully open. Yellow-white light spilled into the warehouse, lighting the long building easily.
"Not yet, no." She smiled, running up beside them.
Wally frowned slightly.
Irey smirked at him. "Hey, I have to go back home, moms probably worried sick. I can't stay and the longer this takes the more I'd like to stay. But I have to get back to mom," She gestured to him. "And you too."
Kaldur looked at Wally, smiling softly. Kaldur could see what Wally would not profess to be feeling at the moment. Wally just looked around, searching for the time travel device. "So where's it at?" He asked, changing the subject.
Irey gestured for them to follow her. "Straight ahead if memory serves right." She began to run, sliding to the area that it had been at. Wally was quick to catch up with her, staring down at himself in slight amazement. Kaldur came just moments after, looking around, wondering where it was.
Irey gaped at the area as worry quickly began to sink in. She disappeared in a rush of air, zooming around every inch of the warehouse. Having ran around it at least four times, she ran back to them, her eyes beginning to water.
She stood in a circle of clean cement, where a black blast line encircled it.
"It was here," She said softly. She pointed down at the ground, kneeling down to feel the cold surface of it. Irey wiped her hand across it, her hand getting covered in black soot. "It was right here… Right here. I wouldn't forget where I was. I just wouldn't forget something that important."
Kaldur looked at Wally before bending down to touch the black soot. "The ground is cold. It was at least a day ago or more when it was used." He rubbed it between his fingers, analyzing it.
Irey looked at him, a few tears sliding down her cheeks. "How am I supposed to get back now? Who went back in my place?" She gestured to herself, getting the black soot on her top. "How'd they know how to use it? What were they even doing here? This place is abandoned, isn't it? No one knew I was here. I didn't tell anyone. No one saw me."
Wally put his hand on Irey's shoulder. "Calm down Irey, it's going to be okay. You're escalating this to higher heights than it needs to be."
"But I need to get back. I only told mom I was leaving. Bart didn't know. He was probably waiting for me where I'd come back. What if whomever it was hurt him? What if mom was there? Or you?" She rambled in a rush of words.
Wally grabbed on to her shoulders, making her face him. "Enough Irey. You can do nothing about it now. We'll take you back to the Watchtower and talk to Batman about it. We'll figure something out."
Irey wiped at her eyes, rubbing black soot all over her face. "But Bart is still stuck here, how can I possibly get back without the machine?"
Wally looked over at Kaldur, Kaldur giving him a quick shake of his head.
Now don't tell the teacher I was tardy please. Haha, sorry this one was so late.
XD