Generations

Chapter 3: Family Ties

A/N: Thanks to crystalwaterdrop for the new cover for the book.

Chapter 3: Families Ties

Brandon pressed the gas pedal down, hoping, praying that the traffic lights would favor him, that other cars would be few and far between and that most of all, he would be in time. He thought they were all gone, thought they were a thing of the past, but if the stranger’s words were any indication, things were going to get worse, far worse than before. It wasn’t just his fight anymore, his dad’s fight, or even those far from him. Now it was something much closer, his kids were in danger. It wasn’t right; he fought with his dad back then to put an end to them. But here they were, back with a vengeance, it seemed. And despite the fact that he had forgotten much of his training, he knew now he was called again, but was he strong enough?

He had to be; there was no other choice. If he wasn’t, well he didn’t want to think about it, that wasn’t an option. For Ashley, for Trey, he had to protect them! He was their dad, that was his job! And they didn’t deserve to be pulled into a war. He remembered the images, the bodies fallen along the wayside, the cries of the fallen. That wasn’t something kids should experience. He had nightmares about it for years. And he wasn’t about to subject someone else to the same. Not if he could help it.

He slammed on the brakes as a light turned red in front of him, he would have blown though it if it weren’t for the fact that that stupid Lincoln had to stop despite the fact the light had just turned yellow. Didn’t they know he was in a hurry, that this was a life or death situation? Brandon gripped the wheel of his car tighter, willing with everything he had for the light to change. Each second it took was another second his kids were alone.

Why were the Nightwings after them anyway? Had they somehow inherited the same gifts? It was possible; sure, he had gotten his from his dad way back then. So in theory it could be passed down again. But they hadn’t shown any evidence of it; he first started to be able to manipulate space and time at the age of 10, while Ashley was already 14, and Trey 16. Perhaps it was the war that brought his out earlier. They had no reason to fight, to know to harness their gifts, even if they did have any, so it’s quite possible they had remained dormant. And then there was the possibility that they had hidden them too. He’d seen enough shows like that, where the kids get some kind of superpower and they have to hide it from their parents. It made perfect sense.

Two more blocks he thought as he rounded the corner, thankful to be out of the path of that truck in front of him. As he pulled through his neighborhood at a speed that he was sure he’d get a ticket for, he could feel something, a presence. It had been many years since he had felt something quite like it, but he remembered it all the same. As if he was being pushed down by a strong force, being suffocated ever so slowly; it was a Nightwing, no doubt, and as he pulled onto his street, he felt a pit in his stomach.

This was a strong one.

But he drove even faster, knowing that he was too late to stop the Nightwing from getting there. A quick glance down to his radio showed him that it was already 3:30, 10 minutes after Ashley got home from school. He could only hope he hadn’t been beaten by much, or that the bus was running late, or something, anything. He imagined the possibilities for a second, the horrible, agonizing ones, but he quickly pushed those away, and planted his foot on the gas harder, going 50 down his street. He knew it was wrong, that kids could be out, but right now, the only kid he cared about what that little brown haired girl he brought into this world. He’d apologize and pay any tickets later.

And then as he pulled into the driveway, yanking the keys out of the car before it had fully stopped; he saw it, the horror. His front door torn off its hinges, causing him to burst through the doorway, and there he saw the Nightwing.