Electric Flame

2.17

Dick Grayson

"You really care for her don't you?" Princess Diana asked me, though it wasn't really a question. I didn't need to say anything, she just knew. "I want you to be the one to take her back. If you truly care for my daughter, you would do the best that you could to make sure she doesn't get hurt in any way. I trust you to take care of her," Wonder Woman shared as she placed the baby girl into my arms.

It all makes sense now. That's why her eyes glowed red when she got angry after my fight with Jason. She has Superman's heat vision, I concluded. But does she know?

She seemed so small in my hands and her petite body fit along my forearm. She snuggled deeper into my chest and I instantly fell in love with her, though a different type of love. I felt as if it was my duty to keep her safe, and it was. Her future literally rested in the balance of my hands, and I couldn't bear to let her down.

A streak of red and yellow sped through the corridor. "You needed me?" asked the Flash, his breathing was calm, much like a normal person. I'd never understood how he didn't faint from whiplash.

"You must travel back in time and hide her," Diana ordered. "Hide her from all of this madness. Then, when she is ready, she will return, and remember, don't mess up the timeline."

"Will do, Princess," Flash pretended to tip his hat as he grabbed onto my shoulders, placing a firm hand over the back of my neck. "Keep your hands and feet in front of the speedster at all times, thank you."

Before I could recollect what he was implying, the air shot in my face and my instincts forced me to hug the child tighter, keeping her in the security of my arms. I knew we were moving fast, but at the same time, things seemed to be at a standstill. The forceful winds brushed through my hair, whistling through the thick, black strands like trees in an evergreen forest.

All around me, memories played like scenes in a movie. To the left, I watched my first kiss with (y/n), the blossoming feelings unraveling like it was yesterday. On the right, I witnessed my best friend get whipped into the atmosphere, turning into nothing but kinetic energy as he disappeared from the planet. Half of me was gravitating toward the happiness of life, but another part of me was being pulled by the grief.

As we traveled through the dimensions, my skin felt as if it was being torn inside out and my insides as if my organs were playing musical chairs. This was definitely something I wouldn't want to feel again. Not only was I nauseous, but my brain pounded against the inside of my skull so hard that I thought I would leave my guts in the time stream.

Then, I felt free. My knees buckled underneath me, but my torso remained upright. "I think I'm going to vomit," I blurted out.

"Don't sweat it, kid," Flash tried to comfort me. "The first time is always the worst." I groaned. "So, where are we supposed to be going?" Barry asked.

I rubbed the back of my neck, still supporting the baby girl. "Um. I'm not sure, actually. (y/n) never told me about her parents or their names, just that they were abusive."

"Maybe we should walk around the neighborhood and see which houses seem to be child friendly," the speedster suggested.

I shrugged. "I guess that's better than any of my ideas."

We passed houses of all different colors: white, light blue, gray, sun-bleached yellow, orange, pink even. They seemed to have matched the bleeding sky as the dying sun set below the horizon. Soon enough, we only relied on the street lamps to guide us.

My feet began to ache. Word of advice, don't wear Vans when time traveling. My eyes trailed from house to house, nothing standing out except the familiar streets of Gotham. That is, until I thought I recognized something.