Magic and BS

The Shift

Ella wished the red hood didn't cover her face, didn't enclose her hair. Currently, the wind was blowing, picking up leaves, carrying them away from this shit-hole of a town. Man, did she wish the wind could breeze across her face and carry away the thoughts she was currently entertaining.

The wind had a certain magic about that she couldn't place. Almost like she could allow herself to relax in it, let her guard down. Maybe it reminded her of her mother.

Ella hated to admit it, but she barely remembered the woman. Her father, she could recall almost everything about him in an instant. The way he always smelled of grease, gun powder, and leather. The way he carried himself both in and out of uniform.

On bad nights she could still feel him hanging around. Even in death, he still patrolled with her, kept his watchful eyes on her six. Poor dad, that's what got him killed. The entire reason his name was passed onto her- was her fault.

There was a noise behind her; it would've pulled her from her memories. If she hadn't known who made it, that is.

"You're zoning out again," tonelessly remarked Red Robin, "you didn't even hear me sneak up behind you."

Alexis Drake, the eldest daughter of Tim Drake and his namesake, stepped beside Ella Todd.

"Ah Red, I heard ya but didn't care" The Red Hood turned her head, glancing at the other superhero. She was very fond of her "cousin"; they had been raised as sisters for a bit. It was always a nice break on her soul when Lexi was around.

Alexis was stubborn and fierce and had a smart ass mouth to her at times. Ella liked to think she had picked that up from her. Lexi wasn't tall but wasn't short for a girl her age. She had a decent build one that could handle a beating, but could also dish one out.

"What's the news tonight, chickadi?" Ella asked with a small yawn. Things on her end in the narrows had been pretty dull. She hadn't even pulled her firearm that night.

"Chill night for the most part, some muggings, minor vandalism," Lexi replied, her eyes scanning her over. Even under her cowl, Ella could tell Alexis was trying to find a way to push a boundary.

"Great, Great."

"Thinking about him again?" Lexi asked as she kicked at the sandpaper rooftop with her boot.

The only thing Ella could find fault in with her cousin was that she wasn't sure when to stop. Also, the fact Alexis knew Ella had a hard time lying to her. Grayson and Wayne, sure she could weave lies around those boys no problem...Drake, on the other hand.

"The more I learn, the more involved in that life I get. The harder things become to understand." Ella admitted. "I wasn't his, and he took me in, gave me his mother's name, loved me. He knew I wasn't his, and he still did it."

"Yeah, well, as you said, he loved you. He loved your mom. Listen, men do crazier things than taking on a child that isn't theirs." Alexis said, swinging her arm over Ella's shoulders. "I mean, come on! Did you see the Jokerz gang the other night? That is a whole different level of crazy than what your dad did for you and your mom. At least you know what he did was out of pure love."

Ella nodded and put some of her weight against Alexis.

"It's just that," she trailed off for a moment, "the more I learn about magic and that life it seems like...."

She never got to finish her thought.

The earth shook, knocking her and Alexis to the gritty rooftop.

Thank the Gods for leather jackets, combat boots, and her helmet. She was sure that's what saved her from any significant bodily harm.

She looked over at Red Robin. She was on her stomach, her arms covering her head to protect it.

Ella could hear screams and shattering glass. "What the...." she mused softly, of course, tonight would bring an earthquake.

She attempted to lift her head but only left overwhelming nausea when she did. Something wasn't right. The air felt alive with static and noise, music maybe, no it was chanting. Latin? No, yes, maybe? The scent of gunpowder overwhelmed her, Ella couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.

"Red?" Ella muttered her eyes, dropping and blackness taking over her mind.

___________

Alexis slowly came too, wondering when she had fallen asleep? Rolling over onto her back, she looked up at the night sky. She knew these stars, knew where she was from the noise below on the streets.

She knew the city she grew up in; better than she knew her heartbeat. Where had she been before this? Oh yeah, with Ella, did they part ways, or was Red Hood still close by taking photos of her sleeping to use for blackmail later? Ella wouldn't have left her asleep on a rooftop without some protection, right?

She rolled her head to the side and saw her laying, very still, a few feet away. Her heart leaped into her throat.

"HOOD?" She yelled, jumping to feet. Alexis moved quickly, and what felt like half a second later, she was rolling Ella over onto her back. She crammed her fingers between the hood on her uniform and the loose leather jacket, trying to find a pulse.

"Don't be dead, don't be dead," she whispered. What the hell just happened. She remembered an earthquake, but now the scene below was to calm for that to have happened. Finally, after a moment or two of panic, Lexi found Ella's pulse.

Letting out a sigh, she started to look around. She remembers the sound of shattering glass. A quick survey of the area revealed no broken glass, however. What was happening? She even felt sick to her stomach and wanted to swear. Something was off.

"Are we doing this or not?" A man's voice floated across the air. A voice she knew, one she'd heard on body cams and videos from Ella's phone.

"Uncle Jay?" She whispered to herself.

"Yes, Hood, I don't think we have a choice, now come along and quit your complaining." a young teenager's voice. One she knew from family holidays and the like, Uncle Damian.

Something wasn't right, and she couldn't think about it while she and Ella were in the open and exposed. Lexi hooked her arms around Ella and pulled her into a dark patch hoping to hell they weren't found.

What else could go wrong? She thought bitterly. Ella was out cold, and the only theory she could come up with made her shudder with dread to think about.

Time travel wasn't a thing if you weren't a Flash, was it?