I don't own anything except my original/own characters and my original plot.

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Chapter 6- Details

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I STOOD WITH THE REST OF THE JR. TEAM IN FRONT OF THE FOUR MAIN SUPERVISORS. Batman, Flash, Green Arrow, and Red Tornado. Black Canary was an honorable mention, but she was off on business.

"This Saturday you will be going out with M'gann and Artemis to buy anything you might need while you're here," Batman explained, as stoic as ever, "Seeing as how everything you owned is still under Lex Corp. Don't worry about expenses, we have a league funder covering that."

"Wait," my eyes widened in realization, "Everything was left at Lex Corp? We need to go back! I need to get something!"

My hand moved towards my collarbone where my necklace was resting. It was the only thing besides my clothes that were brought with me. It was all I had left from what had been my home for fifteen years.

"We can't allow you to go back. There's no guarantee you will come back," Green Arrow crossed his arms.

"The team can come with me," I offered, desperate, "Look, I won't betray anyone with them there. I won't even grab much, there's one thing that I need. If I'm going to be staying here, then I need that to live."

"I'd let her go," Flash spoke up. I sent him a grateful look, "If the team goes with her she can't do anything. We could even put the collar back on. We can't be on her bad side, we all know what she can do."

Batman paused, contemplating his options. Eventually, he nodded, "Tomorrow you will go undercover and retrieve the object from Lex Corp. The team will keep tight surveillance on you at all times and you will wear an inhibitor collar. Tomorrow night you will also receive a uniform. Until then, Robin, M'gann, and Kaldur stay here. The rest of you are dismissed."

I sighed and turned around, leaving the debriefing room- which was the same as the training room I soon found out. Passing by the kitchen, I paused when Wally opened up the door to the fridge, rapidly stacking multiple items of food.

"They hid the good food up in the cupboard," I recalled M'gann telling me, "They didn't want you to find out and eat it all. Don't tell them I told you."

"Thanks," Wally grinned, moving to the cupboard I pointed out, stacking even more food, "So what's this super important object that you're ready to die for?"

"You're going to think it's silly," I crossed my arms, looking away. My face felt warm.

"I would never," Wally feigned being offended, "I'm going to trust that whatever you need is important. You were willing to give up your powers again and go with the team."

"It's- It's a music box. I know it sounds stupid but sometimes I get terrible nightmares and it's the only thing that helps. Da- Lex's mom had it before she died so it's like an heirloom."

Wally nodded, opening a bag of chips. A loud crackle sounding through the air, "See, I don't think it's silly. It's cute, and we all get nightmares sometimes. I am surprised that Lex would give you something like that though."

"Despite common misunderstandings, villains can have feelings," I snapped, a protective nature blooming in my chest. Not wanting to get heated, I left and walked towards my room.

When I reached the metal door- much smaller than the one from my former home- it swung open automatically for me. Before I could step inside, however, a blur of yellow sped in front of me.

"I didn't mean it like that," Wally stretched his arms out so I couldn't move past him, "I was surprised that Lex gave you a family heirloom. Which doesn't sound much better now that I'm saying it out loud, but you know what I mean."

"As far as Lex was concerned I was his only family left so why wouldn't he give me the music box?" I ducked under Wally's arm into my room.

The room wasn't anything like my old one with its dark walls and amassed decorations throughout. This room was a brighter tan with (F/c) accents, a conjoined bathroom off of the side. It was pristine and large, something any other person would be glad to have. But it lacked the sense of home and comfort I always had in my former room. I tried to reassure myself that once I was settled in things would get better.

Funny that I never felt like a prisoner with the villains, and here I was now trapped with the heroes.

"Do you know why Robin, Kaldur, and M'gann were held back?" I questioned, flicking the light switch.

"Probably for a mini-mission or something like that. We get those sometimes, and we don't always need the whole team. Do you like the room? The league 'upgraded' one of the guest rooms."

"It's different," I lifted my head to look over the ceiling. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was a hidden camera or something, always watching me.

"There aren't any cameras," Wally seemed to read my mind. If I didn't know any better, I would have assumed it was a power of his.

"Instead, there's me," a feminine voice spoke up.

I jumped in shock, squinting to view the small holes that were speakers in each corner of the room.

"Who are you?"

"I am ALICE. An artificial learning and investigating computer for examination. I am a more private form of security."

"Still not private enough," I muttered distastefully. I missed SASS, although she was an AI, she felt like a friend.

"Bats had her installed in your room. She'll be monitoring what you do and reporting back to the league. Nothing to worry about. If you follow the rules that is," Wally nudged me teasingly.

I nodded silently. I couldn't hold a grudge against this newly created AI. She wasn't SASS, I had to accept that, she was her own 'person'. I hoped I could bond with her the same way I did SASS. She could have been a gateway to the feeling of home I missed.

"So does anyone stay here often?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Sometimes if it's a late night or if we need to get away from our personal lives," Wally shrugged with a forced chuckle. I knew what he meant by that. He sometimes stayed here when he needed to get away from his parents.

"M'gann lives here already right?"

"Yep. Her and Connor are just down the hall from you if you ever need anything."

Wally moved next to me as I sat down on the bed. Reaching out automatically I took his hand. The warmth that washed over me was relieving. I closed my eyes and squeezed his hand. For a minute, we were just two normal teens, and I wasn't upset with him anymore. Not that I had been acting particularly upset.

"Hey, you okay?" Wally's question caused me to open my eyes. I nodded, smiling sadly.

"I'm fine, just taking in everything. It's a lot to handle in one day. I could be at home relaxing before my daily training. It's overwhelming."

"You'll get used to it," he pulled me into a hug, "It may seem scary now, but everyone here is getting used to you being here just like you are. We'll all adapt eventually, then we can be a team and fight villains together."

A pit formed in my stomach, "Yeah." Fighting villains. My family. "I don't think I could do that. How would I? They're family."

"When you're out in the field, you'll remember that you're fighting to protect civilians. I know the villains were nice and loving to you, they saved your life and raised you, but that really doesn't apply to anyone else. They're two-sided."

"You're two-sided," I shot back weakly. I couldn't deny the harsh truth that the villains were much kinder with me than they were civilians.

"You can't expect me to be a natural with this. Maybe if it's a villain, I don't know as well it will be easier for me, but none of you understand the villains like I do. Some are worse than others, but all of them were born pure."

Wally hummed thoughtfully. I sighed, closing my eyes and relaxing into the mattress. With the ruffling of the sheets and Wally's steady breathing from next to me, I was lulled into a state in between sleep and consciousness.

"Hey (Y/n)?" I turned my head towards Wally's voice, keeping my eyes closed while doing so. I felt his body shift, and his warmth was a lot closer, "This is a lot for you to take in, isn't it? I feel guilty because all of this is my fault."

My eyes snapped open at that. I sat up, facing Wally. He was frowning, avoiding my gaze by staring down at the floor. I reached out for him, putting a hand on his shoulder. His eyes met mine. I didn't know how to put my feelings into words. I had to wing it then.

"I'm upset, really upset. That was my home, they raised me there. I said my first words and took my first steps in the living room. But... I also never left. I got taught there and never went on a vacation. I took vitamin supplements because I never received any naturally. Leaving wasn't the worst thing. The circumstances were. It wasn't your fault either, don't think it was. You made an honest mistake that was blown out of proportion and here we are."

Wally's gaze averted again. My heart clenched. How could I stay mad when he was so upset over something that wasn't his fault? I slid off the bed and made of a show of wandering around the room, picking up random objects and looking at them in confusion.

"What is this? This foreign object is unknown to my sheltered eyes," I held up a pencil in the light, "The villains only allowed me to write with a quill to express my angsty feelings."

Wally laughed loudly, joining me in front of the desk in the corner. The gleam I adored returned to his eyes. He took the pencil from my hand and set it back down. His hand wrapped around mine. I looked down at our intertwined fingers, flushing.

"Do you want to go outside?"

Someone had kicked me in the chest. That could be the only explanation for the way all the air had suddenly vacated my lungs. Eyes flitting to the door, then back to Wally, I nodded, words not forming.

"We're right next to a beach. You don't have a swimsuit so you can't go super far into the water, but it'll still be an experience," Wally held his hands out a bit, "Can I pick you up and bring you out there?"

I nodded again. Wally picked me up bridal style. I leaned my head against his chest as he sped out of the cave. It was what I imagined a rollercoaster to be like. My stomach flipped, rising to my throat. My heart stopped. Wind whipped through my hair and hit my clothes. When it stopped, I nearly fell straight out of Wally's arms.

"It's jarring the first time. Sorry," Wally helped me stand, motioning out with his arm, "There you are. This is the beach."

Head turning, I looked out at the sunset over the deep blue water. It was unreal. It was too beautiful, to bright. There were too many colors blending together into one unending portrait. Unconsciously I reached down and pulled off my socks, dropping them next to me.

I had felt sand before. Lex had brought a jar in from a business trip. It was how I knew what my shadows felt like. However, compared to the smooth light sand I was gifted, this was grittier. I liked it.

"Do you want to go near the water?" Wally asked me quietly.

I took a few steps towards the shore. The sand became darker where the water was touching it. My toes sunk into the moist sand, I wiggled my toes, letting out a broken giggle. The water surged forward, enveloping my feet. I shivered. It was ice cold.

I let out another laugh, louder this time. I knelt down to touch the salty water. Tears formed in my eyes, dripping out and onto my cheeks. This wasn't a picture, this wasn't tap water, this wasn't my shadows or a jar from a business trip. This was an incredibly real punch in the face.

"It's amazing," I sniffled, letting the wet sand on my hand fall into piles on the ground next to me. Water crawled back up and washed it away, "It's real."

Wally knelt down next to me. Wrapping an arm around me he pulled my in close. I sobbed, burying my head in his chest. Wally put his other arm around me, holding me tighter. Beneath my sniffling and tears was the widest smile I'd ever had.

"You okay?" Wally's breath tickled my ear and shifted my hair.

"Thank you," I hugged him tightly, "You could have kept me in my room, put the collar back on me. Instead, you brought me here. Thank you."

"Anything for you (Y/n)," Wally assured me.

I stayed in his arms until my legs were sore from our position. Instead of standing so we could leave and return to the cave- which I figured out was in the mountain just behind us- I readjusted, finding a more comfortable position. I laid my head on Wally's shoulder, enjoying the water numbing my toes and the perfect painting in front of me.

We stayed like that, lost in our own thought and worlds, until the sun was gone from the sky completely, the moon and stars stepping in to take its place. Wally picked me up again and ran me back to my room. On my bed was a pair of pajamas, presumably from M'gann.

"Thank you again. I don't think I'll ever forget that," I hugged Wally one last time, "You should head home, it's late."

"Right. I'm glad I could do that for you. I know it doesn't make up for what's going on, but it was a taste of freedom. There's a path in the cave that leads down there. You can go whenever you want."

Wally kissed my cheek and was gone in a flash. Stuck in a dream-like state, I showered in my new bathroom and changed into the pajamas. Crawling into the bed that felt too firm and too soft at the same time, I didn't care.

"Freedom," I whispered the word to myself slowly, trying it out. I was never not-free at my old home, but I wasn't free either. I was being kept there for safety. The villains cared for me and helped me control myself. I knew it would be damn near impossible without them. And yet, I whispered again, "Freedom."

Unlike saying 'home' with M'gann, freedom wasn't bitter-sweet.