Angel among Heroes

Chapter 5: Gossip and Needles

Laying in the new bed, I felt the warmth of another body. The sprawled-out form of Wally comatose next to me. After saying official goodbyes to my family, we returned to the manor thanks to Wally's super speed. The tip of the iceberg of the talk we had with Bruce was multiple secrets coming unglued at the time. The others reveal some of their own too. 

Who would have thought that I had not only gotten superpowers but was living with a family of heroes? The entire bat family oddly reveals their alternate personas. Almost like it was meant to make me feel safer being around them. Obviously, not for my safety, but for theirs. 

Once everything calmed down, Wally ushered me to my room, where he had set up everything. His body landed softly on one of the bean bags I had chosen, the black fabric moving with his weight. Then, with a goofy smile, h insisted that he teach me to play video games when I said I had never played any. The rest of the night was a casual conversation over rounds of a game called 'Mortal Kombat' before switching to another one called 'The Forest.' 

After hours of talking and gaming, we both must have passed out. However, I'm not sure how we got on the bed. My head slightly looked towards Wally, a bit of drool falling from his lips as he softly snored. A smile crossed my lips at how unbelievably handsome he was even like this, the puppy dog energy he carried warming my heart. 

Moving towards the bathroom, I grabbed some of my new clothes. The ones I was wearing being slightly dirty from the graveyard. Stripping quickly, I turned on the water and hopped in. The hot water caressed my body gently as I washed away the dirt and grime. The events of the past few days began swimming through my head. 

A lot of it still being almost impossible to believe, I sighed as the water shut off. My hands grasping for a towel, I began to dry off quickly. Looking in the mirror, I could tell that something was different about me. My skin was paler, a porcelain complexion staring back at me. My blue eyes shone like ice in the dim lighting. Even the muscles in my body had wholly regained strength; if I hadn't known better, I would say they were even more defined. 

Tossing the new shirt over my head, I pulled the light blue fabric over my chest. The rest fell into place as I shoved my feet through the jogging pants and socks. Then, grabbing my toothbrush, I began brushing my teeth as I walked out of the room. The sleeping form of Wally was still passed out in the bed, his arm resting where I had been. 

"Well, that would have been awkward," I said, slipping out to the hall. Walking towards the dining hall, I felt my stomach grumble. My appetite is returned, then again, I have been eating more than I used to. Stumbling down the last of the stairs, I heard voices coming around the corner. 

Waving to Bruce, I noticed the tall, lanky man beside him. "Ah, Max, this is my good friend Barry. I'm sure you met his nephew Wally already." So he said the other man studying me from afar. 

"Oh yeah, Wally's great," I said a little too quickly. The two shared a look before Barry walked up to me. 

"Did he hurt you? It's okay. You can tell me." He said, a grimace on his face at the thought of his nephew hurting someone. 

"Oh no, he's up, passed out in my bed," I said, the adults sharing another look. This time Bruce walks forward.

"Did you at least use protection? I know, I know, can't get pregnant, bu-" 

"Oh my gosh, really, you two? You should be ashamed of your selves! First of all, how could you assume he would hurt me? Not to mention, how easy do you think I am?" I asked, bewildered, looking at the older men in utter disappointment. 

"Gosh, he's almost got even Diana beat on the scary face," Barry said, taking a step back and looking at Bruce. Thinking a little deeper, I looked at Barry, then remembered last night.