Electric Flame

1.13

Weeks had passed before I dared step foot in Gotham again. Missions were bland and tasteless and became routine, but I missed my mother. And it was time to return home. Dick hadn't given me a second thought since that day, and I've been doing everything I can to figure out why. 

Zatanna had been acting like royalty, but Batman requested to have his Robin by his side the entire time as they fought crime in their hometown. I had my suspicions, but M'gann and Artemis told me I can't do anything without proof. So here I was, and I was going to bring her down.

I dragged my feet as I moved through the alleyways of Gotham City. They were like the Subway system but free and gave you sore heels. I could feel the mascara not recently brushed onto my eyelashes rubbing against the skin under my eyes, and I undoubtedly had an unintentional smokey eye from it.

I brought my head back up and glared at the moon as it took its place high in the blackening sky. Dozens of bright blue stars danced in the atmosphere, and I couldn't help but smile at the turn of events.

A month ago, if someone told me that I'd have such great friends, I'd laugh in their face. Especially those my age. Mother refused to grant such a privilege, thinking I would get too attached. 

Well, you know what? I am too attached because they're all great heroes that put their lives after others time and time again while still managing to balance their own. And not a single one of them has shown any fight against my inauguration into the Team, except for Zatanna. But I was told that she's rarely around if at all.

An uneasiness fluttered in my stomach as her name swarmed in my head. The glass, I remembered. What was the shattering sound before I left that afternoon? It'd been bothering me for weeks, a constant pestering in the back of my mind, and my brain refused to let it go.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at my destination: Mother's front porch. Not bothering to knock, I waltzed right in. After all, I had lived here for half of my life.

"Mother?" I called, cupping my hands around my mouth as I searched the many rooms only to find them empty.

"Selina is busy," a feminine voice disclosed, sleep heavy in her voice. My head snapped to see Harley rolling over on the brown couch, covering her face with a pillow to shield the dim light emanating from the dusty bulbs. "Why didn't you tell Harley that you were going away, puddin'?"

I sank into the edge of the couch by her feet and shrugged. "It was all so sudden. But they really are great people. They're always so supportive even when you mess up. The two worlds are so different. Here, if you accidentally look at someone you're not supposed to, you could get killed." She nodded, stroking my hair like Mother used to. I cocked my head to ask, "Why are you here, Harley?"

She took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "Ivy's at it again." Using my eyebrows, I inquired further, and she delved into a story, reciting everything she heard earlier.

"I'm so sick of her. She stole him from me. How is he so interested in her? I'm so much prettier. And I can do magic. She can't do anything as well as me. How can he be so unsympathetic? My father was just taken from me and he doesn't even care. He needs to care. I'll make him care."

A tall, dark-haired girl was muttering to herself as she walked through the open glass double doors and into the large greenhouse, the Venus Flytraps acting as guards and snapping at her. The plants are the best judges of character. As usual, different vines studded with red thorns lined the mossy stone pathway.

Taken aback at the feisty flora, the girl cautiously approached the overgrown pink and green rose throne at the end of the long freshwater lake, stepping over the lily pads and ducking under the vines hanging from the endless ceiling.