Silver Trickster ⚬ Barry Allen [1]

32. Abandonment

9 years ago

I gasp abruptly as my lungs fill with air; feeling almost as if I hadn't breathed in a long time. The oxygen in my lungs causes me to cough and spit, the pressure on my chest being too much. Something about the way I felt was different, and I couldn't figure out why.

I couldn't move. My arms and legs felt as if they were frozen in place. That was when I finally opened my eyes, and when I did, the first thing I see is Jay's face. Relief comes over me then as I stare up at him, a look of relief on his face as well. I couldn't remember why; I couldn't remember anything.

"J-Jay-" I gasp, my tongue feeling as if it was frozen in place too. It was then I realized how cold I was; I was even shivering.

I feel his hand on my shoulder, but only barely. "Raven, can you hear me?"

I slowly nod my head. "Yes. What...what h-happened?"

"You lost," he tells me simply, but I wasn't sure what he was talking about. It was then I feel him grabbing my shoulders, making me prop myself up. When he does this, I look around and find myself sitting on the couch at home, a fire burning in front of me in the fireplace.

My eyes trail away from it for a moment as I look back up at Jay, seeing him turning around to grab something. "What do you mean I lost?"

"I left you to deal with that girl, but you lost," he breathes. "I came back to find you half dead; half frozen."

It was then it all came back to me. "She...She froze my h-heart."

"And it should have killed you," he says as he turns around and faces me, a mug in his hand. Steam escapes the top of it as he hands it to me, making me realize then that it was hot chocolate. "I think you were only able to handle it because you had taken her powers; you got lucky."

I shake my head as I stare down into the mug. I was trying to accept the fact that I had lost; I had actually almost died because of the cold hearted bitch. It was weird to think that I should be dead right now; that I actually lost a fight. I never lost...at least, not to the point where I should be dead right now.

Jay turns to leave the room then, but I wasn't done with him yet. "Why'd you leave me?"

He is silent for a long moment before he turns around slowly. "I thought you could handle it, but I guess I was wrong."

"You always told me to never abandon you; to stay close at all times," I state, remembering it well. After the first time he said it to me, it stuck in my head like glue. "This wouldn't have happened if you were there-"

"This is not my fault," he yells at me, shaking his head. "We were out there today so you could show me you could handle yourself in any circumstance. You proved me wrong, just like I had thought in the first place."

Anger starts to course through me, warming me up a little. "I can take care of myself-"

"Clearly not," he cuts me off as he looks over at the fire. "You have to be prepared to go up against anything, and you weren't."