Me: *explaining to my therapist that I struggle to fall asleep and always have* "I don't know if that's cuz of my autism, ADHD, anxiety or depression."
Her: "What matters is that you're experiencing it. All those things are mixed together in your brain. You're experiencing it as you."
Me: *who has spent years trying to validate that struggle* "Oh."
I had honestly never thought of it this way. I thought I had to know what was causing it and why in order to be worthy of saying "this is a difficulty for me".
But no matter the reason, and whether I know it or not, doesn't change that I am experiencing that difficulty.
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(I’m not linking anything cause Tumblr y’all… anyways)
It was the first crackle of thunder that woke her. Like a switch, her eyes opened and all drowsiness drained from her body. The droplets of rain, once gently caressing her windows, now became a torrential downpour, splashing onto the glass violently.
Lily pulled her duvet off her body, shivering slightly as her naked skin came in contact with the cool air. Although her apartment was heated, it was still so cold, or perhaps it was just her heart. She didn’t bother to turn on her lamp and instead moved towards the large, stainless windows. She drew the curtains away fully, and there, unfolded before her, was the city of Gotham; still so alive, still so vibrant, and still so busy.
Yet even when in one of the largest and busiest cities in the world, Lily still felt so alone, maybe even more alone than ever. The people that surrounded her were just white noises, filling the space around her but never filling the space in her chest, a space that grew larger and larger every hour.
And she wanted to give up. She wanted to scream, and cry, and she wanted someone to help. It was so simple. Just a word, and everything would spill out.
Yet Lily couldn’t find it in herself to utter a single word. She couldn’t even lift a finger for herself. Somehow, all that distress was bottled up inside of her, with no way of coming out.
A white flash filled the sky, illuminating the city for a blink of an eye and drowning the city in its brilliance. A second later; thunder. It was even louder than the one that woke her up. And just like that, the scene fell back into place. After one brief moment of change, the world was the in order again.
No one even batted an eye.
“It’s almost peaceful,” said a familiar voice beside her, “all the way up here, away from the chaos of the world.”
Lily didn’t need to turn and look to see who it was.
“Yes,” she whispered, “it is.” The presence comforted her. It was still cold, but she could pretend that things weren’t the way they were, even just for a little moment.
“Is this what death is like?” she asked quietly, in a voice that matched the vulnerability of a child, “to be here while the world destroys itself.”
“I can’t tell you that. It’ll ruin it for you when you… well, die.”
Lily found it in herself to laugh a little. The sound was a stark contrast to the silence she always found herself in, the silence that met her most of the day, the silence that she was painfully used to.
“Then I’ll assume it’s just like this,” Lily stated, “it’s much better than life.”
Yes, it was much better than life. She would be in this oasis, away from the pandemonium below. She wouldn’t have to worry about meeting expectations, keeping up an image for herself, or disappointing people. She would have no one to answer to. In death, there would be freedom.
But was it still as lonely?
“Is it warm?” Lily inquired once more, “is death warm?”
There was silence for a minute, and Lily was afraid that she was alone again. The cold was seeping into her chest now—or was it seeping out? These days, she couldn’t tell anymore. She wanted to reach out and hold a hand, or feel a warm body underneath her skin to reassure her that she wasn’t on her own anymore.
But she was.
“Anything is warmer than life,” came the whispered answer.
“What is the point of my life?” Lily asked, her voice simply tired and defeated, “I’m not special. No one needs me. I play no role in anything. I don’t belong anywhere. I doubt I would be missed if I was gone, so why?” Lily finally gathered enough strength to turn, and her eyes stung with unshed tears.
“Why am I still here, mum?”
Lily’s mother gave her child a melancholy smile. She was still as beautiful as Lily recalled. She felt lucky to look so much like her gorgeous mother. She hoped that she could only be just as kind and strong.
“My child,” her mother cooed, “when the time comes, you’ll know.” Her smile widened slightly and there was that shine in her chocolate-coloured eyes that Lily adored so much.
She reached out to caress Lily’s cheeks, and Lily leaned into her hand. Yet even when the hand came into contact with Lily, it was still so cold. It wasn’t warm like a human touch, like her mother’s touch. It was as bitter as the rest of the room and the rest of her body.
Lily shut her eyes tightly. She desperately reached out to feel something, anything, but all that greeted her was this terrifying void of absolutely nothing. No sensation, no emotions, nothing.
“I miss you,” she uttered, “I miss you so much mum.”
“I know petal,” her mother responded in that same gentle voice she always used, “I know.”
Lily reopened her eyes and stared at her mother, attempting to memorize every single detail she could of the wonderful woman. That kind smile, those encouraging eyes, the way her nose scrunched up when she laughed; anything and everything. She didn’t have any photos of her mother, so all she had to rely on were memories.. and even that was slowly fading away.
Lily placed her hand over her mother’s, even when she knew she was simply holding air. Her vision was blurry.
“I’m sorry,” she managed to say, her voice cracking on the second word, “I’m sorry mummy. I-I’m so-so sorry—“ she tried to blink her tears away but her vision was failing her like her voice, “I-I’m sorry I disappointed you—“
“Shh,” her mother hushed her, “it’s okay…” she lifted her hand to caress Lily’s hair, “it’s going to be okay.”
Another flash of lightning enveloped the city, this time with thunder following directly behind. Once again, for a fraction of a second, the world changed. When the light disappeared, the world fell back into place.
A single, lone tear escaped Lily’s eye and cascaded down her cheek.
Summary: Wally and Avery finally confront Emma about her powers. Things don’t go how they hoped.
Word Count: 2094
Warnings: Foul language, aggressive argument
Author’s Note: Telepathy and ‘thought dialogue’ in italics. As always, Avery Yu belongs to @audreythetealovingcat @audreyandherocs
The drive back to Emma’s house was uncomfortably silent. Neither Wally nor Avery were exactly looking forward to the conversation they were about to have. Emma didn’t know for sure what they wanted to talk about, but she had a good guess. Her mind raced off in a million directions toward all the worst case scenarios and her stomach did somersaults. It didn’t help that she could feel her friends’ tension. Avery switched on the radio on low volume, hoping it would help Emma relax. She listened for a moment before abruptly punching the power button.
“Emma, it’s ok. Just breath. Don’t worry about the what-ifs. Just focus on the road for now.” Wally reached over the seat to squeeze her shoulder.
Emma attempted a half smile and loosened her grip on the steering wheel ever so slightly, taking a deep breath. “Yeah. Thanks.” She hated the waiting. It felt like it had been hours since Wally and Avery told her they needed to talk. In reality, barely more than 20 minutes had passed. She breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled into her driveway. Slamming the car into park and yanking the key out of the ignition, she turned around to face her friends. “Okay, tell me! What did you need to talk to me about?” She shouted
Avery and Wally exchanged a look.
“Oh, god. It’s bad. Isn’t it?”
Avery reached out to take Emma’s hand. “No, it’s not bad. It’s just, well, it might be a lot to take in. Let’s go inside and we’ll talk. I’ll make you some tea.”
Emma nodded. “Yeah. Ok. Sure, thanks.”
A few minutes later the group was settled in Emma’s room. Or rather, Wally was sitting on the edge of the bed bouncing his knee; Emma was pacing the length of the room with a face that wouldn’t have been out of place at the doctor’s office awaiting a terminal diagnosis. Normally her room was Emma’s special place of solace. Now it felt like the pale purple walls were closing in on her.
Only Avery looked calm. She sat in Emma’s rocking chair holding a steaming cup of tea, which she held out to Emma. “Here,” she said. “Drink this. It’s a special tea that will help with your nerves. My uncle’s recipe.”
Not wanting to offend Avery Emma timidly took the cup, blowing on it before taking a sip. As the warm liquid coursed through her she felt a slight tingling sensation as the brew took effect. “Thanks. That does help, a little.” She stopped pacing and looked slightly less terrified.
Wally patted the bed next to him. “Ems,” he said gently, “why don’t you sit down? I promise it’s not as bad as you think it’s going to be.” He shrugged. “Hey, it could even be a good thing if you look at it right.”
Glancing at both her friends, Emma finally took a seat on the edge of her desk chair. She tightly clutched the teacup like a security blanket.
Avery glanced at Wally before starting. “Emma, before we say anything, just remember. Wally and I are your friends. We love you and we’re here for you no matter what.”
Emma froze with the teacup halfway to her lips. “Oh, god. What did I do? What’s wrong? Whatever it is I’m sorry.” She set the cup down nervously. “You’re scaring me.”
“You didn’t do anything, Emma,” Wally offered reassuringly.
“Then what the hell is it? Just fucking tell me already!” she screamed, launching out of her chair.
“Don’t freak out, Emma but we think,” Wally started slowly.
Avery cut him off, speaking matter-of-factly. “ We think you have powers.”
“Well, not think. We know.” Wally corrected.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean? I have powers?” Emma questioned, gesturing wildly.
Avery could feel her friend’s agitation rising and realized they needed to be more direct. “Superpowers. You have superpowers, Emma.”
“S-s-superpowers? No. No fucking way. You mean, like, I’m a damn metahuman?” Emma shrieked. When neither of them answered immediately she began pacing again, head in her hands. “Fuck, shit shit shit shit, shit, shit! This cannot be happening. I can’t be a damn. No.” I can’t be a metahuman. I just can’t be, she thought.
“Well, you might not be exactly a metahuman, not technically” Wally interjected helpfully.
Emma looked at him with desperate hope.
“Maybe you're actually an alien. Or part, at least.”
Emma stared at him in disbelief. How could he not understand the gravity of the situation? “A fucking alien?” She cried “Oh great, so I might not even be human? How in the ever loving fuck is that any better you imbecile?” She started muttering to herself and pacing again. No. No, no, no, no, no! I’m not a freak! I’m just a normal person! Not an alien! Not a metahuman! Oh god, my dad. He’s gonna. Oh shit. I’m dead. If he finds out! But wait, maybe. What if. A joke! This has to be a… The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. “Is this some kind of a sick joke to you assholes? Is this funny to you?” She stared them down, waiting for an answer.
Calm down, Emma. It’s not a joke. We wouldn’t joke about this. We’d be cruel if we would. Avery put a hand on Emma’s shoulder.
Emma squeezed her eyes shut, holding back tears. “No. No, I guess you wouldn’t,” she relented, sensing her friend’s sincerity through the cloud of her own emotions. “But that means. So I’m really a?” She shoved Avery’s hand off suddenly. “Wait! You’re wrong! You have to be wrong! I mean, how can you know for sure? You can’t! You have to be wrong!”
“Emma, we wouldn’t be telling you if we weren’t one hundred percent sure.” Wally stood up and moved to take her hand.
She put her hands up and backed away. “You’re sure? How can you be?”
“Well, for starters, I’ve been noticing some- changes, with you lately. You’re running faster, you’re stronger than ever, and your endurance is like, way up. You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed it, too,” Wally pointed out.
“Well, yeah. Sure, I’ve noticed a few, yeah” Emma shrugged. “But like, that doesn’t mean. Sure, I can run a little faster, and I’m stronger, but, but”
“Emma, you went from barely being able to jog a mile to being able to run 20 miles an hour for five straight minutes. And that day in gym class? You ran an extra mile in a matter of seconds and didn’t even realize it. And you at least doubled your strength seemingly overnight.”
“That’s not normal, Emma. For your speed, endurance, and your strength to increase so quickly like that. It’s- superhuman.” Avery stated calmly.
Emma started pacing again. “Okay, so, so, maybe that was just a fluke? Or like, a virus, or something, I don’t know.”
“It’s no fluke. Or a virus.” Wally countered. “It’s been going on at least as long as I’ve known you. Flukes and viruses don’t last for over a year and a half.”
Emma gulped. “I. I. That long?” she stammered. She looked at Avery desperately. “Avery?”
Avery nodded. As long as I’ve known you, Emma. Remember the bat? Major leaguers rarely shatter them like that.
Emma didn’t notice that her friend hadn’t moved her lips. Or she pretended not to. “You too, Avery? That long? Why?” she cried. “Why didn’t you say something sooner? Why the hell didn’t you tell me? I trusted you! And you kept this from me! What the fuck!” Her breath came out ragged and her voice cracked.
“I’m sorry, Emma. But like Wally said, we needed to be sure. We are now. We didn’t want to alarm you needlessly.”
Wally placed a guiding hand on her back. “Emma, maybe you should sit down. You look pretty pale.”
“I don’t want to sit down, damn it!”
“Emma, you really should sit down for the next part,” Avery suggested.
“The next part?” Emma screeched. “There’s more you’ve been keeping from me?” She was on the verge of tears.
“Emma, you have telepathy, too; and telekinesis. And possibly more that we don’t know about yet,” Avery continued.
“Telepathy? Telekinesis?”
“Emma, haven’t you noticed how things seem to move around you without you touching them? Especially when you’re mad or scared?” Wally reminded.
“And just now, when I told you how long I’d known? And about the bat? Emma, I didn’t say anything out loud. And Wally and I have been hearing your thoughts as well. And back at the museum? With the telepathy exhibit? We were, um” Avery looked a bit sheepish. “We were testing you. I have to say for someone with no training you’re an incredibly strong…”
Emma stopped listening the minute she heard the word test. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. “You were testing me?” she hissed. “Like some kind of fucking science experiment? And you’re known the whole time we’ve known each other? So, so what? Was our whole friendship just some scheme to, to what? Have you been laughing at me behind my back this whole time? Oh, look at the dumb freak!”
Wally approached cautiously. “No, Emma, it's not like that. We would never” He said earnestly.
“Emma, we want to help you. Wally and I, we have- experience- with this. I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but what I said earlier is true. We’re your friends. We’re here for you, no matter what. But you need to learn how to control your powers before” she didn’t get to finish her sentence.
Emma looked around frantically, searching for something. Her eyes landed on the china cup. Before the thought was fully formed in her mind; before she even knew she was thinking about it, the cup went flying across the room. Wally shoved Avery out of the way just as it shattered against the wall.
The crash of glass shattering brought Emma to her senses. She stared in horror at the scene before her. The dark brown of the tea stains splattered against the pale walls. The scratches and dents in the wall from the shards of glass scattered on the floor. Wally hovering protectively over Avery. Her two best friends, standing across from her, looking at her like that. “Did I? Avery? I, oh god! Did I do that? Oh my god I'm so sorry!” she cried, hiding her mouth behind her hand.
“It’s ok, Emma. But you need to learn to control this. Before you really hurt someone. We can help.” Wally reassured.
“You want to fucking help me? You can’t help me! You both lied to me for over a year. And now you tell me I’m some sort meta freak? Like hell I’m going to let you help me! You’ve already done enough, assholes!”
Avery held up her hands in surrender. “Emma. Everything's going to be alright but you need to calm down,” she warned.
“No, everything is not ok! Do not tell me to calm down, you stupid idiot!”
“Emma, she’s right,” Wally put his hands on Emma’s shoulders in a meager attempt to comfort her.
“No! Don’t fucking touch me!” She shoved Wally off her with all her might. He flew across the room like a rag doll, slamming into the wall.
Avery quickly moved to help Wally up and looked at her sadly.
“Oh god, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Wally,” Emma sobbed, paralyzed in shock.
“It’s ok, Emma. We know you didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” Avery was quick to reassure her.
“I’m a freak! I’m a damn freak!” Emma suddenly clutched her chest, gasping. “Air. I need air. I can’t. I need. I gotta get out of here.” She looked around the room, desperately grabbing her tennis shoes and lacing them up with shaking fingers. Securing her phone and inhaler in a pouch at her waist she bolted out the door. She disappeared with a whoosh of air. She didn’t look back as Wally called after her.
Avery held him back as he started to run after his friend. “Let her go, Wally. She needs to process this. We just threw a lot at her. Give her time.”
“Yeah ok. We can give her time. But, I’m worried about her, Avery. I’m worried about our friend.”
“Me too, Wally. Me too. But she’ll be alright. She’s strong, not just physically. I trust her.”
“Yeah. Yeah. So do I,” Wally said as he blinked back tears.
Summary: Wally and Avery highly suspect that Emma has some special powers. But how can they be sure?
Pairings: OC / Wally West (platonic)
Warnings: none really
Word Count: Approx. 3800
A Note: Avery Yu belongs to @audreythetealovingcat @audreyandherocs
The drive to the Flash Museum was over before the fourth song on Emma's favorite Switchfoot cd started. The museum was laid out in a circular pattern, so they decided to just follow the circle, stopping at whatever looked interesting.
The first exhibit was dedicated to the various speedsters throughout history, with a small statue and name plaque for each; with Flash and Kid Flash at the center. The base depicted scenes from some of the battles each speedster had won and quotes from the grateful people they had helped, along with information about numerous charities they had worked with. Wally grinned as he read a quote from a little girl saying how Kid Flash was her favorite hero. Fortunately, neither of his friends noticed him tear up a touch; he remembered this little girl in particular.
Emma stared in awe at the polished bronze statues of Flash and Kid Flash towering above them. “I still can't get over the fact that this city has an actual museum to him. In Chicago, they pretty much either hated superheroes or were mostly neutral. It’s so different seeing people like, actually embrace Flash and Kid Flash.”
“How could they hate superheroes? All the good they do? And the people they save? I don’t get it,” Wally asked.
Emma shrugged. “I don’t get it either. It didn’t use to be like that, from what I can remember. When I was a real little kid we had a handful of superheroes, and the police loved them. They worked with them. But then something happened. I’m not sure what, my dad wouldn’t tell me. It was right before we moved here.”
Avery nodded. “So, is that why? Is that maybe why your father doesn’t seem to like metas?”
Emma shook her head. “I wish it was. But no. He’s always hated them. I don’t get it. He doesn’t like anything that’s different.”
Avery sensed Emma’s frustration bubbling to the surface in a prickling sensation on her skin and quickly redirected the conversation. “Well we’re here to enjoy the museum, and none of us feel that way. So let’s enjoy it while we’re here.”
The next exhibit mirrored the first, being dedicated to the Rogues Gallery. Now it was Emma’s turn to sense Avery’s mood shift. She could feel the girl’s visceral hatred for Vandal Savage. Emma had never really heard much about the evil immortal, so she had no reason to hate him so intensely herself. But she found her stomach knotting and her hands clenched into fists without her control. She heard herself making a low growling noise in the back of her throat as she stared at the hologram of Savage. She heard Avery’s voice in her mind as clearly as if she were speaking. A tirade of Chinese spilled from Avery’s mind; Emma was surprised to find she could make out a cuss word here and there. Taking her friend by the shoulders, she motioned to Wally it was time to move on.
As they passed the restaurant, Emma paused and tilted her head towards Wally. *Did he just?* She frowned. *He did.* She turned to face him and chuckled. “Wally. How can you possibly be hungry again already? We just got here!”
Wally raised his brows at Avery quickly, then squinted at Emma. He hadn’t said anything. But he had been thinking about how good a pizza sounded.
Well, it is about lunch time, and it’s been a few hours since we ate breakfast. Avery tested Emma to see if she heard.
Sure enough, Emma did hear. She turned to Avery. “I guess you’re right. I didn’t realize it was this late already. Let’s eat while we’re here.”
Let’s share a pizza, Wally thought.
Emma didn’t even notice that Wally hadn’t said anything out loud. “That’s a good idea. Let’s get a pizza to share. How about.”
Sausage, Avery suggested telepathically.
“Sausage? Is that ok with yous guys?” She pulled out her wallet as she headed towards the counter to order. “What do you want to drink?”
Wally and Avery decided to keep their little impromptu test going and see how long they could continue their telepathic conversation with Emma.
Coke for me, Wally thought.
“Really, Wally? Coke? Not Mountain Dew? Ok.”
I’ll take a Sprite, Avery thought.
“Avery? Did you say you wanted a Sprite?” Emma ordered the pizza for them to share, and the drinks for her friends, with a root beer for herself.
As the three sat down at the table, Wally kept his face blank as he questioned Emma. “So, how’d you know we were hungry?”
Emma almost choked on her soda. So Wally hadn’t said anything out loud earlier; she had just heard him mentally. She recovered as quickly as possible. “Well, Wallman, when are you not hungry? I seriously don’t know where you put it all. ” She nudged him playfully.
“What can I say? I’m a growing boy. I’ve got a fast metabolism.” Wally shrugged. He looked at Avery. Either she really didn’t hear me, and it was a lucky guess, or she’s not ready to say anything yet. He was careful to keep his mind guarded so Emma didn’t accidentally hear. They weren’t quite sure how exactly her telepathy worked yet. So far it seemed to be sporadic, and outside of her control.
Wally, you know there’s no way she just made a lucky guess. Remember she straight up asked me if I’d said I wanted a Sprite. You and I both know I didn’t say anything out loud. So we at least know she has telepathic hearing. What we need to find out is if she can control it and if she can transmit thoughts as well as just hear them.
To prove her point, she turned to Emma. “How’d you know I wanted Sprite? I didn’t get a chance to answer.”
Emma’s face flashed from confused to slightly worried before she answered. “I just know you well, I guess. I know you like your lemons, so it makes sense you’d like lemon pop.”
“Huh. Yeah, you’re right.” Avery held back from saying anything more at this point.
Wally was biting his tongue to keep from saying anything to Emma yet as well. They still needed to test a few more things, and this was not a conversation either of them wanted to have with her in a public place. Wally knew his friend well enough to know this talk needed to happen somewhere she felt safe, and where she could ask questions without fear of anyone else hearing. Once they all finished eating the group headed to the next part of the museum.
Emma ran ahead of her friends to the next exhibit, which focused on the Speedforce. The display explained how the Speedforce worked and featured a simulator where visitors could experience a virtual Speedforce; similar to the zero gravity rides at the space museum. There was also a special set-up detailing how a normal person’s body would react to running at such high speeds. A treadmill hooked up tp next to a blood-pressure and heart rate monitor and a pulse oximeter let people see how their vital stats while running compared to Flash or Kid Flash’s. State of the art technology also measured how much sugar, oxygen they burned, along with hydration levels. Avery and Wally gave each other a look.
Should we have her try it? Avery asked.
Definitely. I’ve already noticed she does seem to be able to run faster and farther in gym class. Plus she seems stronger, so there’s a good chance these powers she has are physical too, and not just mental. Except, it might look suspicious if we have her try it and the two of us don’t. But I don’t think you should exert yourself like that, and me, well.
They were surprised to find that Emma had already eagerly stepped onto the treadmill. “What?” She shrugged at them. “I’m just curious. I’ve been working my butt off in Taekwondo lately, and it seems to be paying off.”
“Emma, are you sure? Just, be careful. The last thing we need is you having an asthma attack.” Avery told her worriedly. As much as she wanted to see if her friend really did have some sort of physical powers, she was concerned about her. She knew Emma had had asthma attacks from overexerting herself before, and that Emma had a tendency to push herself too hard. She glanced at Wally. Ok, we need to test this, but we need to watch her carefully. We pull the plug if she starts reaching for that inhaler.
Agreed.
“Don’t worry guys, I have my inhaler.” She waved it at them. “And I can handle a few minutes on a treadmill.” She pressed the start button, having hooked up all the monitors. She started off at a steady walking pace, gradually picking up to a full run.
The next thing she knew she was running faster than she’d ever been able to run before. Normally she hated running, but this. This felt so much different. Like she was flying. It was exhilarating. She was sprinting as fast as she could, and all she could feel was the adrenaline pumping through her veins. Her legs weren’t tired and cramping, her heart wasn’t racing, her forehead wasn’t covered in sweat that dripped into her eyes. Best of all, her lungs weren’t burning and her throat wasn’t constricting. She laughed with excitement as she cranked up the speed. Running had never been this effortless for her. She didn’t bother to glance down at the readout.
Wally’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he saw it. A few seconds ago when he’d looked she was going nearly 10 miles an hour. Now she was pushing 20. Her pulse rate had barely climbed and all her other stats looked just as good. He looked at Avery and pointed to the screen. She nodded. He knew Emma’s fastest mile time had only been about 14 minutes in gym class. Even that had been pushing it. She’d already gone five miles at her current speed. A quick mental word to Avery and he pulled the emergency switch on the treadmill, bringing it to a sudden stop.
Emma stared at Avery with a bewildered face. “Why'd you stop it? I feel great! I wanted to keep going!” she whined.
“Emma, you've already been on it for a while. There's a line forming,” she gestured behind them. “And you were pushing yourself pretty hard. You don't feel it now, but you were going almost 20 miles an hour. Are you sure you feel ok?”
“20 miles an hour?” Emma shrieked in disbelief.
Wally looked around quickly and noticed the crowd staring at the same time Avery sensed them. He placed a hand on Emma's back while Avery took her by the hand and they led her to a quieter corner, away from the nosy throng.
“There's no way! I mean, yeah, I feel great, I've never been able to run like that before! Wow! That fast? Really? How long was I on it for? Dang, I don't even need my inhaler! I wish I could feel like this in class all the time!” She rambled.
“Emma, shhh. You've got to keep your voice down.” Wally reprimanded.
Emma hung her head and fidgeted with the hem on her shirt with one hand, clutching her arm with the other. “Sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you guys. I'm sorry about that. I didn't think I was being that loud. It's just,” she trailed off
Avery took her hand gently, stilling her anxious fidgeting. “It's alright. You didn't embarrass us. You've got nothing to apologize for. We're your friends, we’re never going to be ashamed of you.”
Wally nodded. “Yeah, it's not that. You just need to be careful. You never know who might be listening. It could be dangerous if the wrong people hear you talking like that.”
“Who might be listening? What? I don’t get it. What are you guys talking about? It’s not like we know anyone here,” Emma asked.
Wally gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him directly. He spoke slowly and methodically. “Emma. Think about it.” He paused for a moment as he could see on her face that she was trying to decipher what they meant. “You were going on about how you’re suddenly able to run so fast for so long without feeling it. How you felt like you were flying.” He emphasized the last word. “Why might that not be a good idea to talk about so loudly? In this city, of all places?”
Avery watched Emma’s face as her brows furrowed together and she squinted at the ground, biting the corner of her lip. Avery held back from giving her any hints. They needed Emma to figure this out on her own.
What are they talking about? It’s not like I was saying I actually was flying. Why are they so? In this city? What’s he?
Wally saw his friend’s eyes light up and the spark go off just as Avery felt the jolt of static when it finally dawned on Emma. She stood there in shock for a moment before her shoulders began to shake with laughter. She slapped her thigh with one hand, covering her mouth with the other.
She barely caught her breath to blurt out “Wait. You guys don’t think that I? I mean seriously! No, no, no! I do not! I mean, that would be awesome! But no! I’ve just been working my ass lately is all.” She leaned in close and whispered emphatically. “I. Do. Not. Have superpowers.” She added to herself I can’t.
Wally smiled at her excitement and sudden change of mood. That overflowing enthusiasm was one of the things he adored about his best friend. He had hoped for a moment that she might take hearing what he and Avery had to tell better than expected. Then he felt the strange shoving sensation in his mind when she declared she didn’t have powers. A light pressure settled on his head as if somebody was trying to stuff something inside that wouldn’t quite fit. He put his hands up in surrender. “Ok, ok. Say no more. We get it.”
Avery felt something drilling at her temples when Emma made her declaration. She immediately recognized the sensation of someone trying to get past her mental wall. For a split second the idea that Emma could possibly have powers seemed utterly ridiculous to her. She pulled her hand away abruptly and took a small step back as she realized what was happening. “Ok. Wally’s right. But you really should be careful.”
Emma nodded. “Ok, yeah. Yous guys are right.” Her eyes darted around, suddenly self-conscious. I’m being silly, she thought. Out loud she said, “Let’s just go see the next part.”
The group made their way through the museum without even until they came to a life-size statue of Gorilla Grodd with the title “Flash’s Telepathic Foe.” A short video showed the two mid-battle, followed by a brief description of how Grodd’s powers worked, and of course, a bit of how Flash managed to beat him. A case contained a model for the mind control headband Grodd sometimes used. A plaque detailing various theories about how telepathy worked stood next to it. It also gave a bit of information about a few other telepathic opponents, and some allies like Martian Manhunter and Miss Martian.
Emma stared intently at the plaque listing the theories. “So, I don’t get it. How does it work? The telepathy?”
Wally looked up from examining the model of Grodd’s headband. “Are you asking me to explain how telepathy works?”
“Yeah. How does it work? Like, I know most so-called psychics are just really good at reading people and stuff, but what about him?” She gestured to Martian Manhunter’s photo. “What about the real telepaths?”
“Well, there’s a few theories on how it works.” Wally started to explain.
“Just like? Is it science, or magic, or something else?” Emma prodded.
Avery spoke up. “Telepathy can be tricky to define and even harder to recognize. That’s partly because there are so many different types, and each individual telepath has different abilities. As for science or magic, that depends on the person. It can be magic based, but there are also some scientific elements to it.”
“And don’t forget, sometimes advanced science looks like magic until its able to be explained. For Martians, for example, scientists know that it’s something in their genetics that gives them their powers. To us humans, they look like superpowers. But for them, it’s just a normal part of their biology.”
“I think I get it, sort of. But now I just have other questions.” Emma stared at Avery bewildered.
“Hey, hey, don’t worry about it. It’s just one of those things you sort of take for what it is. Don’t overthink it.” Wally patted her arm.
“Hey look! Speaking of. Are you a telepath? Let’s try it. Maybe it can help explain it a bit. You always did learn best with interactive stuff.” Wally pointed excitedly at the sign hanging over a set of computers. “At the very least it could be fun.”
Nice. Avery encouraged Wally. We can see just how much she can control it.
“I don’t know.” Emma shifted her weight back and forth on her feet. Truthfully the little set up did look tempting. She had vehemently denied having powers, but she strongly suspected that wasn’t true. She felt fairly certain Wally and Avery were right about her new physical abilities. She feared there might also be some mental abilities, including possible telepathy. She glanced back at the computer and shrugged. “I mean, I guess. Why not?” She chuckled nervously. “It’s not like this thing is probably that accurate anyway”
Avery agreed to try the test with her first. They sat down as Avery carefully cleared her mind, letting down her barrier just enough to give Emma access without projecting anything herself. She clicked on the screen and selected a handful of images for the test. The idea was for one person to select the images and string them into a sentence, while the other person tried to figure out the sentence, or at least the images. Few people ever got it right, but everyone had fun trying. Emma took her seat across from Avery and waited for her signal to start.
Emma pursed her lips and made eye contact with Avery. She knew Avery like a sister. If she could see the images Avery had picked from, this would be a snap. She squinted at her friend for a few seconds before an image and a strange sensation came to her. She saw several long finger-like projections stretching out in front of her, reaching for Avery. A tickling sensation played at the back or her brain, working its way forward. The tickling became more intense and changed to more of a prickling, like thousands of tiny needles and Emma could just make out the outlines of several shapes. She closed her eyes, in part to ward off the growing pressure in her skull, in part to block out everything else and bring the shapes into focus.
Avery felt a slight pressure at her temples as Emma concentrated. She could see long tentacles coming towards her in her mind’s eye. They wrapped her head, surprisingly gentler than Avery expected. If she had her mental walls up, it would have been more uncomfortable, like somebody drilling at her temples. As it was, it felt like Emma was pulling her hair a bit too hard and tugging at her skull. Avery didn’t notice Emma rubbing at her forehead, but Wally did.
Despite her slowly growing headache, Emma kept focused on the images in her mind’s eye. She was so close to forming a full picture. Wally and Avery might have suggested trying the little test in good fun, but she had to know for sure. She leaned forward, craning her neck as if to see a movie screen. At the same moment, the pictures came into focus, a sound came to her. She opened her eyes and jumped in her seat.
“Um, I think I hear a dog barking?” She closed her eyes briefly again. “And, I think. It’s brown? I see a brown dog.”
Wally glanced from Avery’s screen to Emma, and back. He hadn’t expected results like this.
Emma rubbed her forehead again and squeezed her eyes shut tighter before she continued. “I see a school bus, and I think I hear kids on it. And, there’s one more. I hear, music? It’s, um, I think I see. Um, uh, oh! Is it an iPod? It’s blue.” She opened her eyes as she severed the link, causing Avery to stumble back in her chair a bit. She looked at Avery questioningly, waiting for confirmation. She knew it was strange that she’d actually seen images, let alone heard them. She also knew she should probably be acting like she hadn’t really seen or heard anything, that she should be hiding this. Especially if she really was a telepath. But a desperate curiosity got the better of her. She’d wondered for a few months now, and she knew she could trust Wally and Avery if she could trust anyone.
Avery hadn’t noticed the expectant look on her face while she recovered from the sudden release of pressure and put her psychic walls back up. She had, however, heard what Emma had said. What Emma had said had impressed, shocked, and slightly worried her. She was sure now that her friend was a telepath and a strong one at that.
Wally and Avery watched Emma with faces as passive as possible. “Emma,” Avery started slowly. “You got all of them.”
Sensing Emma’s growing worry, Wally attempted a joking tone o lighten the mood. “Hey, you did so well with this, maybe you can get me the answers to the next math test?”
Emma looked at Wally, then at Avery, expecting them to break out in full laughter. She knew that wouldn’t happen though. “C’mon Avery. What were they really? That’s not possible. There’s like, a million different combinations possible. There’s no way I could have guessed what you picked.” She gulped. “Unless..” Her breath quickened and her hands shook. “No, no, no. Please no.”
Avery answered slowly, carefully. “Emma. That was it. No joke. I don’t joke about matters like these.”
Emma took a small step back, eyes wide. “Matters like these?”
Wally placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Let’s go home, Emma. It’s getting late, and we need to talk.”
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Summary: Emma’s powers are becoming more obvious, her friends and family talk about how to approach the topic with her.
Word Count: Approx. 25K
Pairings: OC x Wally West, Platonic
Warnings: Very mild reference to verbal abuse, cussing (like, 1 swear word).
Author’s Note: I loved writing this! It’s more from the perspective of Emma’s family and friends. Avery belongs to @audreythetealovingcat @audreyandherocs
Avery's eyes lit up as she spotted the tray set out on the bedside table in the Teague’s guestroom. Emma shivered slightly at the tiny shock she got from Avery's excitement. She still hadn't quite gotten used to this- quirk- her friend had. Avery ran her fingers over the delicate petals of the sunflowers and pressed her nose to them, inhaling their sweet summery scent. Picking up the small painted box, she thumbed through the selection of teas it held. She giggled as she saw the pile of lemons, but no knife to cut them. “Emma, thank you! This is so sweet! You didn't have to do all this. It's enough that you're letting me stay with you for the week.” Avery hugged her tightly.
“Actually, it was mostly my mom. She got the flowers and tea, and the tray. I just did the little box.”
Avery turned to Mary, “Thank you, Mrs. Teague. You really didn't need to go to all this trouble. If there's anything I can do while"
Mrs. Teague waved her hand dismissively. “It's no trouble at all, sweetheart. You're welcome in our home anytime. You're practically family. If you need anything while you're here, please let me or Emma know. And please, call me Mama T. All my girls’ friends do.”She beamed and hugged the young girl in front of her. “I'll let you three hang out while I finish dinner. Jessica should be home from gymnastics soon.” Mary Teague had almost unnaturally good instincts about people, and a larger than average dose of maternal instincts to boot. She knew she couldn't have asked for better friends for Emma than Wally and Avery.
Later that evening, after a scrumptious dinner of perfectly charred burgers, sweet corn, homemade pasta salad, and mouthwatering fruit salad, Emma and her friends relaxed around the patio table, joined by her family. Mrs. Teague had set out some freshly squeezed lemonade, and some homemade cookies Emma had helped her bake. Her daughter had insisted on trying out a new recipe for peanut butter chocolate cookies as well some lemon blueberry muffins for breakfast the next morning.
A warm summer breeze danced in and out of the trees as fireflies blinked and twinkled around them. From down the block, children could be heard laughing and shouting; probably playing a game of late night tag. Fireworks burst in the distance. Tonight was one of the few nights that Emma's father joined them at the table after dinner, instead of locking himself in his home office. Neither Emma or Wally flinched when Avery grabbed a lemon and sunk her teeth into the peel. Jessica made a quick face and opened her mouth to say something, but one look from her mom and sister told her to behave.
Emma's dad said nothing, but his disapproving pout was enough. Emma glared at him before looking at Avery. Either she hadn't noticed, or she wasn't reacting. That was for the best. Emma didn't want to deal with the way he'd respond if anyone questioned his rude behavior. Sensing Emma's tension, Avery put down her lemon and patted her friend’s knee. Emma squeezed Avery's hand in a quick ‘thank you’. She wasn't sure how, but Avery and Wally always seemed to know exactly what she was feeling, sometimes even better than her or her family. Avery was especially good at it.
“So, Avery, is there anything special you want to do while you’re here?” Mrs. Teague asked. “I'm good for whatever. It doesn't particularly matter to me,” Avery shrugged.
“Well, Emma's dad has to work tomorrow, and Jessie has a pool party and gym practice. You three are welcome to come to the party if you want. Or you can just hang out and do your own thing.”
Emma glanced at Avery, having sensed a change in her mood. It felt like tiny pinpricks of static, haphazardly scattering across her arms. Her hands were suddenly a bit clammy, and she felt jittery. It dawned on Emma that Avery was afraid of something. She answered before Avery had to say no. “Well, actually, there's that new interactive science wing they just opened at the Flash Museum. It's supposed to be really cool. We could go there.”
“Yeah! That sounds totally crash! Uncle Barry keeps putting off taking me.”
Avery smiled. “That sounds good to me. Is that ok, Mrs. Teague?”
“Sure. If that's what you want to do,” She nodded. “I'll leave you some money for tickets and lunch. And a little for the gift shop.”
Emma's dad had been sitting silently while the group discussed plans. The minute the Flash was mentioned, he stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over his chair before sulking off into the house.
Emma clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, but her head was dipped in shame. “He just doesn't like metas.” “Fucking asshole” She added under her breath.
“Is it really alright, Mrs. Teague? I don't wish to upset anyone,” Avery offered worriedly.
“No, no. It's fine. Really. I'd tell you if it wasn't. If you want to go to the museum, then go and enjoy yourselves. Don't worry about him.”
“Yeah, it's fine. Dad will get over it. He's kind of closed minded that way. Just because you have powers doesn't mean you're bad.” Jess added.
After a bit more reassurance from Emma's family, and the puppy dog eyes and pleading face from Wally, Avery gave in. She had been wanting to see the new exhibit, and she couldn't deny her friends. Plus, she theorized, there might be some things there that would help her and Wally test Emma's new- abilities. One quick read of Wally’s thoughts and she sensed he seemed to be on the same page. She’d have to talk to him more about it later.
The next morning Wally made sure to get to Emma's house a bit early to talk to Avery. Lately, he had noticed some strange things around Emma, and he wanted Avery's input on how to handle it. Besides, he figured Avery might have noticed some things too. He knew Emma would still be getting ready, affording him a chance to talk to Avery alone. Emma wasn't exactly a morning person. Wally bounced on his heels and greeted Mrs. Teague cheerfully when she opened the door. “Hi, Mama Teague good morning how are you?”
Mary smiled at Wally and couldn't help but chuckle slightly at him. She never quite knew where he got all his boundless energy. “Come on in, sweetie,” she said, letting him in. “Emma's still upstairs getting ready, but Avery's out on the back deck having breakfast. Can I get you anything?”
“Mmmm, do I smell pancakes? And bacon?” He craned his neck to try and peek in the kitchen.
Mama Teague smiled brightly. “Pancakes, bacon, eggs, and fruit, and Emma made muffins. It’s on the kitchen table. Help yourself”.
“Gee thanks, Mrs. Teague. It smells so good.” He yelled over his shoulder, already halfway to the kitchen. After fixing a heaping plate of breakfast Wally headed out to the gazebo and plopped down across from Avery. She was contentedly sipping her tea and munching on one of the muffins Emma had baked with her in mind.
Mary Teague hummed to herself as she fixed herself a small breakfast plate and sat down at the table; looking out at Emma’s two friends, whom she had come to see as her own adopted kids. She was glad her daughter had made such good friends. She had been worried about her when they had moved from Chicago. Emma had never been exactly outgoing, and making friends had been something she’d struggled with her whole life. In Chicago, she had had the Girl Scout troop that her mother lead, and her friends at summer camp. Now she didn't even have that. Somehow, by God’s grace, she thought, Emma had met Wally and Avery and developed an almost inseparable bond with them. She had also made a few other close friends and started going to the youth group at a local church. Mary had recently started going back to church herself and her daughters joined her. She wanted them to have that same faith, knowing the strength and peace it had given her in the midst of a tumultuous time. Lately, she knew Emma would need all the support she could get.
She had noticed that her daughter seemed to be developing some new powers. Whenever her husband and Emma argued; which was far too frequently the past few months; things moved without anyone touching them. And she’d been hearing some of Emma’s thoughts as well, as clearly as if Emma were saying them out loud. A few times she’d actually asked Emma to repeat what she’d said, only to be met with a questioning stare and ‘i didn’t say anything’. Even worse, she was sure that Emma was somehow hearing some of her own worries and fears about her failing marriage, along with her father’s thoughts about what a disappointment she was. Not that she needed to hear his thoughts to know how he felt. His cold demeanor toward her and the way he snapped at her for every little mistake was enough.
Mrs. Teague vaguely remembered something about her ancestors having powers, possibly being of Alien descent. She suspected that was the cause of Emma’s new powers, and she knew she would need to talk to somebody about what was happening to her. She also knew her daughter was noticing the powers herself, and she was scared. But every time Mary tried to approach the subject, Emma immediately shut down, becoming angry and defensive. Her daughter had never been this closed off from her before, and she didn't like it. Mrs. Teague prayed that her daughter's two friends would be able to get through her walls.
Avery smiled as she watched Wally stuff a mouthful of pancakes into his mouth. “Didn't you already eat breakfast?” she chided sarcastically.
He answered around his bite. “Yeah, I did. But Mama T made all my favorites. And her chocolate chip pancakes are the best!” He quickly glanced over his shoulder before leaning in across the table. “So. what are we gonna do? Y'know, bout our friend?”
Avery took a thoughtful sip of her Earl Grey before answering. “Well,” she started methodically, “We need to be certain she has powers first. And what exactly they are. So far, everything we've seen could be explained another way. We don't want to alarm her unnecessarily.”
“True, true. I wish we could ask her parents, but frankly, I don't trust her dad, and her mom has so much on her plate right now. And I'm not sure Emma would want us to bring it up to her mom. From what her mom has told me, she may have tried to talk to Emma about it, and it wasn't received well.”
“No, I definitely don't trust her dad, at least not with this. Not after his reaction last night. I get a bad vibe from him. Like he's always angry. And, unpredictable, aggressive. And I agree, we shouldn't go to her mom, yet. Not until we know for sure.”
“He is,” Wally said. “At least from what she tells me. She’s spent way too many weekends at my place or Uncle Barry’s after they’ve fought. You don’t want to know half of what she tells me. I’m worried about her. She hides it pretty well around most people, but she’s carrying a lot. She’s. I don’t know what. I just know she’s stressed. And most of that is because of him,” he growled, pounding his fist on the table. “ And now this, her possibly having powers. It should be a good thing. But for her…”Wally shook his head sadly and trailed off.
“She doesn’t talk much about it to me, but I feel it too. Her emotions are all over the place. However we approach this, we need to be careful. We don’t want to stress her out anymore, and we don’t know how she’ll react. But, I can’t imagine it will be good.”
“We should test her. At the museum. They have some new exhibits on metahumans and stuff. We can use that, she won’t realize what we’re doing.” Wally offered, stuffing another bite of eggs in his mouth.
“I don’t like lying to her. She’s been lied to enough.” Avery said.
“I don’t like lying to her either. But we can’t tell her we think she’s a metahuman without being sure. You know her. The minute we tell her, she’ll start overthinking and send her down a spiral. Before we say anything, we need to be absolutely sure. Or, at least as sure as we can be.”
“I don’t know, Wally. I know you mean well, but ”
“Hey, you said yourself her emotions are all over the place lately. She’s already confused enough, I think she’s started to notice some things herself. And with her family. Her asshole dad’s made it pretty clear how he feels about metas. If we tell her, she’s going to end up worrying about what he’ll think. Do we really want to send her down that thought process if we aren’t sure she has them?”
Avery bit her lip a bit and stirred her tea absentmindedly. “Ok. You’re right.” She sighed. “Let’s test her at the museum. But after that, if we suspect, we have to tell her. Especially if she’s started noticing the changes herself as you suspect. Which makes sense, it would help explain why her emotions are so confused.”
By the time Emma joined them, they had come up with their plan. She sat down just as they finished talking. She glanced back and forth between them a few times, frowning slightly. “So. What are you two so busy kibitzing about?”
“Nothing. Nothing.” Wally answered a little too quickly, causing Avery to kick him under the table.
“Hmmm.. nothing? What’s so secret about nothing?” Emma said, keeping her tone light but staring at Wally pointedly. If there was one thing she hated, it was people keeping secrets from her.
“Actually, we were just talking about who to set you up with.” As much as Avery hated lying to her friend, she knew Wally was right, and that keeping their discussion a secret, for now, was best. “We have this friend in Gotham”. She hadn’t thought about it before, but now that she did, a certain mutual friend of theirs would be perfect for Emma. This time Wally kicked Avery under the table.
Sensing Wally’s sudden change in mood, and sensing from Avery that whatever they were keeping from her wasn’t anything bad, Emma rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay. Y’know what? I know who you can set me up with too. How about no one. I need a boyfriend like the Cubs need another curse.”
“Really? we can’t set you up with anyone? Not even, a certain handsome hero? Who’s really fast?”
“No. Not even Kid Flash. Besides, are you sure you don’t have a crush on him yourself, Wallman?” Emma nudged her friend.
Avery nearly spat out her tea laughing. The group finished breakfast in a cheerful mood before heading out to the museum.
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Who puts up Christmas decorations in October? Neither. Dick loves Halloween and Emma won't let Christmas decorations go up before November. The tree and decorations all go up the day after Thanksgiving.
Who buys Advent calendars? It's not really a thing they do.
Who places mistletoe around the house? Dick!
Who wraps the presents? Emma does, but she uses her telekinesis to get it perfect. She's terrible at gift wrapping by hand, and so is Dick.
Who puts the tree topper on? They take turns every year.
Who hates eggnog? Dick. Emma likes it in coffee but not by itself (eggnog lattes are the best)
Who's the one who bakes cookies? Emma! she loves baking, and her favorite holiday tradition from childhood was baking Christmas cookies with her family. She bakes about a dozen different types, all old family recipes and a few new ones she's added over the years. Her and the boys take some to the shelters around town and to her NGO Hope House.
Who sends out Christmas cards? Dick does. Emma takes the photos for it and Dick writes the letters.
Who knows all the words to 12 Days of Christmas? they both do
Who's the better snowman builder? Emma likes to think it's her. Shh... it's really Dick (unless she uses her powers, which is totally cheating). When it comes to snow forts though, Emma, hands down.
Who starts snowball fights? They are both equally guilty. But its usually Emma
Who wakes the other up by blasting Christmas carols on Christmas morning? Dick does. it's the one day of the year Emma doesn't mind being woken up early.
