Proven part I
Silver Wings POV
The fire raged on. It engulfed the whole house, encasing the roof, the windows, my room in angry flames. The sound of breaking glass joined the chorus of splintering timber as a window exploding outward. A scream amplified over the chaos...
I woke with a start. Sitting up in my bed, covered in sweat, I became aware of the loud beeps of my alarm clock. I hit the snooze and took a deep, relieved breath. It was only a dream. Scratch that, a night mare.
I kicked off my covers and jumped out of bed. I hurriedly got dressed in my uniform and brushed my sun-bleached blonde hair. My long-sleeve blouse covered the worse of the bruises from the fight with Kobra's henchmen. They were near faded, having healed over the last two nights.
I pulled on my back pack, slipped on my sneakers, placed my dark sunglasses to hide my glinting eyes, and opened the bedroom door as softly as I could. The corridor was quiet, though I could hear the shower running in the washroom down the hall. Apparently I wasn't the only early riser.
Silent as the wind, I crept to the kitchen, snatched a pop-tart from the pantry, and made it to the zeta-tubes without incident. 'Recognized Silver Wings B13'. I winced as the computer announced my departure, its robotic voice bouncing off the cave walls.
The cool air of Gotham greeted me as I stepped out of the telephone booth. There were few people around at 6am, though there was plenty of traffic as they rushed to work.
I forced myself to keep calm as I strode through the streets, past the shop windows advertising pink sweaters and wedding cakes, and munched on my breakfast. It seemed ages before I reached the shabby apartment complex that had been my home for the last three years.
"It's nice to finally have familiar surroundings for a change," I thought, gazing at the pealing green wallpaper. The scent of candles and dust filled my nose. An odd combination to associate with home.
Nervousness mixed with my excitement as I climbed the stairs. I wasn't sure why I felt so odd about going back to my apartment. I had spent only four days at Mt. Justice, and those hadn't even been a whole four days. Though I had already begun to think of it as my new home, and, I had to admit, the others had begun to grow one me. Despite the team's large size, they all seemed close, practically family. The word tugged at my gut.
I halted in front of my apartment, but froze with my keys in my hand. I couldn't explain the feeling I had. I was... terrified. I wasn't sure why, since I already knew what would greet me.
Perhaps that what frightened me so much, the sight of the empty apartment. No smell of coffee wafting through the rooms, no age-old country music playing on the radio. Those had been the first signs that had alerted me my brother was missing a week ago. Had it only been a week? It felt more like years since that panic filled morning.
I forced my hand to turn the key, repeating to myself that everything would be as expected. I was not ready for the strong hand that covered my mouth, or the death grip around my wrist that pulled me inside.