Young Justice: Solstice

Eleven

Cassie and I were in fits of giggles as we practically fell down the hotel stairs and into the lobby. The elevator was broken. Again.

"Good morning, girls," Mom smiled as I kissed her and dad good morning.

"Someone's happy," Helena remarked. 

"Be right back!" Cassie gave a little wave as we got in line for the breakfast buffet, which wasn't that big. Cassie had bacon and eggs and every kind of sausage covering her plate, while I took a couple pancakes and one of each type of pastry they had to offer. Meat wasn't my thing.

"Someone's hungry." Mum remarked as I dug into my muffins.

"It was all the excitement yesterday. It kinda caught up with us."

"It's a good thing Wonder Woman found you and brought you back to the hotel," Helena said, slightly louder than usual. "I'm sorry you two got stuck in there."

Of course, she knew that Wonder Woman had brought me and Cassie to the League's Watchtower for an induction-type thing, but since I was a legal adult at age eighteen, the League left it up to me to tell my parents that I was a hero if I wanted to or not. I chose not. They would freak if they found out. 

I'd been the perfect little girl all my life. It was time for a change. It wasn't exactly a one-eighty change, but still, they'd freak. 

"You keep getting hit by Kiran," Dad remarked. "At this rate I may lock you in your room to keep you safe!"

He was just joking, but I winced nonetheless, hiding it in a mouthful of pancakes and nearly choking on my food.

"I can handle myself, Dad, don't worry."

"Tell that to your coma," Mum said, turning the page of the paper she was reading.

Dad's half-burnt slice of toast froze halfway to his mouth as he looked up at the screen. I thought his gaze would be locked on the English football game on the screen above the bar, but he glanced over to the news station broadcasting on the one next to it.

One that showed extremely blurry footage from a cracked security feed from the museum.

Cassie caught it too, quickly going back to her plate and shoving forkfuls into her mouth. Helena tried to pretend like she didn't see the news, but she sat up very stiffly. I looked away from my parents, hoping he wouldn't connect me to the light-girl onscreen. Of course I had to wear yellow today. 

"Rani," Dad whispered to mum, pointing out the TV screen. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched Solstice blast a rock monster while a British newscaster commented on every move Cassie and I made.

"Everyone upstairs, now." Dad whispered.

Looking at her food forlornly, Cassie cleared her plate, but carried a handful of bacon with her. Same with me and my muffin.

-------

Up in Mum and Dad's hotel room, they managed to find the same channel, which was still looping that footage.

"Kiran, is that you?" My father asked.

Sitting on the edge of the bed next to Cassie, I locked my face in a neutral expression and nodded.

"When did this start?" Mum asked, her arms folded across her chest.

I looked at Cassie, who continued to look at the carpet, nearly folded over.

"Two weeks ago, after Mohenjo-Daro. After I woke up, I found out that I had some sort of light-powers." I said, keeping it brief and to the point.

Dad looked at Cassie next. "Cassie, are you the other girl in the footage?"

"Yeah," she admitted, her voice sounding hoarse and small.

"Did you know about this?" Mum asked Helena, who leaned against the wall.

Helena sighed. "Cassie is underage, and Wonder Woman and I work very closely, so when Wonder Woman began to train Cassie as Wonder Girl, the Justice League told me. I didn't know about Kiran's powers until Diana told me last night."

"The Justice League!?" Dad looked at me. "You can't be serious, Kiran! You've barely had these powers for a fortnight and you hardly escaped from that fight unscathed, how do you think you can help the Justice League?"

"How do you know I just barely made it out?" I said, standing up to face him. "You can barely tell anything from that footage!"

My parents were surprised. I had never made an outburst like this before.

"Maybe I'm barely trained, but I have so much power!" I said, letting my hand glow for a demonstration. "The Justice League is finding someone to train and teach me and help me get better! I can do this!"

"No, Kira, you can't!" My mother protested.

"Mum, I'm not a little girl anymore!" I shouted. "I'm eighteen, I'm going to college, I'm a legal adult, now, I can make my own decisions, and you can't stop me!"

"Kira..." My mother gasped.

"I love you both, and  I've tried so very hard to be a good daughter. Did what you asked, didn't ask questions, did my chores, got good grades. But being a superhero is a way that I can be a good person. Can't you see that?" I implored.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, this is something I have to do."

My father's shoulders slumped as he sighed, looking at me. "Then you'll do it without our help."

My eyes widened, and Cassie looked up, eyes wide.

"Dad-" I gasped, reaching out to touch him with my right hand. I bit my lip, blinking away the lump in my throat, and a burst of light shot out and hit the wall behind his head.

"Do as he says! Leave!" My mother jumped back, scared witless by my abrupt display of power.

"Vijay, Rani, you can't be serious!" Helena said.

"No, Doctor Sandsmark." I said lowly. "They're right. I can't stay with them anymore."

I bounded over to the window, throwing it open. The tattoo on my wrist burned like the sun as I leaped into the air.

High above overcast London, I let myself break down sobbing.

I was finally my own person. I was finally Kiran. But I was no longer Kiran Singh.