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Each step is hard, and every stare is painful. But Shayera Hol holds her head high and keeps her back straight.

It's really, really easy to imagine that every pair of eyes in the cafeteria is turned her way and is yelling silently, Traitor. In fact, on the five or six masked faces – most of them she has never seen in her life – there's a mix of mildly cold curiosity and indifference. The gossip that started when she walked in died down abruptly when Diana strode out, the dessert on her tray unfinished. Her blue eyes were the perfect picture of royal crushing contempt, the last words she said to Shayera echoing in the former Hawkgirl's head.

"I should leave you to burn."

Shayera stared back, unflinching.

Whispers start again as she sits down at an empty table and resolutely keeps her gaze steadily in front of her, keeping her hands from shaking with sheer iron resolve.

You knew it was going to be hard. You can face this.

It's only a cafeteria, filled with people she's never spoken to. Of the original seven, she's only seen John (oh, John …) and Superman so far. Diana makes three. Of course she can withstand a few mutterings and some white noise gossip.

Her will continues to build up iron walls around her heart. There's no way in any kind of hell that she's going to let them guess that, behind those walls, there's a woman looking for a way to hide her tears.

"I should leave you to burn."

Guess I'll be taking my meals in my quarters …


"Hawkgirl!?"

Her fingers close instinctively around her mace as her head whips around – and she finds herself looking into a shocked face.

By the look of it, Flash has almost dropped the six pizza boxes he's holding. Unless he's just caught them at the last moment. He does that.

The very next second, the boxes lie next to her tray on her table and he's got his arms wrapped tightly around her.

"It's so good to see you!"

He doesn't bother whispering, and every face left in the room turns to them in surprise. There are only two now, so it makes it easier for Shayera to ignore them, hugging her friend back as tight as she can. The unadulterated, candid joy in his voice nearly undoes her resolve not to cry.

"Thought I'd never see you again for a while here," he whispers, and for a six-foot-tall, rather muscular young man, it's amazing how he can sound like a ten-year-old boy. She can't help a slightly choked-up chuckle.

"Don't be stupid." You're practically the only family I've got left, she doesn't add, but she hopes he gets the message.

When they part, Shayera has a broad, genuine smile on her face, and to her it feels like the first she's had in absolute ages. She takes up a chair and watches Flash as he does the same and offers her a slice of pizza like it's the most natural thing in the world.

He's almost the same as he looked last time she saw him, apart from looking a little tired, but there's a very subtle change to his posture and the way he moves – not exactly slower, because that's a word the Fastest Man Alive just refuses to acknowledge, but more … grounded. Confident. As though he's matured a little bit during the months she's spent in Doctor Fate's tower.

Of course, he chooses this very moment to ask her, "So, what's up?" with his mouth full, spraying little bits of food and looking sheepish when he notices, so she doesn't worry about him growing too 'mature'.

She chews on her slice of pizza and wonders where to begin.

"Well, for a start, don't call me Hawkgirl. She never – that was just a stupid nickname."

"Okay, no prob. I wondered why you never wanted to upgrade it to 'Hawkwoman', though."

He gives her one of his big, silly smiles, and the old sense of familiarity is back. For a second, it feels like she never left.

Then the heavy dread and guilt rear their ugly head, and she remembers why she left.

Feeling drained now that she stopped relying on sheer determination to appear stone-faced and unruffled, her shoulders sag and she all but puts her head between her hands.

Flash stops chewing, and peers at her in concern.

"You okay? Is – is it something I said? Gee, you'd think I'd learned by now when to keep my big dumb mouth shut …"

"It's not you," she cuts him off, the familiar lump of anger and misery growing again in her throat. "You've been the – it's the kindest welcome I've had, and it means a lot – it's …" She massages her temple; it's a soothing gesture she only discovered when she decided not to wear the traditional Thanagarian helmet. "It's … It's hard, and it's complicated, and it doesn't go away by sharing a few slices of pizza."

Flash gets really quiet for a moment, looking subdued and a bit sad. Then he gives her a warm smile and opens the second box, holding it in front of her for her to pick a slice.

"But pizza helps."

She shakes her head, grinning in spite of herself. "Yeah, pizza helps. Thanks."

"So …" he begins with his mouth full, but quickly swallows. "Not 'Hawkgirl', then?"

"Definitely not."

"Huh." He taps his finger against his chin. There goes that big grin of his again. "Why don't we start over, then?"

And he does the last thing she expects him to.

He lowers his cowl.

"Hi, I'm Wally West. Nice to meet ya."

Shayera just stares at him, stunned.

Flash – Wally – has short red hair that sticks up in every direction and a smattering of freckles across his nose. His pale blue eyes should look cold, but they're alight with the laughter and warmth that's always in his voice when he speaks.

It figures, really.

When she recovers from the shock – pretty quick – her eyes dart in every direction as she hisses, "Are you insane? Your secret identity's not gonna be much of a secret if everyone –"

"Hey, relax," he says, picking up the last slice. "There's only Question here, and rumours has it he's more paranoid than the Bats. Probably knows the colour of my favourite socks. So, what 'bout you?"

Shayera doesn't have to glance in the corner to feel the stare of the faceless man on her. It's creepy.

She quickly shakes the feeling off. She may not be a soldier anymore, or a hero, but she's still not the kind of woman who lets an eyeless stare creep her out.

Her gaze returns on Fl – on Wally, who's already on the third pizza.

It's hard, and it's complicated.

But some things are thankfully simple.

"Shayera. Shayera Hol."

Wally smiles around his mouthful of pizza. "Nice name."

And this step is not painful at all.

After a few silent seconds, she cocks an eyebrow and gives him a crooked smile. This one comes out even easier that the last.

"So … Red hair, huh?"
There’s two things I’ve always regretted with "Justice League" – first, the virtual absence of Flash in the first season of JLU, and second (logic, really, when you consider the first thing), that they didn’t follow up much on his brother/sister relationship with Shayera. That’s why I love the I Am Legion episode: the “She loves me. She’s like the big sister I never had. Only … you know … short.” bit was wonderful. However, I do wish they’d shown a scene in the beginning of JLU where he tells her his name, and vice versa. Hence the snippet.

Besides, being the only two red-haired Founders of the League would give them another reason to stick together :)
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