Title: My Mother's Worst Fear
Chapter: One. I Freeze Because She's Ill.
Word Count: 1,553
Pairings: None. Strong KFxRobin Friendship, though.
Summary: Wally's mother is sick and it's all his fault. Can he hold up in the aftermath if he - the fastest boy alive - is too late to save her?

NOTE: This idea is not mine. However I did take this wonderful idea and ran with it. The original idea was created by JadeBrycin2116 in her story of Shattered Pieces of which I suggest you read because it's a wonderful story. I was given permission by JadeBrycin2116 to post this story.

Kid Flash freezes.

The team rush forward to face the robots.

Kid Flash still can't move.

All he can think is his mother's right.

He's going to die.

Just like in the failsafe simulation.

The team aren't fairing well against the robots.

Just before the robots skewer Artemis, simulation ends.

The seven teenagers lay out and monitored on the seven metal slabs sit up and with a blurry mind look around the room to find Batman, Red Tornado, and Martian Manhunter watching them raise.

"What happened?" Batman is first to break the silence. His tone is of surprise and disbelief.

"Yes, you were only under for ten minutes. You should have only just begun fighting." Manhunter states curiously. He looks from each of the teens.

M'gann is fully awake first as she slides off the table and walks over to Conner, who is rubbing his head. The boy still has problems with the simulations; he's distrustful of people entering his mind and playing tricks. Kuldar and Robin are awake and are glancing between each other in hopes for an answer. They look upset about failing so quickly. Artemis is glaring at Wally, who is holding his head in his hands relieved. Manhunter can see the speedster is vibrating.

"I, I am not sure, Batman." Kuldar steps up to the plate, "We encountered the first group of robots after disabling the first three level worth of booby traps. Our efforts did not seem adequate, however, and we were over taken."

"Those robots should have been no problem with the seven of you working together."

Before Kuldar can say anything, Artemis interrupts. Her tone is harsh. "We would have been fine if it was the seven of us. Kid Idiot, over here didn't even fight. He froze up or something leaving Zatanna and I vastly outnumbered."

All eyes turned to the red headed kid who is still holding his face within his hands. In the sudden silence, they can hear him mumbling to himself.

"Kid Flash." Batman cuts silence, making the speedster jump and drop his hands. He's shaking still and his eyes are bit glossy as if he's about to cry but he faces Batman with a face devoid of emotion. He must be taking lesson, Robin thinks. He also thinks this is a bad time to try and use those lessons. "Explain."

Wally opens his mouth, then shuts it, slides off the slab of metal, looks around the room before letting his gaze drop, opens his mouth, shuts it, and seems almost frozen in place as he stares at the floor by his feet with the exception of his shaking.

"I messed up…I was thinking, not thinking, over thinking…" The color drained from Wally's face, "I really need to go." And with that Kid Flash ran pasted the three adults and six teen and out of the room. Robin was the first one to move after his friend's departure. As quickly as the Boy Wonder could, Robin followed Wally out of the room and down towards Wally's room in the cave.

Most of the teen's room other than M'gann and Conner weren't used very often. Spare clothes and some personal items were only ever left. Robin had been in Wally's room before, he usually always have his school books spread out on his desk along with a laptop and a school bag thrown somewhere in the room as if he came straight from school to the cave and today is no expectation. A picture of his aunt is thumb tacked to the wall by the light switched and his closet has a box of old Flash action figures that Robin is pretty sure Wally has had since he was younger. Robin can remember when he found them; Wally said his dad had asked him to throw them away due to some tension over Wally's power rather recently so instead he brought them here. They both laughed over this. Laughter is usually what's heard from Wally's room.

Not this time.

Robin actually hesitates when he hears what sounds like crying coming from the redhead's room, but pushes forward. "Wally?" He calls as he gentle pushes the door open and steps inside. Wally looks up from where he's sitting on the floor using his bed as a backrest. A few of his things look like he had been shoving them in his backpack as if getting himself ready to leave. "What happened?"

Robin isn't sure, Wally is going to answer at first, but to be honest they both know this has been building up for a while and if Wally doesn't start explaining soon then their friendship could become more jagged than it already has over the past few months of this building. Robin has tried to be patience over the last few months, every since that failsafe simulation, and has tried to get Wally to talk to him about whatever it is that is going on, but Wally's been keeping his mouth shut and more importantly keeping Robin – his best friend – out of what it is and his life.

The distance that had been created between the two over this issue has been hard on both teens. Robin's worried about trust and losing a friend. Wally wants so bad to tell his friend, to tell somebody but speaking the words would be admitting so much.

Robin has been patient in waiting for Wally to come to him, but he hasn't and now it looks like he can't get out of the mess alone any more. Wally needs help, even if he won't admit it, and Robin isn't afraid to push the subject now that he can see how bad things have gotten for his friend. His friend needs help and he's going to help him whether he wants the help or not.

"I froze." Wally said simply, sadly.

Robins stepped further into the room. "I can see that, Wals, but I was wondering why you froze?" He knelt down beside his friend.

Wally's body shook with rotten laughter as placed a hand onto his friend's shoulder almost knocking Robin off-balance with the sudden added weight. "I-I know that…it's just." Wally's horrid laughter fell away into a short sob. Wally took a second to settle himself. "Rob, I was so sure I was going to die."

"Die?" Wally could tell even behind Robin's mask that that Boy Wonder's eyes widen is surprised and disbelief. "Why on earth would you think that?"

"Because of my mom." Wally stated sourly, "She's so sure this superhero business is going to get me killed every since I told her about that failsafe simulation where we all died. She can't get it out of her head and now I can't get it out of my head!"

Slowly, "Wally, we're superheroes it's a rather large possibility that we'll die in the line of duty."

With a sigh that seemed to rack his entire body Wally nodded. "I know that. I accepted that, but every time we have a conversation she starts to panic and she ends up yelling about me dying. Robin, it plays with your mind when your own mother tells you over and over again that you are going to die with so much certainty." Wally paused for breath, his eyes looking at his palm. He seemed to have forgotten about his hand on Robin's shoulder. "I know the possibility of dying but she acts like I'm already dead…that plays with my mind, Rob, it plays with my head so bad."

The room falls silent.

Robin takes one of his hands and mimics Wally's hand on his own shoulder. "Wally," The green-eyed boy looks up to match Robin's gaze. "Maybe you should take a few days off. Really talk to your mom about things?"

"My mom won't listen. She's so distraught, so far beyond repair…but maybe you're right. I should take some time off. Wrap my head around this." Wally sounded so hopeless, so tired it worried Robin to his core.

"You aren't…going to quit being Kid Flash are you?"

Slowly, much too slowly for Robin's taste, but firmly, Wally shook his head. "No, I love being Kid Flash more than I love simply running. I won't change that part of my life for anyone…but I need some time away to work this out before I really get myself killed or even worse – like today's simulation – someone else killed."

Robin found himself agreeing and offering to tell the others he won't be returning for a while so that he could return home. Wally nodded his head with a small thanks but made no notion to stand and leave. Robin figured he simply wanted to compose himself before returning home.

The Boy Wonder, slowly and uneasily, left the room and returned the simulation room where the team and three Leaguers still stood waiting for the two to return while discussing the simulation they had gotten through.

As soon as Robin entered the room the occupants feel silent.

"Kid Flash is returning home. There is a problem with his family that needs to be dealt with. It might take some time to settle, so he's asked for a few weeks of leave until things are worked out."

A little stiffly, Batman simply nodded and had the team return to the team.