She wasn't sure how life ended. In the back of her mind all she could imagine was the sweet resolution of a darkening sky and the peaceful lull of slumber. There was no great afterlife that granted her peace and freedom, but she knew at the end of the day that whatever was given to her, she would take without any delay. The end of the world had a better chance of unfolding before her today than any other day. It shouldn't be a shock that she would have to forgo any chance of a normal life, despite all desire to run away from this life.

For the life of them they had tried, to move every obstacle from their path that could darken their future. Riley wanted a future. She had wanted a home and a family that would last into the ages. Wally falling in love with her was the awakening moment that she could have anything she wanted, even more so him entirely. She thought the hardest moment was asking him to run with her, to forgo the life they had created the heroes and find solace in one another. Riley may have been an outcast, but she was willing to path the way for a comfortable life together. It was like the dark skies parting for the first time in her short life when he took her hand to run.

A home. A life. It was all they wanted. Riley could start school and move mountains with her own heart. Wally had a future to fight in his own right, protecting the innocent in ways that would keep him coming back home. It was a dream, and one they held so dearly for as long as they could. Yet life had a way of catching up to them, and sooner than later the tight cord of responsibility yanked Riley back into the life. At first it had been in passing, and nothing more than a glance to her former self; but slowly and surely she found herself in the grasp of her heritage. Nightwing filled the skies of Gotham and it was a resurgence that couldn't be kept quiet.

She could still remember the yelling. The anger and fear that accompanied it. Was it so wrong, she had thought, to have hidden her actions if only to protect him. Riley knew better than must what secrets did to people, she knew that her lies had been spared once – but twice would be far more than compromising. It took everything in her power to cling on to her sanity. It took everything in them both not to fall into pieces. Yet the damage was done and she knew that trust was once more not equally split both ways. She had put herself in danger, when they had agree their time was done.

It soon became clear that there was no escape, there was no leaving behind the history of a broken past. Riley would always go home, even if she so desperately wanted to avoid it. There was no all or nothing, which always led to nothing at all.

April 14th, 2018. Riley was leaving the last of her English classes at the University of Missouri when she noticed the upsweep of wind. A gathering of her classmates began to scramble with the leather bags and books to find shelter in the nearby building. The acrobats trained eyes wanted to see if there was a flicker to follow, yet when she saw nothing her eyes turned to the skies with curiosity. It soon became clear that the problem was not of the natural world. As a black streak flew above her she quickly found herself diving beneath a tree with a scream as a bolt of lightening struck the Earth where she had been standing. With a shaky stance she pulled herself to as stance beneath the great oak tree and tried to peer up through the branches.

It was too precise not to be a target, and the girl knew it better than others. Her hair flew around her face as her chest rose and fell with worry. If she tried to make it to the buildings, there was a chance she could be hit first. If she stayed, there was a better chance of the lightening striking the tree, and catching fire. The girl fluttered her gaze back and forth to the near by building, her teeth gritting unaware of what exactly was attacking her. In the back of her mind she only hoped that whatever it was, someone would deal with it first.

As her trembling hand pulled the strap of her backpack tighter around her shoulder she decided that a run would have to be attempted. A quick breathe left her lungs as she push off from the tree with a vigor and bolted as fast as her legs would take her for the building. The air was like fire as she felt something rush behind her in an instant. Just as the heat felt as if it would consume her, a force much greater than expected slammed into the side of her, knocking the breathe from her lungs. Within a moment she found herself inside the building and in tight grasp of another. A cry choked out of her lungs as she fumbled to make sure she was still in one piece.

The crystalline blues flickered up in shock as she was met by a familiar look. There in clad uniform was someone she would never forget the site of. Her raven locks shook as she wanted to scream at him despite the fumble of dozens of students running around. The second her lips parted another strike crushed into the top of the building, sending everyone standing to their knees as Riley's small frame was held up with Wally. " – What is going on?!" She seethed through her teeth, her eyes glittered with unshed worry at the attempt on her own life. The older brushed the hair from her face with a sigh before steadying her against the walling. " Thawne.. I don't' know how okay. I haven't been able to get ahold of Barry but if-" Riley shook her head. "You can't go out there, if Zoom gets a hold of you he'll kill you to hurt Barry."

Wally shook his head before looking back down at her. "He'll kill you to get to me. Riley I can't risk that, no more than you could risk the Joker killing Tim." He murmured before looking away at the chaos evolving outside. Soon there were shouts and cackles following more crashes of light. He would blow the place up to get to Wally, and Riley knew that Wally wouldn't let anyone get hurt for him. The girl shook her head grabbing him by the arm. "I'm not letting you go out there alone...I just need something. My stuff is at home-" She began with a tremble but Wally laughed with what could only be determined to be relief. "You aren't going anywhere. You're going to go help these students into the basement and you're going to stay put until I come get you." He said firmly as the girl began to shake her head with fierce rejections.

"Dammit Wally you can't do this, this isn't fair!" She whispered as he tried to get her to release the hold on him. The second he managed to get loose a crack sounded through the air like a sonic boom, a eery voice followed that made the speedster's skin crawl. "I know you're here...I saw you running in to save the little girl. You Flashes and your women, – you two can't seem to get enough of them." Wally's eyes turned to the door as he slowly pushed away from her. No backup, no practice, and no chance for anyone if he didn't at least try. The tears had spilled over her eyes as she looked at him contemplating his life and she couldn't help but shake her head. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry I went back. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, – I was so afraid." She choked out as if the words were deter him from leaving. As if this in his own way was to return a blow to her for going out again.

"Shh, it's okay. There's nothing to forgive." He murmured before pulling her into his arms. For a brief moment Riley clung to him in hopes that he could stay. All she wanted was a normal life. All they had ever wanted was to be free of the chains that had bound them as kids. They had given up so much, they had risked so much to become heroes, and lost so many to maintain the safety of the innocents. As Wally held her tightly in his arms he couldn't help but think that Riley was the innocent, and he had to protect her no matter what. With his hands turning her to glance up at him, he took a moment to smile down at her. Riley knew that this was the moment she had been running from, and they had both never wanted to face it. Even with tears, the blue orbs pierced up at the hero with fear and strength. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she pushed to press her lips into his own.

The smile left his lips and for a moment this was all that mattered. His arms wrapped around the woman tightly and kissed her back with a passion reserved for a dying man. Her lips parted and he breathed in the sent of lilacs and cinnamon, a thousand days of hope and dreams fell through her clenching throat as she pulled him closer as if for a final breathe. When their lips parted she closed her eyes in a stifle of breathe before he whispered to her, " -Te iubesc.."

She didn't part her eyes before a swarm of wind pushed her back into the walls of the school. Her chest pounding she watched the trail of heated air light up the spring grass as he ran to his destiny. Riley wondered if this is what death really felt like. Not the physical aspect, but the internal. The feeling of emptiness as the people you love most says goodbye. It wasn't long before the ran followed, and the thunder claps of heroes rang out into the distant. Had it always sounded like this, she thought, was it always a storm?

The hand that grabbed her never phrased the girl, the fingers to snapped to pull her from the darkness as she was pulled down into the basement with the other students. For once in her long life Riley was the person waiting for the storm to end, listening to the rain and thunder of the dark and villainous world around them knowing that their was nothing they could do. Riley had gotten her wish, she supposed. In the end, she was a normal person, except being normal was no different. She still had to suffer, things still had to end, and most of all – dreams still had to die.