a quick note: this is AU as hell and the Jay we saw the first half of the season is actually Jay, not that it really matters, also Zoom is still a cat with a huge pink glitter bow, and thus is no longer very important

Roya Walker knew the Rules very well, and unlike most 6 year olds, she followed them nearly all the time. Granted, her everyday rules were less "No TV until chores are done and "pick up your toys right away" and more along the lines of " do not let anyone who doesn't already know see you use your powers" and "ask permission before you turn someone into a cat" and "don't shed on Poppa Joe's uniform," but still. Joe, Barry, or Iris drilled her on them mornings before school, as if she might have forgotten. She wasn't a fur-brain, she knew pretty well that if she messed up, she'd probably have to stop going to school and hide at Star Labs for the rest of forever, because some people were scared of people with powers. Some people were even scared of Uncle Barry, and he was a hero. And she liked first grade, a lot, and all her friends, even if she couldn't tell them she could turn into a cat, or that they were doing it wrong when they played Flash-and-Robbers.

So she had to follow the Rules. It wasn't hard to understand. There were exceptions. If Uncle Grumpy cat was being Rude to Uncle Cisco, no one would get mad as long as she explained, and uncle Cisco gave her "blanket permission" which was a dumb name for "unless I'm working on something important, you always have permission to turn me into a cat."

There were other exceptions, too, though, scary ones, and Poppa Joe had trained her and her new brother Wally on them. There were a lot of people that were mad at him, because he was a police officer, and if she saw any of them she was supposed to get out of sight and shift and hide.

Only she couldn't, right now, because Lunch Recess had been canceled because of the thunderstorm and they were all stuck in the little classroom with one of the Bad People pointing a gun at Teacher Carol, and everyone was huddled together, so they'd notice. She wanted to hiss at the man, for scaring everyone else and dripping water on the bookcase. And for scaring her. She twitched, kneading the story-time rug with fingernails that were not as good as claws as Teacher Carol stood between him and them.

"I just want Joe West's kid," the Bad Man (Poppa Joe had told her his name, but she forgot it, just remembered the angry frown and stupid hair, blond like dishwater) said. "No one else gets hurt if you hand the brat over."

Roya looked up, so did some of the other kids. Ian pulled his head inside his sweatshirt, like a bright yellow turtle, but his best friend TJ sat up straighter, looking at the door. TJ was the fastest kid in the class and always played Flash at recess, but he wasn't That fast. He also wasn't a dummy, so he didn't move.

Teacher Carol looked at the Bad Man, shifted her feet and said some very bad words. TJ whistled, which made the Bad Man look at him with narrowed eyes.

"She went home sick, she's not here," Teacher Carol lied. "And the cops will be here any-"

"Don't," the Bad Man said. "The cops are busy at a bank robbery and so's the Flash, and no one even knows I'm here. And even if they do come, I've got all you as hostages. All I want is one. Don't lie to me. The West girl." he looked at the kids, and Roya clawed at the carpet more. She wanted to jump at him and shred, or bite, she wanted to fight him, and she wanted to run and she wanted it to stop raining. Outside, there was a bright spark of lightning, and the thunder wasn't even one-tomato after it. "Which one of you is Joe West's kid?" Roya took a deep breath. Uncle Barry would come soon, and take the Bad Man away, she was supposed to hide till that happened.

Quishayla, who had hair as poofy as Roya's, jumped as the thunder rolled outside with a second lightning crash, and the Bad Man looked at her, and smiled.

"No!" Teacher Carol said, reaching for the classroom dictionary. "Don't touch her you-" she said a lot more bad words, but even TJ was too scared to whistle or giggle. She threw the dictionary and it smashed into the Bad Man's head, and he dropped the gun, only before anyone could run, he threw a snowball back at Teach Carol, an ice-ball, and she crashed into the desk. Ian screamed, Marisol started shouting, and the Bad Man grabbed Shayla's arm.

Roya knew the Rules but ignored them. She stood up. "Excuse me." He ignored her. "Excuse me," she said, shouting this time, " but I'm Roya. That's Shayla. Her Daddy works at the Firehouse. My Poppa is Detective Joe, so you need to put her down."

The Bad Man looked at her, and again she wanted to shift so she could claw at his face, but she didn't. Auntie Iris and Auntie Caitlin always said Uncle Barry didn't have any patience, but that it was important. She had to wait. He dropped Shayla, scooped up his gun, and waited. Roya gulped, and walked over, pulling her skirt out of her friend Katya's hand.

"I'm ok," she said. She had lived out on the street, even if none of her friends knew that. There were scarier things than this. Besides, she had a Plan.

The Bad Man picked her up, more like how Uncle Jay had (like a sack-a-potato) before he'd gone Home than how Poppa Joe or Uncle Barry did, and Roya counted. Teacher Carol was yelling, but Roya broke Rule number 2 and ignored her as the Bad Man carried her out the side door onto the play yard. Instantly she was soaked, and she spat and hissed, but he shook her so hard she squeaked and the rain got harder, so hard that she couldn't see, which meant that no one else could see either.

That was when she broke Rule number 1, except not really because this was one of the Exceptions. Roya felt her hands get hot and pushed very hard, reaching one hand to press against the Bad Man's arm.

She landed in a puddle with a splash, getting her new blue skirt all mudding. Above, the clouds started to fade, like in a movie, and Roya reached for the very wet kitten on the ground next to her. She picked him up by his scruff, knowing from experience that it was Not Fun, and looked at the classroom. The Bad Man's gun was sitting in another puddle; Roya glared at it.

Teacher Carol was running from the door, hugging at her.

"Oh my God, Roya Walker-West, what were you thinking he could have killed you are you alright are you hurt where did that sunnybeach go what happe-"

"Teacher Carol, you're squishing me. " Roya squirmed, then held up the kitten. "I need to call my Poppa now. Oh, never mind." Uncle Barry wooshed up, the mask Uncle Cisco made him on so most people couldn't tell who he was.

"Ma'am, Ro-uh, kiddo, where did Mardon go? Is anyone hurt?"

"That is his name. I forgot." Roya held up the sopping wet yellow kitten. "Um. He... turned into a cat. Here you go, Mr. Flash."

"Roya, sweetie," Teacher Carol took her hand. "She's in shock, I think. He tried to kidnap her, he must have dropped her and run-I tried-I don't know, the rain was too hard to see anything."

Uncle Barry took the offered kitten. "It sounds like you were very brave. Don't worry, Ma'am, I'll find him and make sure he never hurts anyone ever again."

"Except mice," Roya added, helpfully.

"Roya," Teacher Carol started, but Uncle Barry nodded, winking at her.

"Looks like he dropped his weapon, too, he can't be far, so I better run. CCPD is on their way. Are you ok?"

Roya nodded, tugging her hand out of Teacher Carol's to give him a hug. He bent down, still holding Mardon-Cat, yowling pitifully now, tight.

"Good work, Miss Kit. Salmon for dinner."

The little girl grinned, and let Teacher Carol guide her back to the classroom to wait for Poppa Joe.

It has been so long since I wrote, I hope you liked it, let me know.