Chapter Text
My name is Solace Winslow.
“Solace, dinner!”
The woman shouting at the top of her lungs is my adoptive mother, Julie.
I walked down to our dining room table to find my mother plating the oven baked macaroni and cheese with chicken nuggets.
“Mother dear, you spoil me.” I sat down, grabbed my fork ready to dig in when the woman stopped me.
“Ah, ah, ah. You forgetting something?” Julie tapped her foot, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.
“Oh, right, all hail Meryl Streep.” I raised my hands dramatically, making Julie chuckle as she shook her head before finally sitting down to eat.
“So, what'd you make this time?”
“Just a simple e.m.p that only disrupts the wifi.”
“Those kids at school harassing you again?” My mother chortled.
“No, right now they're begging me to give them internet access back.” I smirked.
See, the thing is, I'm not really from this world. By some miracle I reincarnated into another universe. At first I was overwhelmed and fell into a slight depression from feeling undeserving but over the years I've come to realize that maybe I was brought here for a reason.
Some would say that I lucked out due to my second chance, superior intellect that gives me the ability to invent machines and experiments and normally I would agree. If not for this teensy tiny detail.
A sharp crack of gunfire rang through the air, followed by the high-pitched cackle of a maniac. My mom sighed as we glanced at the window.
“Looks like the Joker escaped again.” My mom rolled her eyes because this is unfortunately the norm.
Yup, you guessed it, we live in Gotham.
“Wish he'd just drop dead.” I grumbled.
“Agreed.”
My mother usually doesn't condone such ideology but ever since her friend Rachel who used to work with her at her animal clinic died from a Joker bomb, she started seeing things in a different light.
The anger I felt that day was new to me, my past life being mostly peaceful didn't prepare me for the rage I'd feel about someone I've never even spoken to.
I was so mad thinking of the way that monster hurt my mom that I didn't notice the flames coming out of my nose.
“Sol, fire.” My mom didn't even look up from her plate when she reminded me.
“Sorry.” I start patting said nose.
That was another quirk added with the intelligence.
Pyrokinesis
Or fire manipulation if you're not a nerd or live under a rock.
I just assumed my birth parents were metahumans and quickly adapted with my new abilities.
Mom was worried at first, more for me than her but just accepted how things were after a few years.
After dinner, I brushed my teeth, slipped into my Terrence Angry Bird pajamas, and reluctantly climbed into bed.
In my past life, I used to love sleep. It was the ultimate escape—a chance to recharge and dream without consequence. But now? The thought of closing my eyes fills me with dread.
Every night, I find myself in the same dream. I wake up in a vast meadow that seems to stretch on forever, bathed in the soft glow of twilight. The air is warm, yet I can feel an unnatural chill prickling at the back of my neck. Ahead of me stands a grand gothic castle, its towering spires piercing the sky like blackened teeth. The sight of it sends a shiver through me. It’s beautiful but wrong, like something out of a nightmare.
No matter how many times I’ve come here, I’ve never had the urge to approach. But I always hear it—the voice. Low, husky, and far too close, as if the speaker is standing right behind me.
“Don't be afraid. Come closer.”
And then I wake up
☽✧☾
I was walking to school since it was only a block away and Gotham's crazies usually strike at night so I was mostly safe even though it always looked dark here.
I then started feeling strange, as if I was being watched.
I stopped near a lamp post and looked around to find no one was in my vicinity.
I turned back toward the street, but a flicker of movement caught my eye. A shadow darted past—fast, too fast. My heart raced as I felt a sharp sting on my neck. My vision blurred, my legs wobbled, and the world faded to black.