Trial by Fire

Disclaimer: I don't own Justice League in any way, shape or form. I wish I did, but I don't.

"I'm sorry, Stuff."

The cowboy ignored the loud whispers of the few people also visiting departed loved ones as they noticed him crouching in front of the lone tombstone, one hand reaching out to gently touch it, then faint alarmed cries pulled his attention away and he rose to his feet, gazing up at where everyone else in the graveyard was pointing, at a plume of thick grey smoke rising into the sky.

He didn't waste a second, tipping his hat to his partner's grave, the Vigilante took off toward the smoke.

~*~

Greg arrived at his destination about five blocks away, the burning building being one of those run-down cheap as hell apartment blocks. Probably meant that the cause was electrical and was already attracting attention as one fire-truck already sat outside while sirens could be heard fast approaching the street.

Hanging back slightly, Vigilante took in every little detail then his attention was drawn to a woman seemingly searching for something or someone before she frantically grabbed at the coat of the nearest fire-fighter.

"Tell me you got my daughter out, she's only six," with the lack of a child outside, all eyes travelled to the burning building as the mother sobbed a terrified "Oh God!"

A kid was still in there! The cowboy narrowed his eyes thoughtfully as he rested both hands on the wooden barrier keeping people back, then he swung his body around, vaulting over it before anyone realised what he was doing and dashed towards the steps leading inside.

"Wait, it's insane to go in there without some back-up," one of the fire-fighters called after him.

The cowboy don't slow down and shrugged, then disappeared among the flames and smoke, his eyes and ears sharp and he nodded on hearing a whimpering cry from an apartment near the back of the building.

Dashing to the source of the sound, he raised a foot and braced himself. No time to stand on ceremony or be polite and the cowboy kicked the door fully open before a creaking noise caught his attention and he looked up with a hissed curse.

Dodging a falling beam by rolling along the floor on his back, the cowboy coughed slightly as the smoke started to get to him despite his bandanna. Looking the girl over, he hissed on noticing the complete lack of colour other than white in her eyes. No wonder she hadn't moved, the kid couldn't make her way out safely.

As the section of roof above them started to creak, Vigilante moved fast, grabbing the six year old and holding her lightly against his chest, his hands resting on her head and back.

"Who are you? I don't want you, I want my mommy!"

One small hand had reached to touch his nose but that was enough for her to realise she was in the arms of a complete stranger and already scared, she started flailing at him.

Starting to run back the way he had come, Greg's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, he needed to calm the kid down. If she kept struggling, she could prove a distraction or worse, he could drop her.

Pulling his hat off, he placed it on the girl's head, chuckling slightly as it slid down over her face before she grabbed the rim and lifted the front slightly.

"What's this?"

"That there is a very special hat, only the bravest of cowgirls can wear it! Let's see if yer have what it takes."

The girl fell silent, clinging to the white hat with both hands as her rescuer ran along the burning corridor, mentally cursing as flames erupted from a doorway and brushed his arm.

Not stopping, Greg frowned under his bandanna as he saw the apartment building's main door, but paused. The middle of the floor in front of them sported a hole where parts of the fiery ceiling had smashed through it. Edging forward and to the side, the cowboy took one cautious step at a time until they were on the other side.

Dashing the last few feet, he bent over slightly, shielding the girl as best he could before smashing into the door and outside, taking a deep breath of fresh air before coughing slightly.

"Molly!" a woman's voice shrieked as the mother hurried over, relieving the cowboy of the child with a "Thank you!" while a man he was guessing was the husband and father joined them.

"Welcome," Vigilante nodded, then glanced back at the family as the paramedics gently steered him to one of their vehicles for some oxygen, the cowboy putting up with their fussing as a breathing mask and tank was prepped.

"Slip it under the bandanna, this ain't coming off," he nodded at them. With his hat elsewhere, he didn't want to destroy his secret identity by removing the cloth.

The paramedics glanced at each other, one of them raising an eyebrow at the request, then shrugged and slipped it under the red material, holding it in place as the cowboy took several breaths, closing his eyes as he did so.

~*~

"Mister Cowboy...."

Preparing to leave the area now the fire was under control, Vigilante turned back to the girl and her parents as she held the one thing he had nearly forgotten out to him, chirping in an attempt to imitate his accent "You forgot your hat."

The cowboy raised an eyebrow, then laughed softly once before he gently took the hat and dropped it back on her head without a second thought "Yer keep it, kid! Yer earned it."

She stared at him with wide sightless eyes, then squealed in joy and firmly grabbed at the rim, bouncing in her mother's arms slightly.

"Thank you again," the father stepped forward to grasp Greg's hand and shook it warmly, a gesture that matched his smile.

"No problem, but Ah need ta git goin'!" he made the polite gesture of tugging at a hat that was no longer there before turning to leave, a small smile crossing his face as he disappeared among the slowly clearing smoke to the sounds of a small child giggling in delight.