A/N: People seemed to be very interested in a sequel for this so I've spent some time (maybe quite a few months...) working on a decent story line and I think I've figured it out. I've also taken on the fact that people wanted longer chapters so I've upped my minimum word limit an extra 500-1,000 words.
After a lot of debating, I have decided that this story will take place before Age of Ultron as it would be rather difficult given the past events in the original story before this. It begins after Captain America: Winter Soldier, however, though it will probably backtrack a little.
Hope you enjoy this. Follow, favourite and review if you do! :)
I do not own any of the Marvel or DC universe except any Original characters that I wish to add.
Chapter 1- Aftermath
This begins eleven months after the battle through dimensions. Both universes began that eleven months in anarchy, both searching desperately for a way back to each other. Each of them had lost, and gained, major puzzle pieces that they wanted to give back. The DC universe had lost two heroes and gained three. Wolverine, Ant-Man and Black Widow had all been too slow to make it home, as had Superboy and Wonder Woman. Slowly, the three newcomers had begun to lose hope of getting back. Plus, in those months they had more things to worry about.
It had not been just the heroes who had gotten stuck in places that weren't their own. Villains of all kinds now wandered unfamiliar streets, murdering, thieving and becoming an absolute nuisance. The heroes had a lot of cleanup duty to work through.
Then, eleven months later, they had accomplished much. All villains were now either locked up or hiding, showing neither hide nor tail of themselves.
[-]
Central City | DC Universe
Present day...
The sky was dull and grey, no hint of blue shining through the thick layer of cloud. A pair walked silently through the city, hands intertwined together. Yet, the male seemed distant, eyes looking somewhere other than the woman, even though she only had eyes for him. There were brief passers, people insignificant and of little matter to the lives of the two.
"Wally?" The blonde female gathered no reply from him. "Hey, Wally." This repetition gained somewhat of a mumble from him as he looked to her. "You were doing it again."
"I was?" Wally asked. "I'm sorry, Artemis. I know I keep doing it but-"
"You were thinking of her again, weren't you?" Artemis questioned, eyebrows raising. "It's been almost a year, Wally. If they were going to somehow open some kind of portal, don't you think they'd have done it by now? You need to let her go."
"I can't do that."
"She's dead, Wally."
"We don't know that."
"Yes, we do. She was stabbed and you were both thousands of miles from anyone who could have helped. There was no way she lived." Artemis reasoned.
"You don't know her," Wally replied. "Not like I do."
Artemis closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath before speaking. "I know you loved her, Wally."
Wally looked at her in shock for a moment before releasing her hand and lowering his head. "How did you figure that?"
"The way you talk about her... it's the way I wish you would talk about me."
"I-"
"Don't bother, Wally. I don't want this if your heart isn't completely in it." Artemis gave a soft sigh, as though what she was about to say had been coming for a while. "I think we should take a break."
"Artemis-"
"No, let me speak. You need space to deal with whatever is going on with you. And I need to give you that space."
Wally closed his eyes for a long moment before nodding slowly. "I suppose you're right. I need to figure something out for myself."
Just then, there came a beeping noise from both of them as their phones blared. In sync, they pulled them from their pockets and studied the screens intently.
Watchtower. Now.
-BM
"Good ol', Batman. Always knows when to ruin a serious break-up," Wally muttered.
[-]
Watchtower | DC Universe
Present Day...
"Please, be serious. Do we really think they've figured out another way through? Fury himself said that the portals were closing for good-"
"The signals are all the same. It doesn't seem that they've managed a stable way through yet, however. It looks like we'll be playing the waiting game again," Nightwing explained, glancing over at Wally. "How long did it take them the last time?"
"Once the device was built... it exploded, actually. Chrissy gained the power to skip over here but she mastered that pretty much instantly. What are the signs?" Wally asked, looking confused.
"The portals emit some kind of increase in heat," Batman explained. "We set up sensors here on the Watchtower to detect temperatures out of the ordinary. It seems Central City is the hotspot for that right now."
Dick looked towards Artemis. "Didn't you say that Chrissy was-"
"She's not dead!" Wally snapped, interrupting him. "She can't be."
"People die, KF," Nightwing pointed out. "Especially when they've been stabbed."
"Shut up," growled the speedster, turning and walking towards the zetatube.
"Wally, wait!" Dick called as he jogged after him.
"Bunch of utter knuckleheads," Wally heard Wolverine grumble, only to receive a jab in the ribs from Widow.
Wally reached the zetatube long before Dick had a chance to catch up to him.
"Kidflash, B-0-5."
"I thought his name was Speedster?" That really did show how little Wally had interacted with Logan and the others since getting here.
"Do you pay attention to anything?" Well, Black Widow was a superagent after all. Of course she had realised.
The flash of light engulfed him before he could listen to any more.
[-]
Central City | DC Universe
A few days later...
"Wally, you're out here everyday. Does my statue really interest you that much?" The redhead could tell his uncle was trying to sound somewhat comedic but was failing, rather miserably.
"If she comes through then this would be the first place she would come."
"Not the Watchtower?"
"It'd be more difficult up in space. If she came through wrong then she could kill anyone who decided to go through." Wally was glad that his uncle hadn't decided to point out the obvious, that she wouldn't be coming through anyway.
"Ah." Barry took a seat next to him under the looming shadow of the Flash statue. "Happy birthday."
"Thanks."
"I think your team wanted to throw you a party or something. Apparently you never answered their calls and they got worried."
"I'm not in the mood."
Barry nudged him. "You used to love your birthdays. All the specially prepared food and stuff. Have you eaten at all today?"
Wally sighed, looking down. "I had breakfast."
"That was almost ten hours ago. With metabolisms like ours, you could be putting yourself at serious risk if you don't eat something. Come back to the tower for an hour or so. Then you can come back and I won't bother you again."
"Fine."
The pair stood and proceeded to walk towards the zeta tubes.
"I'd also like to talk to you about something important later."
[-]
DC Universe | The Watchtower
Half an hour later...
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Wally! Happy birthday to you!" The chorus of song echoed around the meeting room as Wally blew out the candles on the cake. M'Gann had made it for him, along with her amazing cookies. Yet everyone noticed that he barely ate any of it. The party disaparated only a short while later. The whole of the team didn't feel right, partying without Superboy and with Wally so disheartened. Despite her best efforts to stay happy and smiling, it was obvious M'Gann hadn't gotten over it all yet, either. A little while later, when everyone else had left, she came to stand next to Wally, staying in complete silence for a long time.
Then the silence broke as she spoke up. "You miss her, don't you?" she asked him softly. When she gained no reply, she continued. "I miss Conner, too. I mean, I know he's not dead... but he's still stuck over there. Of all of the powers out there, I can't believe that nobody here has the power to move over dimensions."
"Yes," Wally murmured softly when she had finished speaking.
"Huh?"
"Yes. I miss her."
"I know." The Martian girl gave a soft sigh before leaning back a little, looking up out of one of the windows. "So does everyone here. We're worried about you."
"You don't need to be."
"Yes, we do. We're your friends, Wally, and we'll always be here for you." Scooting closer to him, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in close. Her hug was warm and it was almost like she had known that it was this warmth that he craved. His head lowered to rest on her shoulder as she held him. It was exactly what he had been needing, and M'gann had known without even needing to delve into his mind.
[-]
Barry waited until M'gann left before entering the room. It took quite a lot of patience for the speedster but he just about managed it.
"Hey," the martian said with a smile as she passed him.
"Hey," he replied softly before walking through the door she had just exited.
Wally still stood where M'gann had left him, looking out of one of the windows towards the stars. He didn't even glance up as Barry entered. "I think I know what you want to talk about." He spoke without turning his gaze.
"You do?" Barry sounded surprised, as though he thought the news would be new to his former apprentice.
Wally's eyes turned down. "You have your children to think about now and I'm sure you want to be like Jay; get out before the job puts you out permanently, right?"
"Yeah. That's exactly it."
"The world's going to miss The Flash."
Barry shook his head slightly, giving a soft smirk as he landed a hand on Wally's shoulder. "The Flash isn't going anywhere."
Wally looked at him, confused. "What-"
"I want you to take up the mantle and become The Flash."
Wally's mouth opened and closed for a few seconds, as he fumbled over something to say. "But I'm not as fast as you," he finally spluttered.
"It isn't all about the speed," replied Barry. "What really matters is that you deserve the title; you're the perfect man for the job. I watched you grow, Wally. Plus, Impulse is a little young for the title and I really want to get out of the limelight. I'm too old for this kind of thing now."
"I don't know what to say."
"Just say yes," Barry pressed.
"Yes."