"What now?" she asked, as she stepped on one of the big rocks. She looked around anxiously.
"Now," he answered, "you could come here and help me."
She turned and stared at him. He was sitting next to a heap of branches, with an innocent smile on his face, which made her much angrier.
She clenched her fists. "Actually, what's your name?" she asked with a voice full of sarcasm.
"Already told ya, babe," that was the answer. "Kid Flash."
"Ah, sorry, dear Superhero, but can't you set a fire on your own?" she started laughing.
He stood up. "Not much" he said quietly.
She sighed and turned away. "I asked your name", she said. "Your real name", she added, when she didn't get an answer.
His voice was very different. "Wally" he murmured.
"Nice."
Wally looked at her clothes again, like he didn't do it before, like hundred times. "And who are you?"
She sighed again and closed her eyes. "I don't really know."
"There's something on your quiver," he said, "something written on it."
She wasn't quick enough, compared to him. Wally could read the letters on her quiver.
"Artemis Crock. Hm, it's quiet nice, too."
"Shut up" she murmured. "Keep thinking instead of annoying me. Where are we?"
Wally looked around. "In a desert with full of sand and rocks."
"Very funny, Superhero. But we both know you're better." Artemis said.
"Well, Artemis" Wally said, "if you'd like to know, i have no idea of where we are. But it's September, and almost midnight. Amused now?"
"Not much" she grinned. "You need to do more than this to amuse me, Superhero."
She waited for a very ambiguous answer, but Wally said:
"Don't call me that."
"Why not?" she asked nervously.
"I'm not a hero," he said. "Just a sidekick."
"Who knows?" she murmured.
Wally laughed. "True. The last thing I can remember, I'm going to the Hall of Justice with Flash. And now I'm wearing black. That's different."
Artemis looked at him, but just for a second.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing" Artemis answered quick and a bit loudly. "We're wearing costumes. I never wore clothes like this before. It's ridiculous."
Wally's look told, that her costume is everything but not ridiculous.
"Stop staring at me", Artemis said.
He nodded, but kept his eyes on her.
"You got me with this superhero-stuff" he said. "I mean, what if..."
"If?", she asked sharply.
"If we really are."
Artemis got a bit angry again. "What? We are... what?"
"Don't pretend you don't know it!" Wally said, and then he embraced her shoulders and looked into the darkness in front of them. "We could be superheroes."
Artemis wrapped her arms and tried to make some distance between them. "Like I told ya, it's ridiculous."
"You're so negative! We aren't sidekicks anymore! Can you imagine?"
She stepped away, and Wally's arm declined. He didn't look sad, just a bit surprised.
"I'm not a sidekick, I never was" said Artemis.
Wally sighed. "Yeah. Maybe."
Artemis sat down in the sand. "There's no 'maybe'. I have nothing to do with Superheroes."
Wally sat next to her. "How do you know?", he asked. "Anything can be possible. Maybe I'm not Kid Flash anymore."
Artemis laughed grimly. "You're the New Flash, or what?"
"I think, the name Lightning fits me much better."
Artemis scanned Wally's face, and then she asked with a sceptically voice:
"How can you be so positive?"
Wally kept thinking for a moment. "I don't know," he answered, "it's just part of who I am."
"You're so lucky you know something about yourself." Artemis said, without realizing the meaning of her words.
"Not much", answered Wally. "Just my name, and my... well, job."
"That's pretty enough. I never really knew who I am, or what i should do in this world. I had a family full with secrets, and that's all. No friends. I don't remember my classmates. It can be part of this amnesia, but maybe I don't have any mates."
Wally sighed. "But you keep saying you're not a sidekick. That's why I'm asking, how do you know it."
Artemis took an arrow out from her quiver. "I'm freezing" she said, when she saw the look on Wally's face. She pulled up her bow, and pointed at the branches. "If I were you I'd step back" she said.
The heap exploded with strong light, and there was something between them, much bigger than a simply campfire.
"Better now, don't you think?" asked Artemis, and she smiled.
"That was totally Speedy's style", Wally said. "You're creepy."
"Can be", she answered with a grin. "But we won't freeze."
Wally didn't look persuade, but he nodded. "Do you know him? I mean, Speedy."
Artemis stared into the flames. "I saw him in the news, as I saw you, too."
He was smiling. "And? Do I look pretty while I'm actually saving the world?"
Artemis did not answer.
Wally nodded. "Kay, another question. Back to Speedy. Maybe he's here, too."
"Why would he?"
"Because I am here, and so are you."
Artemis opened her mouth.
"Just don't say it's ridiculous! You always think that", Wally said loudly.
Artemis shook her head. "I just wanted to say, what if it's just two of us here?"
Wally looked misunderstanding. "You mean just you... and me?"
"Actually, yeah."
"Impossible."
Artemis got nervous again. "Why?" she asked.
"Because I don't even know you."
"You don't really know any of the girls around ya", said Artemis.
Wally didn't give an answer, so she turned to him. His face looked emotionless.
"Sorry" she said. "I didn't meant –"
"You were right" Wally said quickly. "Never mind it" he added with a soft smile.
"But –"
Wally grabbed her hand. "Please. I know what a terrible guy I am."
Artemis looked into the flames again, and she couldn't think about anything but Wally. She wanted to apologize, or say that right now he's not as terrible as she always thought. But she couldn't say a word.
She didn't even realize that they're still holding hands. But it was such a good feeling.
