Okay. This is going to be so bad, it'll be funny. Pwetty-pwease review? I'll give you a cookie.
"Alright team," Kaldur'ahm started, rubbing his eyes with his dark hands. "We have had a rough few months, especially since Wally passed, but this is getting ridiculous. We must get our head into the game"
The Team looked back at him, all glaring. They had had a bumpy period of time ever since defeating the Reach, but they had their head in the game. They were fine. A silence fell over the Team.
M'gann was the one to finally break the uncomfortable silence. "Kaldur-maybe we should all take a day off." "I second that." Conner said, walking up behind the Martian and putting a hand on her shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, Connor could see La'gann flinch.
"We need a day. Just to grieve-I mean take some time for ourselves. Ever since Wal-ever since we stopped the Invasion in June, it's been nonstop work. It's February." Artemis's coarse voice sounded.
Kaldur'ahm looked at the team. Half of them were nodding, the other half crossing their fingers (and toes. Or in Garfield's case, a tail.)
"Alright. But if we should receive a mission, I will call everyone back to the Watchtower. Enjoy your day off, but do not become too comfortable. We are dismissed." Aqualad sighed.
As soon as he finished speaking, an alarm rang throughout the Watchtower. "INTRUDER ALERT-INTRUDER ALERT" The Team ran in different directions as they had practiced, in case of a security breach. Kaldur and La'gann east, M'gann near the Zeta Tubes with Superboy, Garfield and Bart south, Batgirl and Robin down the corridors, Cassie and Jaime going north.
Artemis ran west, towards the gardens. Just as she had practiced.
"INTRUDER ALERT-INTRUDER ALERT"
She looked over the gardens. Nothing. Artemis reached up to her com to signal that the gardens were clear, but then she saw something peculiar. A lightning bolt was moving eastwards, inside the gardens. 'What in the world…"
The lightning bolt was getting closer and closer to her. The bolt looked strong, and was colored weirdly. When Tigress looked closely, she saw that the bolt was yellow and red.
The bolt finally came to a halt fifty feet away from her. It stayed still for what seemed for forever, then collapsed, leaving something at the base of it. Artemis reached up to her com set. "Team, report to the garden."
Artemis counted to thirty slowly, then walked up to the base of the bolt. It looked like a person, clothed in yellow and red and sporting scratches, bruises, and cuts. She approached it cautiously. She cleared her throat.
"Friend or foe?"
The person let out a weak cough, the rolled over, letting out a hiss in agony at the process. Artemis walked closer to the body and gasped.
The person was a man, his hair like fire was burning on his head. He wore goggles nested in his hair. His face was the same, except it looked unwashed and sported bloody cuts.
Artemis fell to her knees as the rest of the Team arrived at the gardens.
Wally. It was him.
Bart ran up to Tigress's side and gasped. The new Kid Flash pulled off his goggles and stared at the now unconscious Wally.
Artemis whimpered and laid a palm on the body. "Wally?"
The redhead let out an incomprehensible sound and breathed raggedly. The entire team was silent for what seemed like eternity, all looking at Wally.
Bart, shaking his head, yelled at Barbara to get a hospital room ready and for Conner to carry Wally.
Artemis was still staring at the spot where Wally appeared, even when Superboy lifted him up and walked away.
"Arty." Bart prompted. "Arty. Art. Artemis. Tigress, whatever! Snap out of it." He shook Artemis's shoulder, but she paid him no attention. She just stood up, shaking, and reached for her phone. Artemis dialed a number Wally had called more than her.
"Hello?" A deep voice rang out.
"Grayson?" Artemis whispered weakly. "Get to the Watchtower."
By the time the computer yelled "RECOGNIZED- NIGHTWING B-01," Wally was in a hospital bed, Batgirl checking his vitals constantly. He was hooked up to a ventilator. Artemis was sitting in a chair next to the bed, her Tigress mask on the floor. Just then, Richard Grayson stormed through the door. "Artemis, I am on a leave of absence. What is so im-" he stopped right then when he looked at the hospital bed. There the first Kid Flash lay, breathing raggedly. The former Robin fell to his knees and ripped off his sunglasses. 'Wally."
He glared at Artemis. "How?" he said weakly.
"I don't know." Artemis put her face in her hands and rubbed her face.
Just then, Batgirl squinted at the breathing machine. "He's started to breathe by himself!" she exclaimed. Artemis pulled her head out of her palms and Dick stood up quickly.
Batgirl quickly disconnected Wally from the ventilator. "There you go, Kid Disappearance." she muttered under her breath.
"Water, please." a familiar voice sounded through the small hospital room. All eyes turned to the bed. Wally was holding out his hand, lips chapped and broken.
"Of course." Batgirl handed him a glass of water, after recovering from her initial shock. Wally drank it down greedily. Barbara checked his vitals one last time and said, "I'll be right back." She exited the room, shutting the door quietly.
A silence fell over the three friends. Wally turned his head and groaned. "Artemis." he whispered. Artemis gaped and stood up. She then slammed her hands on Wally's end table.
"You really are an idiot, Wally." she hissed through gritted teeth. "I ought to kill you, so you can die again." she muttered.
"Hello to you too, babe." Wally muttered.
"Seriously Wally?" Dick yelled. "You were gone for seven months! Seven. Months."
"Can't get rid of me that easily. And a friendly hello to you, Boy Wonder."
"Are you insane? You've just come back from the dead or something and you're joking!" Artemis whisper-shouted.
"What?! I'm back ,right?! I'm home, aren't I?!" Wally shouted. He then clutched his stomach in pain. Artemis and Dick's gaze softened. Artemis sat back down and clutched Wally's hand. Dick walked to the edge of Wally's bed.
"Yes, you're home, Wally. And you're staying there, got it?" Artemis said softly, but firmly.
"Got it."
Dick sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "Man, you're one messed up speedster."
"And all the people said amen." Wally muttered.
Artemis rolled her eyes and tightened her grip on Wally's hand. "I love you."
Wally nodded and closed his eyes. His body screamed that it wanted rest. But….
"Hey. Got any food or something?"
That ending doe. Short and sweet. Wally just seems like the person to disrupt a perfect moment like that by talking about food. Well, until next fanfic, my lovelies! Keep fangurling.