I went through so much research to get the timelines to work together with their deaths and the Light's schemes. Kent Nelson Aug-19-2010, Marie Logan Jan-16-2011, Jason Todd May2014, Tula Feb-18-2015, Ted Kord July2015
Timezones in this chapter: UTC (4 hours ahead), EDT (will be the story's main time), CDT (1 hour behind) so everything was happening in the same hour but with only the minutes as differences.
NORTH MAGNETIC POLE
June 20, 2017 14:12 UTC
Within one of the many valleys of icebergs atop the North Pole, an orange cat with distinct black markings napped. Behind the cat, levitated a horned adolescent above drawings of a circle encasing a pentagram on the frozen floor. From his parted lips came chants of an ancient mantra that shrouded the ambiance of the icy air. In front of him, was an Egyptian amulet hanging in the air. It was a combination of the Djed and Ankh symbols of ancient Egypt, but it gave off a violet glow.
But beneath them the pentagram took on a yellow glow. And then, red. And yellow again. Then an intensity of both hues vandalized the pentagram on the ice. However, as the amulet's violet glow dimmed to nothing with the ceasing chants of the boy, the red and yellow hue continued to intensify on the floor. And started to form.
The horned lord finished his mantra and grabbed the amulet. He grinned at the finished form of the yellow and red hue on the floor. The cat retired from its nap and watched as the two-colored glow dimmed. A boy clad in a red and yellow uniform took the glowing form's place. "Yes!" the lord exclaimed, "All it took was an old pendant and the Lord of Chaos to bring the Light's plans back into action!" He crouched next to the boy and placed his fingertips on the lightning symbol on his chest. "And you, of course." He pressed solemnly on his chest before lifting his hand away. "Kid Flash."
Wally's eyes snapped open.
THE WATCHTOWER
June 20,2017 10:16 EDT
Same hour, 4min diff.
Three of the original members of the team sat around the living room beneath the main command room of the watch tower. It was a replica of their old living room back at the cave. Kaldur sat on the armchair closest to the wall, smiling. He felt influenced by the calm demeanor of the martian in front of him. Megan sat on the floor in between the couch and coffee table that was laid with old photos of her and her friends. She held up the photo of a kryptonian clone covered in eggs, milk and flour to the boy sitting slightly to her left on the couch behind her. Conner accepted the photo and flashed a grin at the recollection of its story.
Then, Conner's half-lidded eyes at the photo widened. Megan instantly felt his mood rapidly shift and inquired, "Conner, what's wron-"
"Someone's coming." Conner turned his gaze towards the left hallway that led out into the garden of the Watchtower. "Running," He added and stood.
Kaldur noticed the rigid motion his friend made and followed suit. Eyes narrowed in the same direction, he could faintly make out the familiar sounds of kevlar boots. "Robin?"
Conner only gritted his teeth, certain it was neither Nightwing's nor the present Robin's lightly padded steps. Megan levitated towards the right of Conner with her fingers to her temple. Her eyes glowed red and returned to normal in an instant, "I can't.. sense a mental presence."
Conner quickly turned his wide eyes towards her, only to be drawn back towards the hallway by the sudden intrusion of a boy clad in red, black, and yellow. "You gotta help!" Jason's voice echoed throughout the room. His blue wide eyes, lacking his domino mask, bore into the trios shocked faces. "It's Blue Beetle and Aquagirl!"
"How-" before Conner's word even formed, Kaldur sprinted past him and towards Jason.
"They're by the..." Jason's voice trailed off of back of the atlantean who moved past him. His footsteps rang loud in the halls that echoed Jason's moments ago. He knew exactly where Jason had come from, and the moment he heard her alias he knew that, much like Jason, Tula would not just be a hologram. She would be tangible and standing on her feet.
His bare feet trod on grass and soon he broke from the line of sparse trees. He reached the edge of the foliage that was bordered by four circular projectors on the ground. His eyes quickly locked onto the unconscious form of a girl in yellow atlantean shorts and top. He dragged his body down beside her, heart rapidly beating in anxiety, and placed his fingers on her neck. Before he could feel a pulse, her eyes twitched and slowly revealed light blue eyes.
"Gar-.. Kal..dur" Tula's voiced trailed off and Kaldur's heart jolted still. His body stiffened.
Megan gently landed beside Kaldur with Conner and Jason running up to them. Megan watched Kaldur lift Tula into his arms to carry her. Megan's attention was suddenly drawn towards their right, to the man who laid unconscious in a costume of blue and subtle yellow. She quickly levitated over and knelt beside him to reach for a pulse. Conner interfered and bent down to carry the man just as Kaldur had done to Tula. Megan turned to him in confusion. 'What's going on, Conner?'
Conner shook his head and stood up. He turned to follow Kaldur who had just passed Jason to head back into the main halls. 'I don't know.' Megan stood up and walked towards the same direction.
Jason watched his two teammates carry Aquagirl and Blue Beetle into the halls. Megan stopped to stand beside Jason and watched the boy curiously. She couldn't feel-
'We have to tell the others.' Conner's thought interrupted her own making her turn towards the halls.
Before Megan could respond Jason turned and wrapped his arms around her. Megan could feel the slight tremors his shoulders made and wrapped her own arms around him. 'Who do we call first? Nightwing?' She lifted her gaze from the boy lively shaking in fear in her arms, towards the lone hologram of a smiling red and yellow speedster. 'Or Artemis?'
CENTRAL CITY
June 20, 2017 9:35 CDT
Same hour, 20min diff. from Watchtower
"Artemis, can't you just do my physics homework for me?" the auburn-haired boy groaned. "PLEASE."
Artemis rolled her eyes at the boy and his scattered notes all over the kitchen counter. "Bart, I'll help you with your homework later." She handed the plate of chicken wings to the time-travelling speedster. He quickly took it from her with one hand and used his other to pick one wing up. The former archer narrowed her eyes at him, "After you bring those to the dining table." She moved her face closer to the suspended hand and chicken wing in front of his open mouth. "Without ONE missing."
Bart gulped and gently lowered the wing back onto the plate before speeding off into the other room. He came back with no plate in tow and with two hands lifted one of his physics notes in front of her with a grin. "Now?"
Suddenly Artemis and Bart's attention were snapped towards a crash and a broken bowl on the floor. Slowly their eyes moved from the floor up to Mary West's shaking hands that held the bowl moments ago. The shock of seeing the auburn-haired speedster wearing Wally's old clothes and speeding from one room to another reminded her of her son. "I-I'm sorry.." she muttered, her eyes widely staring at the boy.
Bart dropped his hands down under the kitchen counter. He backed away a bit and turned away from his grieving great aunt's gaze. He meant to excuse himself from the room but decided to just leave as quickly as possible without using his super speed. Mary watched him exit the room and felt a firm hand grasp her shoulder. She turned to the former archer who squeezed her shoulder and offered her a smile. "It's ok. It's not like anyone will ask for the salad."
Mary couldn't return her smile. She turned away from the girl and her short blonde hair. She looked back down onto the broken bowl and spilt food. Artemis took her hand off of Mary to head to the nearby broom closet. She came back with a small broom and dustpan, and knelt beside the mess on the floor. Mary backed out of the way as the former archer cleaned the mess on the floor. She watched the poised archer while her own hands shook from grief. "How are you so... calm?"
Artemis' actions ceased. Then the doorbell rang and Barry's voice reached the kitchen "Jay! Joan!" Artemis then continued her cleaning. She made sure the floor didn't have any more broken glass or vegetables. Mary watched her blond hair sway above her shoulders as she cleaned. She could see the strands parted more to the left than in the center. She watched the former archer stand up and throw the contents of the dustpan into the kitchen's bin. Artemis put the dustpan and broom away before walking over to Mary. This time she only flashed a solemn smile. "You should go welcome the Garricks before Bart gets Jay all riled up into telling stories from the golden days of the JSA." Mary looked at her, eyes half-lidded and lips trembling. Artemis shoved back the urge to do the same. "I'll bring out the casserole once it's done," she offered.
Mary's lips stopped trembling and she nodded. She walked around Artemis to wash her hands in the sink before heading out into the other room. Artemis could hear Rudy welcome his wife before Iris asked her sister what happened in the kitchen. There was an absence of chatter before Bart chimed in to ask Barry help on his physics homework. She could hear Barry groan before Jay offered to help Bart. Joan laughed saying his knowledge would probably be outdated.
'Calm' Artemis thought with a smile, eyes facing the entrance towards the other room. She tucked one of her short strands of hair behind her ear. She motioned to pull and comb down her ponytail only to realize it wasn't there anymore. She missed it. Her smile faltered. And she missed the way Wally would tease her for such a habit. And the way he buried his face in her golden locks when he came home. She missed the way he would just come home. She gripped the sink's counter behind her 'I don't think calm means internally screaming at your dead boyfriend to come home while you put on a brave face for his family.ยด She sighed. And she heard the rusty hinges of the kitchen's back door creak open.
"I thought you weren't coming." Artemis spoke to the tall figure who gracefully intruded into the West's kitchen. She didn't turn towards the man who approached her.
"I'm not here to join you." Artemis let go of the sink's counter and turned away from the other room to raise an eyebrow at the vigilante clad in black and a hint of blue. "I'm here to pick you up."
The blonde raised both brows, "You can't be serious. It's-"
"Something's going on at the Watchtower." He interrupted. "Conner says we have to be there."
Artemis eyes narrowed to the man who now stood in front her. "They can handle it without me or Bart. Or Barry" She poked an accusing finger on her old friend's chest. "Or you."
Nightwing grabbed her finger but didn't relieve the pressure it made on his chest. "Believe me, Mis. I wanted to come today. I already baked some lasagna to bring over." Artemis took back her finger but turned away from him. "I was about to head over, Mis. I swear."
"What happened?" she asked, refusing to face him again.
Nightwing watched her stubborn pose, "I called the Watchtower looking for Kaldur to tell him I wasn't coming in tonight. Conner was the one that answered and said Kaldur was busy.. taking care of Tula."
Artemis' eyes widened and snapped back to him "What?"
Nightwing nodded "I asked him the same thing. Conner told me to just head to the Watchtower as soon as I can and to bring you with me." Nightwing watched Artemis' lips purse and he pleaded, "I didn't know what to tell him. I know you want to be here today, and I do too, Mis. But Conner.." Nightwing paused, not wanting to relay the cloned kryptonian's words.
"Rob..." Artemis pleaded him to continue. Eyes and lips more calm, trying to ease the tension she felt from Nightwing's pause.
Nightwing ignored the outdated nickname, "He wants us to 'welcome back the fallen'." Artemis' eyes went wide. "I know," Nightwing nodded. "I sensed the implication that Tula isn't the only one in the medical bay at the moment as well."
Artemis continued to stare wide-eyed at Nightwing, trying to get a firm mental hold over what he just said. Nightwing was about to call her attention back but the timer on the oven rang. Artemis snapped out of her trance and narrowed her eyes at the first boy wonder. "Meet me in my car in front of the house."
Nightwing nodded and slipped out of the West's kitchen while Artemis took the casserole from the oven. As quickly as she could, she carried it towards the dining table that sat the West family, Joan, and five speedsters. "Artemis, there you are." Iris looked up from the baby boy soundly sleeping in her arms.
Artemis quickly placed the casserole in front of Rudy and Mary, "I'm so sorry but I have to go." She quickly avoided the sad looks Wally's parents wore. She quickly took off the mittens on her arms and headed towards her coat on the couch.
"You're leaving?" Bart suddenly stood in front of her. "But we haven't even eaten yet!"
She moved past Bart to clutch her coat and turned around to Barry with a baby girl smiling in his arms. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Artemis looked at them, "Something's happened and I need to leave."
Rudy was standing now and was walking towards Artemis, "But it's Wally's death anniversary."
Artemis quickly lowered her eyes, "I know." She lifted her head again, eyes diverted towards Mary's watery eyes. "I'm sorry," she said to her. She pushed back the tears that bordered her eyelids. She turned around towards the front door. "I'm so sorry."
She closed the door behind her. Words of 'should I go after her' and 'maybe this wasn't a good idea' and 'none of us can do this' trailed behind her. She quickly entered her car only to be whipped by the strong smell of cheese coming from her right. "Woah, what the hell, Dick!"
Dick sat in the passenger seat with a dish of lasagna on his lap. He smirked at the blonde who started the engine, "I told you. I made lasagna."
Artemis scoffed, "I see and I can also tell that you didn't have pasta and used cheese instead." She pulled out of the West's street and headed towards the business district for the closest zeta tube.
Dick smiled and looked away from the blonde and out the window, "Just like how Wally liked it."
Just try to imagine Artemis' hair as short as Thea Queen's hair in Arrow (after she cut it.)
