Dying Embers and Brokeen bottles
Hey it's me again. please read and review thanx.
Coughing could be heard all around them. The fire spread rapidly and it was all they could do to rescue people. The entire JLA and YJ was here. Every superhero and heroine was battling the deadly flames in one way or another.
" The fire is spreading! Team get people out of that building." Batman pointed to a shabby apartment building. Wally raced inside and yelled at the top of his lungs for everyone to get out. The rest of the team flooded in and Artemis yelled at him,
"Thank you, Kid Obvious." Conner and Megann burst into one apartment to empty it. Artemis broke into another one. Her blonde hair was covered in ash ,and she looked like she was struggling to stay in one place. She assisted an elderly couple out of the building. She came back in looking tense.
" tcurtsnoc llaw foorp erif !" yelled Zatanna. Instantly a wall was constructed that temporarily blocked the fire. Robin and Kaldur raced up to the next floor. The building started to creak and the air around them heated up.
" Run! I got this!" Wally yelled. Conner picked up two children and smashed his way out. Megann made all the apartment doors open and she levitated as much people as possible out with her. Artemis took two small children by the hand and ran out with their parents behind them. Zatanna ran out holding a baby. Robin and Kaldur jumped out of the building.
Wally ran at super sonic speed and got as many people as he could. He came across a woman in a wheel chair that reminded him of Artemis. She insisted he get others out before her. He did as she said. She did not look like someone to mess with. Suddenly the scent of smoke became more pungent and flames began to devour Zatanna's wall and the building. People in the street screamed as the building started to creak and moan, and the flames licked at Wally's skin. He ran at full speed and jumped out of the building right before it came down with a loud crash.
Artemis ran up to him and hugged him so tight Wally swore his eyes were going to pop out. He blinked, this is not the Artemis he knew. She , then, proceeded to slap him.
" You could have died!" she yelled. There she is. Wally tried to say something , but he stated coughing. he doubled over in pain, trying to clear his lungs of the acid smoke.
" Team," Batman called. Wally groaned and made his way over to the Dark Knight to receive the next death sentence.
It was two in the morning and they had finally gotten the fire under control. Building were reduced to rubble and ash. Smoke still filled the air but the monster of a fire had been put out. Artemis was beside Wally. Her face was slightly burned, her hair covered in ash, and some of her limbs had at least 2nd degree burns. She searched the crowd, looking for someone.
"Artemis," Green Arrow called her over, voice choked. Wally walked over beside her. In the remnants of a building lied a burned body. He recognized it as the wheelchair woman. Artemis stiffened beside him. She knew in a heartbeat that this small, charred, dead figure was her mom.
"No,no,no," she whispered. Artemis went numb inside.
" Artemis?" Wally asked.
"No, no, no, no," at this her knees buckled and she hit the ground. She sat there ,kneeling in the ashes. Wally knelt down beside her.
" What is the matter, beautiful?" he used the pet name he had called her in Bialya. Her hand was over her mouth and her eyes wide in disbelief.
"No, no, no, not mom, oh no," this time the whispers changed into sobs. She shook with silent sobs for a second and then cried out right. Wally had heard her mutterings about this being her mom, and he knew how it felt to lose your mom. Tears coursed down her cheeks, glittering in the light of the dying embers. Wally wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close. He could feel her shake with every sob that escaped her lips. She cried heart shattering sobs. The street echoed back the sorrow-filled sounds. Robin, Zatanna, Megann, Conner, and Kaldur all gathered around Artemis and Wally. Megann and Zatanna started crying too. Conner hugged Megann tight and Robin put his arm around Zatanna in a half hug. Wally held onto Artemis tight, as if to say ' I am here for you. I will be with you forever.'
Finally, Wally and Artemis stood up. Artemis wiped her eyes and tried to control her breathing. She and the team were led to the bio ship. They all strapped in and rode back in silence. Artemis cried silently, and Wally couldn't help but think about the destined to fail exercise.
' Megann, can you hook everyone up but Artemis?' asked Wally
' On it. Everyone online?' asked Megann.
'Okay, so I think that for Artemis we should get a picture of her and her mom. Then we should put it a fancy frame with enough space around it that every JLA and YJ member can sign it.' Everyone murmured their agreement.
' Great! No one tell Artemis.'
' 'kay'
'alright'
'yep'
'yeah'
'fine' came the replies. Wally looked out the window, hoping Artemis would be okay.
Once the team got back to the Cave, Artemis disappeared into her room. The others just stood in the living room for a second. Then Conner turned to Robin.
" Does Artemis live in Gotham?" Robin sighed.
" She did, but now I imagine she will move here."
" Why not Star city?" asked Megann, sniffling.
" Because Green Arrow isn't her uncle for one thing and for another, Speedy lives in Star City," replied Robin. Wally was surprised at that news.
" Then..." started Wally.
"That is all I can tell you. She will have to tell you the rest." Robin sat down on the couch. Zatanna sat next to him, and she set her head on his shoulder.
" I feel so horrible for Artemis right now. I know how she feels," said Zatanna. Conner asked stupidly,
" Your mom died too?"
" Yeah,she died after giving birth to me," said Zatanna. Robin put his arm around her.
" My mom died when a safety line broke while she was doing her stunt in our family circus. I watched both my parents die," he whispered.
" My mother was killed by my father," stated Kaldur. Wally looked at him, eyes wide.
" My mom died of cancer," Wally said, quietly.
" My mom disowned me," added Miss martian.
" I guess we all have parent issues," said Conner, dumbly. Everyone laughed bitterly.
Recognized Batman 01
Batman walked in to see six very depressed, ash covered teens. He said,
" We are going to hold a funeral for Paula Crock in two days. Wally inform Artemis, and the rest of you get clean." Batman walked off to view footage of various cameras in Gotham to see who was responsible for the fire. The teens dispersed and Wally shuffled down the hall to Artemis' room. He took a deep breath and knocked. Her heard nothing but sobs , so he pushed the door open a little and whispered
"Artemis?" He heard a soft rustle ,and then the door swung open. To anyone else she would look horrible, her eyes were red and puffy, she had tear stains on her cheeks, and she still had ash in her hair, turning gray, but to Wally she just looked broken.
" What do you want?" she whispered, choking on her tears.
" Batman said to tell you that he will have your mom's funeral in two days time. I'm sorry about your mom. That's another thing we have in common..., we both don't have a mom." Wally replied. Artemis nodded and turned to go back in her room. Wally grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. She shook with silent sobs. Wally breathed in the scent of smoke and pine trees. He whispered,
" Sh sh sh, it'll be okay." Artemis gently extracted herself, gave him a sad smile and closed her door. Wally stood outside her room for a second then ran to the showers to get rid of the smoke smell. He didn't want a reminder of the fire.
Black Canary insisted that all the boys and men of the league wore tuxedos, and no one was going to argue with her. Wally tugged at the collar of his shirt. These past few days he had seen little of Artemis. She was always either taking care of funeral details or she was holed up in her room. She hadn't talked to anyone since she had asked him what he wanted. He was worried , but he was told by many to give her space.
He had an idea why she wouldn't talk. Shortly into the day after the fire Batman had told them that the fire was started by Sportsmaster. Sportsmaster vowed that he would punish Artemis after she shot him in the leg twice. She probably thought that she was the reason he started the fire.
Wally was wrenched from his thoughts by the tapping of feet. He automatically knew it wasn't Robin, so he turned to see who was coming. It was Artemis. His breath caught in his throat as his emerald gaze fell on her. She wore a knee-length black dress with a glossy, skin tight halter top. Her skirt had ruffles and billowed out a little. Her hair was down and held back by a black hairband, and she wore light makeup.
"You look really pretty," Wally said before he could stop himself. Her gray eyes tilted upward to lock with his emerald ones. Her misty eyes swirled with conflicting emotions. She struggled not to cry or laugh at Wally's expression and crooked tie. He asked her,
"Are you ready for this? Will you be okay?" She nodded, lying. Wally walked up and took her hand in his.
"I will be there for you the entire time...and so will everyone else," Wally tried to cover up his slip up. He was still in denial of his feelings for the blonde archer. The rest of the team walked in to see Artemis and Wally holding hands. Robin instantly turned around and left the room to avoid laughing. Wally looked up and immediately dropped her hand. Artemis didn't seem to care.
" Time to go," Black Canary called to the team. They let her lead them to a fancy car and they all climbed in.
"My mom didn't live the most honest life in the beginning. But that doesn't matter. In the last year she was home, she always encouraged me to do the right thing, to live the life of a hero. She is the reason I am standing here today telling this to you. I know that many of you probably don't care. But I do.
My mom might not have been the typical hero, cape, tight, super power, excetera, but she was a hero. She saved me so many times. I owe her who I am. I owe her my humanity. I owe her my life. Without her I would most defiantly be the one in the grave.
She kept me going. She was the reason I never gave up. Now even though she is gone, taken by her own love, she remains my drive. She remain my hope and faith. She remains my courage and bravery. She remains Paula Crock, Huntress, and she remains my mom." Artemis stepped back from the podium. True to his word, Wally was there right when she got of the stage. He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. Artemis struggled not to cry. The priest gave her the torch and she lit the oil that would make the fire burn continuously. She couldn't take it any more, and she cried.