Well... erm... 'Ello! *sighs*
I know I should be working on Knives, A Growing Robin, and Another Look *coughFreeWillcough* too, but I was inspired to write a story like Feelin' The Aster's story, Cheshire really Cares. I'm doing my own version/spin and I hope you guys like!
Any of you who are waiting for the update on Another Look, I'm working at it. ;) Hakuna Matata. No worries my friends.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, this computer, the idea [merely the spin of the idea] nor to I own a sword...
Wally slumped over on the couch.
Artemis wasn't really dead, but it still felt like it to him. She was gone on an undercover mission for Nightwing. And, even though she was alive and wall, as far as he knew at the moment, he felt a cold, dreary cloud has settled over their home. The lights seemed to flicker, and even though Wally's IQ was 178, he couldn't seem to find the electrical box.
Normally, they would eat dinner and talk about the nutcases at work and then go and watch TV. The channel and controller argument was inevitable but they usually settled for Tru-TV. He was already missing that. And her endless grey eyes and the way she smirked, leaving him flustered and blushing deep red.
Wally didn't like it when she was gone, whether it was for work or when she decided to go out with some of the new friends from Central. When she visited her mother, though, he went with her. And Mrs. Crock was thrilled with Wally when they met; she was so glad that Artemis was on the good road that she hugged Wally and didn't stop telling him 'thank you' every ten minutes till they left. And, he knew she didn't like being away from him either, they'd gotten used to each other over the years. Even though they were only twenty now, they knew everything about each other.
Her favorite color was green and his was grey, like each other's eyes. They both, originally, liked Penguins, but that changed. Artemis preferred a wolf and Wally liked Moose, but only because it was funny to say 'moose' in different dialects and accents. And thye both liked dogs, as shown then because their golden retriever [1] just trotted up to Wally and sat on the couch next to him.
He smiled softly, cocking his head when he heard something from the kitchen. The dog turned nad ran out of the room from the sound, whimpering. He shrugged it off, flipping some red strands of hair from his face, and sat up, deciding he would call Dick to talk. He wanted to go over that plan one more time...
Bang!
The front door flew across Wally's view, causing him to jump back with a cry escaping his lips. Quickly, he jumped off the couch and got behind the wall that separated the Living room and the dining room.
Now, he hadn't expected Cheshire, Artemis's villain/hero-ish type sister to walk through the door demanding to see her sister. The assassin's katana's were out and Cheshire's poised and ready demeanor was obviously one of hostility, as if her growling and knocking the door of it's hinges wasn't. Wally scowled, he should have expected this, and stepped out with his hands up in surrender.
"Che-"
"Where is she!?" the asian-american girl snarled, pushing the ginger up against the wall with her sword to his throat. Wally involuntarily gulped and refrained from snarkily replying back.
"Look," he gasped, trying to push the sword away. Cheshire let it fall back a small bit, but not much. "She's dead, Cheshire, if she were here..." he let himself stop talking, choking as the sword moved back and dug a bit into his throat. He couldn't help but continue the thought in his head, 'if she were here'. Tears came to his eyes as he thought about it and suddenly the assassin's hold on him dropped, causing him to fall to the floor unexpectedly. He grabbed hold of the carpet, attempting to regain himself as the much older girl growled for him to stand up.
"If she were here, she'd be here. And since she isn't dead and she's not here, she's alive; yet not here. So, I ask you again, where is she?"
Wally tried not to gulp at the venom that stung him in her voice. Of course, she'd be the one to figure it out. "Cheshire, Jade, please. I don't know. They... they took her body," he choked here because, in a way, it was true. Sure, Aqualad hadn't betrayed them, but she was still with him in the enemy's territory. She was safe with him, Wally had to admit, but no one said he couldn't worry.
"I don't know where the ship or submarine or whatever it is, is, please understand this," he begged, hoping to get something out of her. The girl studied him and, even though he couldn't see her eyes behind that smiling cat face that really creeped him out, he had a feeling her eyes held pity for him, for both of them.
"Alright," the girl admitted, "you're safe...for now I just-" and that's when the assassin trained by the League of Shadows broke down in tears. Wally sat there on his knees, unsure what to do as Jade Crock collapsed in front of him. The woman ripped off her mask, showing her tear stained face, and cried loudly. Wally moved forward to help her, pulling her up by her shoulders and guiding her to the couch. She fell on it, leaving Wally completely confused. Here was a trained assassin, sitting there crying her heart out on his couch, in his living room, over her 'dead' sister. They didn't exactly teach that to you in school... nor in hero training. It wasn't the sort of thing that happened every day... or any time.
He sat down next to her, ignoring the fact that it had started raining and his door was across the room in splinters, and tried to comfort her.
"I know, I miss her too." It wasn't a lie, he did miss her, nevermind the fact that she was or was not dead.
"Wally, tell anyone I'll kill you, but... I was supposed to be the one to die first. She was the one to have to good education, the one to live long, the one to have a good life. I wasn't supposed to outlive her, that was my plan when I heard she wasn't a hero anymore," Jade admitted, wiping tears away from her cheeks. Wally nodded, feeling like he was hearing something no one else had before.
"I got you," he finally replied after a few minutes of the young woman hiccuping, "and I won't tell anyone. I didn't know you... cared about her that way."
"Of course I do," Jade snorted, "she's my little sister. But," she frowned here, "I'm going to miss. I am sorry for doubting you two, I should know. Besides," Jade stood up, "now I'm going to fight with you guys, for her. I wasn't there for her, just like before."
And then the assassin walked out into the open night, into the rain. Wally stared after her.
And then he slumped back over on the couch, unsure of what to do.
So, I hope you guys liked my spin on it! If you haven't read the original, then that's fine. I hope you liked it anyway.
[1]: I don't know if that's the breed of their dog, but oh well.
Now, review please! :D
