thump. thump. thump.
thumpthumpthump
THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP.
The sound of blood pulsing through his veins reached a fevered pitch in his ears, and the world seem slower than it already was.
Tendrils of flames licked up his body as another drop of sweat rolled down his cheek, the immeasurable heat slamming into his body.
The villain or the civilians.
He could get out and capture the baddie. Or he could stay and rescue the innocent, the people who were dragged into this mess unwillingly and now couldn't get out of it.
Good or bad, good or bad, good or bad.
Wally took one last look at the Joker, who was sprinting away, sick giggles bubbling out of his wide, crimson mouth.
He turned around as a burst of fire plumed before his face and he ran straight into the burning building.
"You let the Joker get away," Batman growled, glaring at the team.
"We saved the civilians," Wally spoke up sullenly. What they did was right.
"You let the Joker get away," Batman repeated, disappointment clouding his voice. Wally hated that feeling, the feeling that he had done something wrong, when really, it was the right thing to do.
"But we saved the civilians!" Wally hissed, crossing his arms and shooting Gotham's vigilante a nasty look. The team looked at the speedster uncertainly. "That's what this mission was about, right? Saving the people the Joker locked in a burning building?"
"It was about capturing and restraining the Joker," Batman reported calmly.
"So, you're willing to let innocent people burn to death so that the villain can be locked up?" Wally accused, demanded.
"Capturing the Joker today saves more lives tomorrow," the caped figure replied. "You should have been able to take out Joker and save the civilians."
"Miss Martian and Aqualad can die if they're exposed to a fire like the one that was burning the building," Wally snarled. "Superboy was helping remove a giant chunk of ceiling your sidekick was being crushed to death under. And in case you didn't remember, Artemis is human, meaning she wasn't going to be able to catch up to the Joker in time or save the civilians. I was put into a tough situation, and no matter what you think, I know I did the right thing."
He turned around and ran.
Wally didn't remember how he got to where he was.
He just remembered turning his back on the goddamned Batman, and now, suddenly, he was here, on a cliff overlooking the eerily still ocean.
Wally sighed and drew his knees up to his chest in a protective manner, crossing his arms over his chest and letting his bright hair fall over his dejected eyes.
Batman was wrong. He didn't know what right or wrong was. Yeah, he had the idea, but when it came right down to it, he was just like everyone else Wally had met; stuck in that gray area between right and wrong. Wally thought about how the conversation had went and admitted to himself that he didn't need to be so stubborn. But he knew he was right, and no one, not even Batman, was going to tell Wally West what was right and what was wrong. Because Wally West was a hero, and heroes were supposed to think about right and wrong, and not the in between.
"Hey," said a voice offhandedly, and Wally whipped around quickly to see Artemis.
"What do you want?" Wally snapped, albeit hostilely.
"Look, I'm just trying to be nice, okay, Kid Idiot?" Artemis gave him a contemptuous glance.
There was a short pause.
"I'm sorry," Wally murmured. He sighed again, and jumped lightly when Artemis rubbed his back soothingly, crouching next to him.
"Don't worry about it," Artemis shrugged. "I know its not the best time to get angry with you, anyway."
Wally was silent.
Artemis took that as permission to sit down. She relaxed before she scooted closer to him until their fingertips were lightly touching.
All Wally was thinking about was the way the ocean rolled up against the sand, the surf curling, the water gray and harsh and mysterious, like Artemis' eyes-
"Batman is wrong."
Wally started slightly, ripping his eyes away from the water below the couple. The statement was like a pile of dishes breaking-loud, and unexpected.
"He's wrong," Artemis continued. "He can't tell you how to think." A short pause. "I hope you know that."
"I do," Wally blurted out frustratedly. Artemis looked at him pointedly, and Wally closed his eyes and sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time that evening.
When had being a hero become so complicated?
"At least...I think I do," Wally said, and his eyes flicked up to Artemis'.
He was surprised to see so much emotion expressed in the light irises, and knew she must be thinking the same thing about him right now. They looked at each other for a minute longer a million thoughts passing between them, before they leaned towards each other.
It wasn't a chaste kiss by any means. Artemis was never innocent in the first place, and Wally sure as hell wasn't pure.
It tasted like desperate longing, unquenched want, unconquerable need. It tasted like ashes that had burned bright so long ago, like the dirty snow after a bright white snowfall, a bitterweet goodbye to a loved one.
It wasn't white, or black.
It was somewhere in between, in that annoying area between the two sides.
It was a gray kiss.
It was gray, and Wally loved it, loved feeling the salty taste of tears slip down both his and Artemis' cheeks and their mournful breath whisper against one another's skin. He absolutely loved it.
It was over before it really even started, Wally realized. He and Artemis.
They sat there, fingers entwined oh so slightly, and watched the waves.
Finally Artemis got up, gently untangled her hand from Wally's, and looked at him again, gray meeting green.
"The world needs more people like you, Wally," Artemus murmured softly. "People who know the difference between right and wrong."
And then she was gone, and Wally tasted salt on his lips from the tears that fell down his face.
DISCLAIMER: DO NOT OWN!
OH MY GOD SPITFIRE!
*falls and dies*
I HATED this couple. Hated it. But...now...I don't know. I like the relationship between the two, and I think my portrayal of them is pretty accurate. (No, they are not all of a sudden going to fall into each other's arms and proclaim their love.)
Sorry for Batman's OOCness. Needed a antagonistic hero...he was the one that came to mind.
Soo...ja. Valentine's day fic, because c'mon. It's the day of LOOOVVVEEEEE-
For my beta'ee Adoglover5, because she loves Spitfire, and she's a kickass writer (if you haven't already read her stuff, GO NOW! I COMMAND YOU WITH MY AUTHORLY POWERS!) So, Adog, cheers!
Reviews would be super cool.
~lilmissf