Disclaimer: I don't own YJ :(
~oOo~
They had his *first funeral on a Monday. It was at noon, and Artemis would rather the team be out to lunch than be here. She wants to see them whole. Wally eating everything in sight because 'I have a fast metabolism!' Conner and M'gann laughing and talking quietly to each other. Robin blackmailing everyone. Kaldur watching them with a sense of pride. She herself arguing with the speedster.
She just wanted him back. She's had nightmares every single time she closes her eyes. Although, it feels that the real nightmare is waking up to a world like this. She'd wake up in the middle of the night to a quiet hallway, a silent scream itching and scratching in her throat. Some dreams (nightmares) were different, others were recurring. In some she would find him and he would already be dead, too far gone for her to try to save. Others had the team failing to get there in time. The worst one was the night before the funeral. He had been at the exit, about to set foot outside, when the bomb went off. She watched as his skin burned and his bones cracked. She woke quickly from that dream and she didn't cry (never again). That's what she told herself as the salty liquid streamed down her face. She wasn't crying. Not over him.
She sat in the second row on the right. The very far right. Where she could cry (she wouldn't though) and no one would see. From her spot on the very far right, she saw most of her team. M'gann was sitting with her uncle and crying heavily on Conner, Conner in turn had a single tear shining on his cheek. He didn't wipe it away. Robin was sitting with Batman in silence, but she could hear his shaky breaths from where she sat. Kaldur sat with his King, both were very stoic, though Kaldur had adopted a more grieved look.
She sat with Red Arrow, Green Arrow, and Black Canary. Right now she was Artemis. Well, the Artemis that fights crime. This was Wally's superhero funeral. Fake dummy in a Kid Flash uniform? Check. Every superhero imaginable (and quite a few villains) paying their respects to the late teen? Check.
Quite a few of the Flash's Rouge gallery appeared, sitting in the third row to the left, not to close, but not too far away. Captain Cold sat with his head bowed, Heat Wave and several other more prominent rogues mimicking him. A few were silently crying. One that looked about her age, with crazy blond hair and an even crazier suit (a mix-mash of color), was wailing about darts and how baby-flash always played with him. The other (villains?) would pat his back in comfort and glare at anyone who stared too long.
His real funeral, the one for Wallace Rudolph West, was tomorrow. She was roped into going (Roy and Oliver practically guilt tripped her) but there was no way in hell that she was making a speech. She had held him when he died. She wasn't going to provoke more memories than necessary.
The Flash was sitting still in the front row. Artemis found it strange that The Flash was actually sitting still. She had met him a few times and he seemed almost as energetic as- no. Don't say his name. The Flash looked like a statue as he watched the pastor drone on. A memory came to mind.
oOo
"Wally?" The redhead in mention stayed rooted in place."Wally what happened?" He was agonizingly still. A cellphone held in his fingertips. She was worried. She went around him and looked him in the eyes. They were wet with tears.
"Wally are you okay?" This was one of her rare streaks of compassion for the speedster. She needed to know that he was okay. That he would move again.
He opened his mouth but no sound came out. She slowly guided him to the couch and sat him down.
"I'll go get Robin." He grabbed her wrist in a panic, but he quickly let go. So she let Robin comfort him.
oOo
Later she found out that his dad had died. His parents had given him up to his Uncle and Aunt when he was little, but he still was hurt deeply by the death. He had continued to move after that, at least partially returning to his old self.
He wasn't moving now (To be fair, it was a dummy here. Wally's real body was at a morgue somewhere). She couldn't stand it. The silence, that is. Even the reporters stood solemnly in the back row. A **redheaded woman stood with the reporters, quite a few tears pooling in her eyes. She looked familiar. 'A little bit like Wally'. She knew Wally would have hated this stupid funeral. 'But it's not Wally's funeral,' she reminds herself. 'It's Kid Flash's.'
The preacher had moved on to the blessing (At least, she thinks it's the blessing. She wasn't really paying attention). As soon as it ended, many of the villains and quite a few heroes were gone. Behind her she could hear Ollie and Dinah. Off to one side she could hear Roy and Robin. To the other side she heard M'gann and Conner.
Kaldur came to stand beside Artemis. She jumped slightly. She looked up at him and their eyes met. Both held immense pain and grief. He stood proud and tall among the others, but Artemis could tell from her time on the team that he was slightly hunched over.
A silent understanding was clear between the two. Artemis opened her mouth after a minute or two.
"He's gone. Kaldur he's really gone." And she fell apart.
~oOo~
*He had a separate funeral for his alter ego. That way no one can trace the Flash's identity back to Wally.
**The red head is Iris West-Allen, Wally's paternal aunt, and the Flash's (Barry Allen) Wife.
NOTES: I have been gone a while. SORRY! I had fall break and then I forgot, then I had writers block (As you can tell in the end of this chapter) so i read some more stories. Hehe. Sorry...
MAIL BAG
unmistakablegryffindor - OMG that was so good! Really hope u do more chapters
Thank you! I've been off for a while because of well...Life? I'll start making more chapters soon.
Smile-I'mTheEndOfAllThatYouSee - The writing was as amazing as the one on the previous chapter and yes please I want a more in depth reaction. Their relationship is my favorite among the show
I know right? I love their relationship! (Hopefully this is good for Artemis' reaction. I feel like she would try to deny that he was gone and that everything would be okay)
Hockeygirl003 - This story is amazing so far! I cannot wait to see the different ways that you are going to end it!
Thanks! I have MANY ways I want to take this. :)
OliviaJen - This is really good! I wouldn't mind if you wrote an aftermath like maybe a few minutes after this Wally starts breathing or if not do some one shots of the team and the league after Wally's death
That will definitely happen :)
Thanks for reviewing and liking and all that jazz! Till next time!
~Emerald Grey