A/N It took me a little while, but I finally updated again. ^^ I didn't take a month this time either.
~Aiva
The nagging feeling that he had forgotten something important tugged at Wally's thoughts, interrupting them rudely. He frowned, brow creasing in concentration as he struggled to remember what he had forgotten. It was more difficult than it sounded, and he wasn't sure exactly how long it took for the memory to slide into place. Like a trickle of molasses, it settled into place slowly, gradual realization dawning on the speedster. Dick.
How could he have forgotten? It seemed so important and necessary now, and Wally wasn't sure how he ever could have let that memory slip away. His mind felt fuzzy and clouded, and it was difficult to focus. Wally ignored it, forcing himself to focus and reach out once again. His frown deepened when he realized Dick's waiting mind was no longer there, and the apparent gap in Wally's memory had returned.
He told me to do something, Wally remembered slowly, biting the inside of his cheek thoughtfully as gears turned in his brain. But what was it?
An image of Dick's smiling face surfaced, followed by a sentence that seemed to revive the memories of that conversation. "Try to send me some sign in the real world, okay?" he had said.
Wally hadn't done that yet! Oh man, he hated for things to be late…wait. Where had that come from? Time didn't matter here. He had nothing to be late for, so why would he know he hated to be late? Simply deciding the whole thing was weird and leaving it at that, Wally pondered over what sign he was supposed to send, and how the heck he was supposed to send it. Whatever he did would probably take up all of his concentration, because the force was calling him even louder than usual, so it would have to be something small, but still visible.
Lightning, Wally mused. Lightning sounded about right, actually feeling like it made up some part of his identity somehow. It was a symbol of some kind, but he couldn't bring himself to care enough to figure out what it was a symbol for. Brushing the matter aside, Wally mustered all of his strength and pushed, his mind struggling to break free of the boundaries of the force that enveloped him.
Images flashed through his mind, completely unfamiliar and foreign. His emerald eyes could catch glimpses of dirt-covered ground, sparse tufts of green grass dotting it, and a sturdy looking gray stone with words engraved upon it. Wally could instinctively tell these were not the places of his absent memories, but some place he had truly never explored before. Well, with any luck, Dick would know where this was and would think to check there, because Wally had no energy to try and pick somewhere else, even if he knew how to do that.
Taking a deep, preparatory breath, Wally strained his mind, a tendril of thought reaching out and brushing the ground. He had no idea how this was even possible or how it worked, instead focusing on sketching a quick lightning bolt into the loose soil. As soon as the task was completed, his attention flickered and wavered, and Wally let the connection sever completely. There was no point in keeping it open any longer, and he was far too exhausted to do so anyway.
He could only wait and hope Dick got the message.
Dick stretched his sore muscles, wincing as the bruised skin over his shoulders and back stretched. His shift with the Bludhaven Police Department had been fairly eventful and productive today, something he was grateful for. Dick really needed to blow off steam, and there was no better way to do it then beating up the low-life criminals that often seemed to make up most of Bludhaven's population. He had stopped four muggings, been involved in two exciting car chases, one of which involved a gun fight and a road blockade. At this point, Dick was fully ready to go home, possibly take a bath and eat something, then pass out in his bed and recharge before Nightwing patrol tonight.
Dick, shift over, grabbed his bike and drove off, but quickly realized he had made a wrong turn. He cursed under his breath; this just meant it would take even longer for him to finally make it to his little apartment and relax. His tired mind seemed to have other ideas, however, as Dick soon recognized the road he was on. He silently groaned; why his subconscious was telling him to go to the zeta, he had no idea. It probably had to do with the fact that now would normally be the time he would drop by the Cave and check on everybody, maybe assign a mission or two, or check up on specific cases. It definitely had nothing to do with the fact that Wally's grave was still on his mind.
Dick huffed out a sigh that was lost amidst the wind. Who was he kidding? It had everything to do with Wally, just like his thoughts all day since the awful visit to the graveyard that morning. He really didn't want to relive that feeling of gut-wrenching disappointment again, so why did it seem to be calling him back?
Silently telling himself that his life was just plain weird, Dick decided to give in to the urge. He really did miss dropping by Team headquarters, no matter how exhausted or sore he was. Maybe he could just visit this one last time to fill that void. It wasn't like he had anything to lose, not anymore.
So Dick let himself be transported back to Central City for the second time that day, not bothering to ponder it further. What grass there was rustled beneath his boots as he stepped through the graveyard gate, and Dick belatedly realized he hadn't changed out of his police uniform. He shrugged it off; it wasn't like anyone was here, and it wasn't that big of a deal anyway.
Dick hesitantly picked his way over to Wally's now familiar grave, the stone there practically etched into Dick's mind after three visits to see it. "Hey, Wally," he greeted softly, his cerulean eyes scouring the ground half-heartedly in hopes of finding what he was looking for. Bracing himself for disappointment, he froze when he saw a shape scrawled into the ground.
The acrobat bent down, struggling to get a closer look. He sucked in a sharp breath when he recognized the familiar – though sloppy – bolt of lightning. That was the Flash's symbol! Wally truly wasn't dead! Dick trembled at the possibility, the subtle shivers wracking his suddenly weak frame. He almost couldn't believe it; surely it was too good to be true. Surely he couldn't have a chance at getting his best friend back and have a second chance at repairing their frayed relationship. Surely life couldn't possibly have such a happy ending.
Dick let out a shaky, breathless laugh that was barely audible in the cool August air, but it filled his chest and heart all the same. Giddy and hopeful all at the same time, the acrobat felt as if he could simply let go and float away into the azure blue sky far up above. Instead, he laughed again, the sound both freeing and exhilarating. Wally could come back! There was a chance, however slight, and Dick was going to make the most of it. That one possibility had wiped out all other negative emotions.
Unless his mind was making all of this up too. Dick froze again at the thought. It seemed logical, after all; in the desperate state he was in, his mind could just be spinning another elaborate plot like before. How could he know if he was truly seeing this or not?
The answer hit him like a flash of lightning, bright and sudden. Dick whipped out his phone and snapped a quick picture of the picture carved into the ground, checking it to make sure the shape was clear and obvious. Nodding to himself, he clutched the device in tight, almost nervous, hands. Who would he show it too?
Obviously, it had to be someone close to Wally, not just anyone on the Team now. Bart hadn't been close enough to the original Kid Flash to be really considered, and Barry…well, Dick only wanted to bring Barry in on this if he had solid evidence and was incredibly close to bringing Wally back. Barry really couldn't deal with losing his nephew twice with everything else going on.
Iris and Wally's parents were out of the question for the same reasons Dick wasn't brining Barry in on this immediately. The Garricks weren't an option either; they hadn't been close enough to Wally. That really only left one choice, and Dick wasn't sure why he had ever debated who he would pick in the first place; the gray-eyed and blonde-haired answer was obvious.
He would show Artemis.
If Artemis could see it too, then Dick would know that it wasn't all in his head, because surely two people couldn't just hallucinate the same thing like that. He tightened his grip on the phone in his hand as he quickly stood, not bothering to dust the grass or dirt off of the knees of his pants. This was far more important.
A/N And so Dick knows Wally is alive, and we'll finally get to see Artemis. ^^ Thanks so much for the reviews, guys! They mean a lot, and definitely keep this story going.
Reviews are greatly appreciated!
