A/N Could it be? Yes, it is! Finally, an update!
Sorry about the wait again, guys. Honestly, it's probably going to be like that for a while. I'm trying to focus on original stuff more, and then real life is just busy sometimes. I will definitely finish though, so thank you in advance to those who continue to stick with me and see this thing through to the end.
~Aiva
Bludhaven was dirty.
Gritty layers of grime and dirt smeared the cracked pavement and chipped bricks, darkening them to depressing shades of shadowy gray and dusty brown. The pollutant-laced air was bitter, the chill giving it a biting edge. Weak rays of sunlight, feeble attempts at illumination, filtered through the smog. Rather than warming the crime-plagued city, it only served to further emphasize the gloom and lurking darkness.
Artemis suppressed the urge to rub warmth into her goose-fleshed arms. She was glad for her familiar leather jacket. It was scant protection against the deep, pervading cold – the chill of winter was already creeping into Bludhaven – but it was welcome nonetheless. The burning eagerness and memory of Wally was enough to ward off the worst of it anyway.
It wasn't enough to make the city appear any cleaner though. Artemis glanced over the litter and graffiti-strewn alleyway with thinly veiled disgust. She had been to quite a few unsavory places over the course of her life, but Bludhaven was definitely one of the top ones now. Of course, it didn't help that the zeta tube had deposited her in one of the seedier regions. The archer doubted the rest of the city was much better though. She had heard the stories.
Brushing aside her wandering thoughts in favor of focusing on the present moment, Artemis headed towards the meeting place, sturdy boots thudding the beat of war drums on the grimy pavement. Adrenaline hummed in her veins, urging her on to battle. Because wasn't that what this was? A battle for Wally, for her speedster.
She was about a block away when she paused and – there. Footsteps echoing her own, off-tempo just enough for Artemis to notice.
Ordinary people would've been a bit concerned at this point, but Artemis was anything but ordinary. She was full of anxious energy and buzzing anticipation at the possibility of bringing Wally back, but only fierce vehemence at the thought of a possible fight. She had energy to burn. Her body thrummed with eagerness, wiping away the lingering aches from last night's patrol. She whirled around, alert mind registering the smell of alcohol and the wicked glint of a razor milliseconds before she sprang into action. Her blood sang with the thrill of battle, every muscle alight with the flame it sparked.
Leg snapping into a fluid, practiced kick, the sole of her boot collided with the thug's head with a satisfying thwack. Artemis relished the solid blow, the excitement, the heart-pumping electricity of a fight. She finished with a quick punch to the man's stubbly jaw and he was out for the count, face-down on the pavement before he could before he could even think about retaliation.
Artemis debated calling the police, but decided to put a tracker on him instead. Dick could hunt the guy down later if he wanted; this wasn't her city to protect. Besides, if he was feeling even half of what she was, he would probably appreciate the opportunity.
She walked away, towards the appointed rendezvous point, savoring the lingering euphoria before finally allowing it to slip away. The thug had been an excellent way to get her buzzing thoughts in order, but Wally and this meeting were her priority right now. Everything else paled in comparison to her longing for his warm emerald eyes and messy red hair, his big lopsided grins and steady arms wrapped around her.
It was M'gann who greeted her, bubbly laughs and effervescent smiles a welcome contrast to Bludhaven's ever-present dreariness. But underneath it all Artemis could detect a river of guilt and regret, glinting melancholy in her brown eyes. The Martian was slowly getting better, but it would take a while to recover from the consequences of her actions. She knew Kaldur had forgiven her, and Conner was well on the way to, but…these things took time. Artemis understood that completely; it was actually Wally who had taught her she was more than the mistakes of her past.
"Artemis!" M'gann greeted, her cheerfulness attracting more than a few sideways glances. Apparently, people weren't very used to being happy here.
"Hey, Megan!" Artemis grinned in response, pleasantly surprised to find the smile appearing much easier than it ever had since Wally's death.
M'gann hugged her, only to pull back with a hand to her forehead. "Hello, Megan!" she exclaimed. "Come in! Dick and Zatanna are already here."
Artemis walked through the door, the smell of cheap coffee assaulting her sense of smell. Trying not to wrinkle her nose, she slid into a seat beside Zatanna, who had waved her over. M'gann followed her, sitting beside Dick. Artemis noticed this, but didn't comment on it, though she did feel a bit smug. Dick never could fully move on from any girl, could he? Why else would they have elected to sit apart? Residual awkwardness was Artemis' guess.
"I ordered you a coffee," Dick grinned, sliding it over to her. She took a sip, not even surprised when she tasted black coffee with just enough sugar to take the edge off the bitterness, exactly how she liked it after a night on patrol. How he had known she had been out – much less the exact type of coffee she preferred – was beyond her. After years of knowing Dick, Artemis just put it down as being a Bat thing and brushed it aside. Besides, he had guessed her favorite coffee back when it was still the six of them hanging out in Mount Justice, getting together for movie nights after school every Friday…
An unexpected wave of nostalgia surged through her. Things had been so much easier back then. Sure, they had their ups and downs (the failed training simulation came to mind), but those really had been the good old days. Impromptu popcorn and pillow fights, sleeping bags and sleepovers after missions that ran late, playful bickering and teasing jokes, constantly having to refill the fridge because Wally –
And the speedster's name was all it took to remind Artemis why, given the choice, she would stay exactly where she was.
The days now were filled with – yes, the occasional wistful reminiscing about heart-pumping, adrenaline thrumming missions in a hero's uniform – but mainly days spend lazily in front of the television, snuggled under blankets on the couch; surprise picnics and trips place "just because", Wally's way of telling her their love had only grown stronger through the years; fights with soapy dishrags and chips abandoned on the counter; nights spent under the starts because they both knew how much open spaces appealed to the other; bedtime rituals of hot chocolate or afternoons spent sipping lemonade, depending on the season or their moods; laughing, smiling; days full of love and –
"You're welcome," Dick grinned, shaking her abruptly out of her thoughts. She blinked, trying to brush off the deep ache in her heart because goodness, she missed him so much.
Artemis recovered by taking a sip of coffee, grimacing at the especially acrid taste. She grimaced, not even bothering to hide her distaste as she met Dick's laughing blue eyes. "Spoke to soon, Boy Wonder," she responded, fighting the urge to cough. "There's no way I'm thanking you for this. I don't even think it's coffee."
"Probably not," Dick shrugged agreeably. "But I had a coupon."
Artemis gave him the death glare, even as M'gann and Zatanna stifled laughs. She frowned down at the murky depths of the questionable beverage before letting out a small sigh. She picked up the cup and stood, dumping it in the trash and ignoring the dirty look she got from the shop employee as a result. Dick flashed her a contrite smile when she sat back down, the cheap seats creaking a bit underneath her weight.
"Sorry, Arty," the acrobat apologized, though his lingering playful smirk said otherwise. "Just wanted to lighten up the mood some, you know?"
"I'd watch your step if I were you, Boy Wonder," she growled back, though her eyes danced with suppressed mirth. They all probably did need something a bit more lighthearted in light of the more serious events that had happened recently. It was strange though, to see Dick being the source of this. Ever since Jason had died, he had become more withdrawn and serious, until he was nothing but Nightwing, the straight-faced team leader. Seeing him like this was a flashback to the past.
Artemis puzzled over this. Dick had lost a lot of people; honestly, it was practically common knowledge at this point. It seemed like many heroes had a darker note to their past, and missions didn't always go as planned either, especially not in a city like Gotham. But Wally was his chance to atone for those mistakes – that was probably how he saw it, at least. Artemis knew that he wasn't to be blamed. Still, he had an opportunity to actually be with a lost loved one again, and after all he had lost, that had to be huge. Artemis didn't want to even think about what would happen to him if this didn't work, if Wally remained lost to them.
Of course, Artemis wouldn't be in much better shape.
M'gann apparently decided that would be a good time to cut it. "So, Dick, why exactly are we here? I know it's a chance to get Wally back, but you didn't really tell me how."
"The energy from the MFD gave Wally the boost he needed to slip into something dubbed as the Speed Force. From what we can tell, it's a type of alternate dimension. He's suffering from amnesia, most likely as a result of being trapped within this force, but there are indications he will make a full recovery if provided with the proper stimuli. Artemis, Zatanna, and I have been working on a way to set up a solid communication with him. Zatanna, I'll let you explain the rest," Dick finished, glancing over at the raven-haired magician.
"Dick and I went up to where Wally had disappeared. I tried to get in contact with him, but the, ah, Speed Force blocked me. We know that Wally can appear in people's dreams, and I think that if we can set up a telepathic connection with him, with the help of my spells, we can communicate with him," Zatanna explained.
"I've never done anything like that before," M'gann admitted, a bit of insecure hesitance creeping into amber depths. She had been like that a lot since the Kaldur incident especially. Confidence glimmered through and she straightened up just a fraction before nodding.
"Let's give it a try."
A/N We're so, so close to what I've been building up to this entire time. Get ready, guys! I'm excited for it. ^^
Reviews are greatly appreciated!
