Chapter 5
The house was just as he remembered; white wooden panelling, a dark roof, and a neat but simple garden. He remembered weekends visiting his family, how star struck he'd been over realising who Barry was. The years that followed had been happy and while he'd been a trickster, causing his parents plenty of strife, he'd been happy. Then he'd gotten his powers and everything had changed. His whole life…the league…Artemis.
He must've been staring too long because Barry was nudging him.
"You okay kid?"
He blinked, looked over at his uncle, nodded once and strode towards the door. Barry was close behind him but seemed to sense that he needed just a little space. Returning wasn't…easy. His heart was racing madly within his chest, slamming against his ribs. Anxious they wouldn't accept what he was now, that he wasn't the same kid that seemingly phased out of existence. He also had to tell them about Leia, had to talk to Artemis.
At the front door, he hesitated again but pushed through as Barry came up behind him. His hand curled around the handle and twisted, then pushed forward and stepped through. The warm buttery smells of his mum's cooking wafted through the house, along with some scented candles burning somewhere. He even picked up on the lingering curl of his dad's after shave, trickling down from upstairs, as he'd just down and past the front door. He heard their voices and found his feet carrying him through into the living room, which ran off the kitchen. He froze a few feet in, staring as his mum, with her back to him, cooking something on the stove. Iris was there, too, reading something on her phone and chatting to his mum. Then his dad walked in from the back yard, looking a few years older, and gave his mum a kiss on the cheek.
His dad straightened up, turned towards the living room and froze. The blood drained from his face. Iris, sensing his shock, looked up, saw his face, then followed his gaze. She froze, too, and her phone fell to the ground with a startling bang. Mary spun around with a start, a hand straight to her chest, and then she saw him.
With all three looking at him, shocked that he was even alive, he mustered an awkward smile.
"Hi."
His mum was shooting forward before he could process, dragging him into his arms. She was sobbing, then he was, too, and everyone else joined in. By then, he didn't know who was crying anymore.
They sensed he needed space, so they let him wander the house, running his hands along the walls, lingering over mementos. The walls whispered with memories, a life he had, a life he'd craved and that he'd happily retired for. It hadn't lasted long enough though and he'd found himself in another fight anyway. A fight he never thought he'd see a light at the end of. He just never imagined it'd be Leia at the end of the tunnel…and that, just beyond her, he'd come home. Truthfully, if he had walked away from Leia and not chose to join her fight, he would've found himself on one of those ships off world. He wouldn't be in his old house.
When he ended up in the backyard, he stopped and lifted his face to the afternoon sun.
"Weird being back?"
It was Iris, her voice soft and as he turned to her, she looked like she was trying to study him.
"A little. I never thought I'd be back…and it took a while to accept that, hard as it was." He looked up at the house. "Funny how finding Leia, the way I thought would be what would keep me on that planet, ending up being how I got back here."
"Barry mentioned you found someone special," said Iris gently.
As Leia's face came to mind, he smiled, which made Iris's face soften and stretch into a smile. "You'd like her – tough as hell."
"Are we going to meet her when she wakes?"
"Yeah. I've told her all about everyone," he said conversationally but Iris frowned, making him wary. "What?"
"She knows about Artemis."
Wally stared back. "I haven't kept anything from my wife and I'm going to talk to Artemis. This afternoon, if she's free. I haven't had time to ask where she's living now."
"Oh, she's living with Roy now, helping him out with his daughter." Iris hesitated for a moment. "I think you should know – I do believe she cares about Roy."
He blinked, waited for a moment, for the sting of jealous. Five years ago, he'd been so madly in love with Artemis…and the idea of her liking Roy would've made him pissed. Yet as he paused for a moment, he realised he couldn't be angry at Artemis. He'd moved on and it would've been cruel to expect her to wait for him. Knowing that for the past five years he didn't think he'd ever be able to return – period – it did feel right that Artemis didn't waste her life waiting for him. In five years, so much had changed for him and when he looked forward, right to the end of beating Hysteria, he hoped that he'd finally be able to step back from the fight with Leia. He knew how much Leia wanted to stop fighting but he didn't know where she wanted to settle; wherever her people were…or if she'd consider staying on Earth. She'd always been fairly guarded over the matter, as if she didn't want to start an argument over it…or was afraid to discuss it. It wasn't all on her, though, he'd been reluctant to broach it.
"You're not upset about it," she remarked.
"I think for a moment when I came through I kind of had this image of everyone from five years ago – frozen in time. Seeing everyone reminds me that five years has passed for everyone and honestly? I never would've wanted her to mourn me forever, to let life pass her by. I'd have wanted her to be happy."
She nodded but he couldn't read her expression. "And what about you? Are you happy?"
He opened his mouth, a reply on his tongue; then –
A cold feeling brushed over his mind, sending ice rushing down his spin. Dread coiled tightly in his gut. He spun to Iris and blurred her into the living room, meeting the momentary confusion of his family. Barry stepped forward.
"What is it?"
Wally stared at him, feeling like he did whenever he went into a mission with Leia. Firm, resolute.
"Stay inside and don't come outside until I say okay?" He ordered.
Barry frowned. "What is-"
"Promise me," he begged. "Don't come outside until I say."
There was a sudden but muted bang, like a boom tube opening, and a flash of light. The dread coiled tighter in his gut. He looked back, then right to Barry.
"Call the league, see if Leia is awake."
He raced back outside before they could argue and he prayed they'd listen. Unfortunately, he couldn't focus on that now – only pray. With a deep breath, he looked at the portal that had appeared and the woman that stepped through. The air rushed from his lungs as Hysteria stood before him, as terrifyingly beautiful as always, and with a coldness to her gaze that always struck him cold. The tendrils of her powers, like thousands of tiny hooks, latched onto his mind, burrowing slowly. It wasn't an attack; instead, just to nudge his mind, a show of power. She smiled cruelly at him.
"Hello Wally – how is my dear Leia? I sense her, you know, but I feel like she's sleeping again." Hysteria feigned concern. "I do hope my little gift didn't strain her too much. She'd normally be fine with such gifts but maybe she's not as strong as she usually is."
Anger flooded Hysteria. This war was tearing Leia apart from the inside, her mind was becoming increasingly frayed at the edges in recent months. He was scared if he didn't stop Hysteria soon he'd lose Leia completely.
"What do you want YtsHysteHysteria?" He spat.
She cocked her head to the side. "I can sense those people inside. Their minds…How-"
"What do you want?" He snarled, stepping forward.
Hysteria held up her hand, as if in peace but there was nothing genuine or kind about her expression. It reminded him of a predator toying with its prey and he knew, if she pushed, she could break his mind. He remained aware of this as she took one step forward.
"I'm here to deliver a warning – hand me the device and I will leave. Deny me what I want and I will rage war on this planet, tearing it apart – every mind, every city – until I have what I want." Then she stepped back. "Consider yourself warned."
Hysteria stepped back into the portal, which closed a second later. Wally released the breath he'd been holding and sank to his knees, shaking. A hand fell on his shoulder. He reacted by instinct and surged to his feet, sweeping one leg out, and knocking the attack to the ground. In a blink, he had them by the throat, pinned to the ground. The fog in his mind cleared and when he blinked, he realised it was Barry he had pinned down. With a gasp, he scrambled back and sat back, horrified by what he'd done. He felt cold and shocked, confused as his family trickled out. Iris rushed to Barry, helping him up. His parents hung off, shocked by how Wally – their cheeky, wild son – had acted. That he wasn't the son they remembered.
He glanced at them but couldn't stomach the look in their eyes, so he jumped to his feet and ran…and he just kept running.
In a remote Australian town, sitting by a bar, Hope Law finished her beer. Maggie slid over another drink, then ferried the empty one away, and resumed her slow walk about the small, slightly dilapidated bar. At the end of the bar a small fan blew hot air across her skin. Still, she rather liked the bar, enjoyed the stench of old beer and liked watching as a myriad of older aussies came in for their afternoon beers. There was something infinitely hopeful about them. It fed her and she was nearly full when the main door chimed open and a dark-haired woman swept in. She was small, unassuming and drew no attention as she crossed the room, then sat next to Hope.
Hope groaned and set her forehead on the bar. "Don't tell me-"
"Yep. She's back."
"How?"
"Well, I'd say our dear sister warden couldn't contain Hysteria – shocker there."
Hope lifted her head, scowled. "You sound smug for the entity of love."
Cupid snorted. "Love has nothing to do with this. We both know that. Now, Fear agreed to guard Hysteria and the remaining ones are safely – for now, anyway – locked away. Clearly, something went wrong and Hysteria is here."
Panic flooded through Hope and she stood up off her stool, drawing attention. She didn't care. She stared at Cupid, then stalked off to the door.
"Why the hell didn't you lead with that?" Hope hissed.
Behind her Cupid laughed maniacally. "Are we going to have some fun now?"
