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Chapter 2:
The next night, she gathers what she has found and makes her way back to the house where she met Wally. When she gets there she raises her hand to knock on the door but stops herself. She remembers him saying that his door is always open to a beautiful woman so she tries the knob. If it doesn't open, its just another thing he lied about. Oddly enough, the door opens so she quietly walks in.
In the back she can hear voices. One is Wally's but the other, she has no clue so she continues forward stopping at the closed door listening to what's being said but she gets too close to the door causing it to squeak. The voices stop and another door closes quickly as Wally opens the door to Artemis.
Artemis stands her ground. "We need to talk."
Wally steps to the side holding the door open and motions for her to come in, which she does. Putting her bag down on the table she turns back to him.
"I know we just met but I have a huge problem with people lying to me. So I'm going to ask one question and depending on your answer we can continue talking this out." Artemis puts her hand on her bag. "Or I go off on you and the last thing you see is my pretty little ass walking out that door, agreed?"
Artemis can hear a giggle coming from the next room behind the closed door.
"Well being that you do have a pretty little ass, that's a very difficult question to answer but yes I'll agree to your question."
"Who the hell is that?" She points to the closed door.
"Well that's also a very difficult question to answer because if I tell you the truth, you will call me a lair and click, click, click, out you go." Wally using his fingers to simulate walking. "But if I try to lie to you, I'll have a fifty percent shot of you staying."
"That makes no god damn since, Wally."
The door opens behind her. "It does if you're me."
She turns to see a very recognizable person in a black skin tight suit with a blue bird on the front. Artemis can't help but to take a few steps back.
"Artemis, meet Nightwing."
Shock and awe is plastered over her face. "Oh Dear God."
"Please don't call him that. It'll feed his ego."
Artemis turns back to Wally. "Why is he here?"
"Because Wally owes me money and I'm here to collect." Nightwing says with his charming smile.
"Ha ha ha. Funny." Wally quick to respond. "He's a friend, just coming by to see me."
She turns to Wally. "How are you friends with him?"
Nightwing and Wally answer at the same time."My old job. / His old job."
Making a double take at the two then stops back at Wally. "Who did you work for, the Justice League?"
Wally decides to take a seat. "Told you she was smart."
"You also said she was hot too, but as always I don't believe you until I see it for myself."
She turns to give Nightwing a menacing look.
"Well, she was hot until she made that face. Well, I'm out of here." Nightwing walks towards the back door. "Let me know what you find on that report, Wally."
"Will do, c-ya." With that Nightwing walks out.
"Okay, Beautiful." Artemis turns back to Wally. "About me lying to you. I'm truly sorry. I've gotten use to leaving certain things out and now you know why."
"So you didn't die or disappear during the Reach Invasion?"
"Well, you might want to sit down for this. It may take a while to show you what's fact and what's fiction."
Artemis takes a seat and pulls out everything from her bag which they go over. Wally tells her that he did work for the Justice League as a scientist and really was captured. He was one of the last people found but he was already declared dead so he left it as is. The only people that knew the truth was his family and the Justice League.
In the end, all it took was one night talking to a dead guy, to lay the foundation of something Artemis hasn't had in a long, long time. A true friend.
Artemis made regular visits to Wally and in turn, Wally came out to visit her. They would have a movie night or go to dinner but always as friends. It was very hard to say who was benefiting more from this, her or Wally, but he was finally coming out of the wall he build to block out everyone and she was beginning to trust people again.
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