HOLY JEGUS THIS IS FUCKING LONG
I would apologize for not updating sooner, BUT LOOK AT HOW FUCKING LONG THIS CHAPTER IS
IT'S ALL ON ONE STUPID THEME - which, btw, this chapter is loosely based on "Mr. and Mrs. Smith"
I've never seen this movie, so it's most likely not accurate in the slightest
BUT ENJOY THIS DAMMIT
IT'S OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND
words long. Literally, it's 9,519, and 23 pages in Microsoft Word.
Excuse any mistakes that you see, and I hope you guys have a great day off :)
R&R please, and if you want to see any other themes in here, feel free to suggest them!
Disclaimer;; Young Justice does not belong to me, though I'm fairly sure I just wrote an episode-or-two worthy chapter.
Mr. and Mrs. West
It was just like every other day.
The sun was shining, the dark waters of the Mediterranean were calm as waves lapped at the sand beaches; children squealed and laughed as they raced down the streets of Rome. A cool breeze kept the normally humid temperatures in check, sweeping Artemis's gold hair behind her head. Her gray eyes reflected the azure sky, flickering with amusement as she turned another page of her book.
I grinned and reclined in my chair, pushing my sunglasses back up my nose and taking a deep breath.
The air here was clean – much different than in Gotham and Central City back in the States – and each breath I took sent a shiver down my spine.
Everything was different here.
From the friendly atmosphere, to the pure calm of the city around us, to the beauty of the sea continuing beyond the horizon – this was a place I could really see Artemis and I settling down and spending the rest of our lives together.
The woman in question looked up, catching my gaze, and gave a small smile, her expression softening as she marked her page and closed her book, replacing it in her bag.
Too bad we were only here for vacation – we'd be heading back to Central City tomorrow morning and visiting with my parents before heading home.
I should probably introduce myself. The name's Wally West; red-haired and green-eyed, twenty-seven years old, and physics extraordinaire, not to mention, secret superhero speedster under the Justice League, led by ol' Batman himself. I'd replaced my Uncle Barry as 'The Flash' three years ago – one year before I'd met Artemis Crock, and two years before I'd found myself married to very same woman.
Artemis Crock – well, Artemis West now – is a linguistics tutor at Stanford University, where the two of us met. She has a head of lustrous golden hair, and stormy gray eyes that change color as simply as by mimicking the color of her shirt; half-Vietnamese on her mother's side, and half-French on her father's side, or so I'm told, leaving her with mildly tan skin. We share an apartment in Palo Alto, have a pit-bull named Kent, and are leading happy lives together.
I probably never would have found anyone else who could have made me happier, nor kept me from letting my anger control my actions. Artemis keeps me grounded, and I don't think I've ever been so supported by anyone outside of my family since I met Nightwing, Roy, and Kaldur.
Artemis reaches over, hand clasping with mine, and we both smile at each other, fingers entwining.
If only happiness like this could last forever.
But even moments like this are so easily taken away.
Palo Alto, June 15, 2022
Artemis sighed, dropping her bag in the entrance to their apartment before stumbling forward and flopping onto the couch face-first. She could hear Wally crashing around outside, fumbling with the bags, feet tangling together as Kent raced in circles around his master. A yelp, and the sounds of smashing wood, makes Artemis sit up.
Wally shouts, and Kent barks, sprinting inside, tongue lolling from his mouth, his leash ripped at the seam.
Artemis let out an unceremonious snort, guessing as to what form of embarrassing demise her dog just caused her jet-lagged husband to partake in, and falls back onto the couch. A minute later, said red-head stumbles into the doorway.
Leaves were tangled in his hair, twigs caught in the folds of his coat.
"Thanks for the help," he gasped, dropping the bags and falling onto the floor.
Artemis laughed. "Anytime, babe, anytime."
"Did you…check for messages…?"
"Mmm…not yet. Let me adjust to being home again before I go back to work, will you?" Artemis murmured, snuggling a pillow against her chest. She could hear Wally get up, kicking off his shoes and pushing the door closed behind him, before walking over to her.
"I'll check then," he said, pulling the pillow away.
Artemis turns to face him and take the pillow back, but Wally surprises her with a chaste kiss before throwing the cushion into her face with a grunt from the former.
Artemis throws it back at him and sits up, grinning as the answering machine begins its monotonous drone.
Four messages; June 12, 2015
First message; Hey Wally, Artemis! It's Dick; I know you guys are probably gone already, but Wally being the idiot that he is didn't leave me with another number to call, and I'm guessing you guys turned off your phones. Hope you guys have a great vacation and I'll see you guys when you get back. Wally, Mr. Wayne needs to see you on July 1st. Short notice, I know, but he really needs you to check out a new chemical report for the company in Star City. See you then. Bye Artemis! Make sure he doesn't fall into the Mediterranean for me, will you? Alright, see you guys later.
Wally rolled his eyes as the machine beeped, signaling the second message – this one was from Artemis's friend Karen, talking about her recent engagement to her boyfriend Mal Duncan again – and then the third message, another from Dick as a reminder for Wally to come in on the 1st.
The fourth and final message, a woman's hesitant-yet-stern voice – with a slight accent twisting her words – sounded and Artemis's eyes widened. She shot from the couch, picking up the phone and cutting the message short.
Wally blinked, bewildered, as Artemis ran a hand threw her hair, arms shaking.
"Hey, mom, it's me. Yeah, I just got your message. NO, no, just stop talking will you?" she said, biting her lip as her stormy gray eyes narrowed into a glare.
Wally took that as his cue to leave and did just that, returning to the living room to take their bags back into the bedroom.
"Mom, I told you I would be on vacation until today. Yes…yes I was with Wally. Well, mom, can I not spend some time with my husband? Mom, just stop! I got out of the car not even fifteen minutes ago! THIS IS NOT THE TIME. Okay, okay! I'll talk to you later. Yeah, whatever, bye."
Artemis clenched her fists, hands turned to claws. Wally peeked around the corner as Artemis picked up the discarded couch pillow before holding it against her face and screaming. Kent ducked his head beneath his paws, trying to cover his ears as Wally winced.
"What happened?" he asked when Artemis pulled the cushion away.
The blonde glared at the wall, as if contemplating breaking the plaster with a well-placed punch, and slowly turned to her husband. She pushed her hair out of her eyes, face tight with worry, and groaned.
"My mom didn't get the message that I would be out of contact for a few weeks. When you head in to Star City on the 1st, I'll need to drive to Gotham and pay her a visit."
Wally cocked his head, leaning against the doorframe. "And that's so bad?"
"You have no idea." Artemis groaned, slumping against the wall and sliding to the floor.
"When was the last time you talked to her?"
"Probably early May," the blonde said, massaging her temples.
"What was so important she was screaming at you over the phone then?" Wally said, moving to join her.
"God only knows. My family is a case of dynamite with the fuse threatening to light at any second."
"Well, I guess you just have to go find out then, huh?"
Artemis raised her head, turning to meet Wally's gaze. Her gray eyes were tired and dull, mouth set in a pout. Wally gave her a wan smile, reaching for her hand and entwining their fingers.
"It'll be okay. I'll only be a few hours away if you need me."
Artemis returned the smile and leaned against him. Wally's thumb stroked over her knuckles, bumping the silver engagement ring on her finger along with the rose-gold wedding band on her left hand, and kissed her forehead.
"Whatever bad things your family had done, that makes you stay away from them, isn't any reason for you to shun them if they need you."
"Trust me, Wally, they never need me. They never did, and they really will. They just call me when there's dirty work they're too lazy to take care of."
Wally pursed his lips. "Then if it's just like all those other times, make this the last."
Artemis smiled at that and pulled away. She placed her hands on either side of the red-heads face and pulled him close, lips meeting his.
"That…" she said, pulling away for a moment before kissing his cheek. "…is a brilliant idea."
Wally laughed and pulled Artemis to him again.
"Then don't stress about it. Just do what needs to be done, and it'll all be over soon."
Wally arrived in Star City several days later. Only a few hours prior, he'd parted with Artemis as she locked the apartment. The two had kissed each other goodbye, and he had begun his road-trip to Star City while Artemis was on her way to Gotham.
Walking towards a construction site, Wally found the entrance to the zeta beam and pulled the door behind him.
Flash, B07 the transmitter announced. Wally disappeared in a flash of light, and the next moment he was standing inside of Mount Justice – his old headquarters when he'd been a part of the team as Kid Flash.
Dick stood just outside of the second transmitter, arms crossed, and leaning against the wall.
"Good to see you made it here alive," he said, his voice cold.
Wally cocked his head. "What do you mean?"
Dick shook his head. "You'll find out. Batman's going to brief you – all I can say is that you've got a tough mission ahead of you."
Wally's eyes narrowed in confusion, Dick's words making absolutely zero sense, before shrugging it off and sprinting down the hall to suit up.
The faster I get this mission done and over with, the sooner I can go back home to Artemis…he thought to himself, pulling the scarlet cowl of his face and running to the briefing room.
The Dark Knight stood in his ever-lasting moody-glory, his mouth set in a thin line as he looked over the computer screen. Superman stood next to Wonder Woman, Black Canary next to Green arrow – all four looked rather disconcerted and mildly pissed off. Whatever Batman had in store for him could not be good.
"Since we're all finally here, why don't we get started?" he began, turning away from the computer and bringing up a file on the big screen.
"The Light has obtained a newer accomplice – she goes by the name Tigress. She's skilled in hand-to-hand combat, but should NOT be underestimated under any circumstances. Our datalogs show no prior information to her former life; more than likely, she has been trained under Sportsmaster, and has been seen fighting alongside relation towards Klarion, Lex Luthor, or any of the other elites has been proven. Flash, this is where you come in."
The Dark Knight turned to Wally, and the red-head could feel everyone's gaze suddenly turn on him.
"Sorry, but I still don't understand what you want me to do." Wally glanced around, exasperated.
Nightwing's expression hardened under his mask, teeth grit. Batman signaled for the rest of the group to leave the room for a moment, and when Superman closed the door behind him, Nightwing pulled a flash-drive out of his pocket.
"When Batman said we had no information on her former life…that was a lie. We know who she is and where she comes from…to some extent."
Wally crossed his arms. "And this is important to me because…?"
Nightwing glanced at Batman, and the latter dipped his head in a brief nod. Nightwing's shoulders set, as if pained, and he typed in a few pass-codes before the information came up on the screen.
Wally's eyes widened under his cowl, jaw dropping, shoulders slumping as his arms fell to his sides.
No way…there's no way, that can't be…
"Wally…" Dick said; his voice was uncharacteristically soft as the three of them stared at the picture on the screen above them.
The speedster's lungs felt like they were full of water – his feet could have been welded to the ground.
"There's no way…" he breathed, voice cracking.
"You need to believe it," Batman's gravelly voice shook Wally to the core.
They wouldn't lie about something like this and you know it…
The blonde hair reached just past her shoulders, tanned skin gleaming under rays of sunshine. Clear blue sky could be seen behind her, and her gray eyes almost appeared a pale cerulean in the light – the same eyes that played tricks with Wally's mind every morning he woke up, and every night he crawled into bed, arms slipping around her waist, fingers threading together with hers.
"How do you know…" Wally whispered, pain echoing in his voice.
Nightwing opened his mouth, as if to say something, but quickly shut it once more – glancing at his former mentor for help.
Batman pulled up another two files – Sportsmaster and Huntress.
"Their eldest daughter is Cheshire – Jade Nguyen. Huntress was paralyzed when the two were still young, and imprisoned. Both girls were raised by Sportsmaster until Jade left her younger sister to fend for herself, and her training allowed her to become Cheshire. I'm assuming she's told you nothing about this."
"She has bad memories of her family – she said her sister left, her mother was strict and didn't care for her, and her father was an over-bearing drunk."
"Those aren't complete lies, but now you understand. She is your current mission, and must be dealt with immediately.
"NO, I don't understand." Wally said, gaze moving from the screen to glare at the Dark Knight and his protégé. "You pull me in for an all-important mission, only to leave out this little detail and then take a shovel and smack me in the face just to say 'oh hey, your wife Artemis is a homicidal maniac in league with the Light – the Justice League's main enemies – and we need you to take care of her.' No. NO. I'm not going to do this. I KNOW what you want me to do when you say to 'take care of her' and it's not going to happen. I'M NOT GOING TO KILL ARTEMIS."
Wally paused, gaze setting on Nightwing. "You're supposed to be my best friend. And you didn't say anything."
"Wally, she's dangerous. I've seen firsthand what she can do, and she needs to disappear."
"WELL, as long as we have a legitimate reason to tell one of our teammates that his wife is a wicked, villainous monster dead-set on destroying the lives of innocents and focused on bringing the world to chaos and that he needs to take care of the problem, everything's fine and dandy in the end, isn't it?"
"Wally, you're taking this a bit far – "
"NO, LAST I CHECKED, YOU WEREN'T THE ONE BEING TOLD TO ELIMINATE THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE BECAUSE SHE'S BECOME A THREAT TO YOUR GOD DAMNED ORDER AND THE PEACE OF THE WORLD."
"Wally." Batman said – malice echoing in his tone.
Wally paused, knowing the consequences of ignoring their leader when he used such a grave tone.
"You're acting like a child. Come to your senses and think – do you want to keep pretending none of this is real, or do you want to do your job and protect the world? Bottom line is, Artemis Crock is a threat to society and the ideals of the Justice League, and you are in charge of putting an end to her ways. If you are seen to be unfit for the job, someone else will take care of her for y – "
"No."
Batman turned to glare at the speedster. Nightwing's jaw dropped open – no one interrupted his mentor and got away with it very easily. Everyone knew Wally was the last person to think things through and the first person to have to face the consequences of his own actions, but he'd never had the gall to interrupt Batman.
"What?"
"I said no." Wally pulled the cowl from his face. He green eyes flashed with pain as he stared at the mask in his hand, shaking his head. "I can't do it."
"And why are you unable to perform such a task all of a sudden?" Batman was no longer making any effort to hide the skepticism in his voice, and Nightwing kept silent, waiting for the volcano to erupt.
Wally raised his head, the hand gripping his mask falling back to his side. "Because I can't kill my family."
Even Batman was quiet, shoulders setting as he turned back to the screen. Nightwing glanced between the two – his mentor and his best friend – unsure of what was about to happen.
"I've been married to Artemis for almost a year-and-a-half now…" Wally continued, staring at the picture on the screen. "We've been living together for even longer. Initially, we didn't get along, but we came to understand each other's differences. We started out as enemies, ended up becoming friends, and eventually we both fell for each other. And all of a sudden, when some new information happens to pop up, you expect me to dispose of the problem for you, when that means I have to eliminate my source of happiness."
Wally shook his head, turning to head back to his old room and change into his normal clothes once more. "I can't do that, and for you not to realize how impossible even the idea of it is proves that none of you really understand what 'keeping the peace' means."
He glanced over his shoulder – both mentor and protégé stood exactly where Wally had left them. "It means keeping families together…" he murmured. Wally then turned and sped down the hallways, grabbing his clothes and entering the transmitter without a second thought.
Returning to Gotham might just have been the hardest thing for Artemis to do. She'd promised herself this when she had first become engaged to Wally – had sworn on the ring placed on her finger the day she wore a white gown in a church under a stained-glass window reflecting the sunlight in rainbows that danced around the room – that she wouldn't return.
That this life for her was over – she was a new person, with only one identity.
Boy, did that bite her in the ass.
She should have known she couldn't run away that simply – Sportsmaster would track her down, Cheshire would know everything she'd done and everyone she had been with. The Light didn't just allow one to defect from their tyrannical warfare because of a change of heart.
Artemis stopped in the alley just below her mother's apartment, blinking back an onslaught of furious tears, and touched the rings on her left hand.
"I'll be home soon…I promise," she said, in a light, breathy tone.
Twisting the rings, she pulled both off of her hand, slipping them onto a chain around her neck, and tucking it inside of her shirt. Then, she began towards the fire escape, climbing the rusted metal ladder with the grace of a cat, making her way up to her old bedroom. From the window, Artemis could see the familiar faded posters of Alice in Wonderland lining the walls on one side of the room that she had once shared with Jade.
Both beds had their covers drawn, sheets pulled tight. Books littered the floor in haphazard piles, and she could just barely see the gleam of a metal rod sticking out from the bottom of what had been her bed. Using a pick, Artemis wove the piece of wire under the windows frame, guiding it through a hole to the gears of the lock and twisting it. A moment later, the windows latch popped open and Artemis removed the pick, pulling the window open and sliding inside.
No sounds came from anywhere in the house – her mother no doubt was fast asleep. Peering around the doorway, she could see her mother's wheelchair, sitting empty next to her bed. Letting out a sigh, Artemis turned back into her room and moved to the trunk at the foot of her old bed. Lifting the lid revealed mementos from her not-so-fantastic past – newspaper articles on the Justice League, crossed out targets, circled missions.
Periodicals on Global Warming, cracked CD's from her preteen stage that – with one glance at the titles on the cover – made Artemis cringe. At the bottom, old elementary school yearbooks where her blonde hair had been an untamable mess of a ponytail, missing teeth lining her wide grin as she smiled for the camera.
Artemis hated lying to Wally, but she sure as hell was glad she'd never shown him pictures of when she was younger.
The last thing she pulled out made her chest ache, guilt coursing through her veins like ice. She quickly replaced all the other items just the way they had been before, but the costume remained folded in her lap as she closed the chest.
Holding it with two hands, Artemis stood, and the costume unraveled – a suit of orange and black, mesh-gear covering the elbows, wrists, and knees. A light-weight black padding of armor draped over the shoulders. Her shoes would be in the closet, alongside the short-sword, bow and arrows, and knives she'd stowed away when she'd left this place.
The guilt has turn to coursing flames of self-pity and hatred.
Tigress was never meant to exist ever again, but here she was, standing in the exact same room, glowering at the exact same costume, and knowing she was about to do the exact same thing once more.
Changing into the suit, strapping on her gear, and attaching her mask, Artemis glanced at her reflection in the cracked mirror nailed to the wall. She ran a hand through her newly-dyed black hair, hating every piece of herself for what she was about to do, and turned towards the window to leave.
Tigress had returned – Artemis was under lock-and-key – and this time, she was charged with killing the Flash.
Wally returned to Palo Alto that same night, still livid with what Batman and Nightwing had suggested.
There's no way that was really Artemis. They messed up – Tigress's real identity just looked like her enough that they became suspicious.
Wally told himself, fumbling for his keys.
They didn't want to tell you any of that.
"I know that…" he murmured, entering the dark apartment.
Kent lifted his head from the couch when Wally closed the door, flicking several of the lights on.
"Artemis?" Wally called, pulling off his jacket.
He had left headquarters carelessly – wearing his normal clothes over-top of his suit – and hadn't really thought things through until he'd been pulling into the driveway. If Artemis was home, it would be even more difficult to hide his true identity.
When no one answered, he sighed in relief and went to check the answering machine; the light flashed red, signaling two new messages. The first was from Dick, calling to apologize, but urging him to return so they could talk things through.
Wally pressed the delete button before it had even finished the recording.
The second was from Artemis, and the sound of his wife's voice caused some of his anger to dissipate; at least Artemis was alright.
"Hey Wally, I made it to Gotham alright. It seems that…I'll have to stay here for a bit. I'm sorry, I know it's really short notice, but it seems things with my family are a little rough here. I'm just going to get this over with as soon as possible. I'm sorry again. I might be out of cell range for a while, but when I can, I'll try to call, but I honestly can't make any promises with this chaotic storm of a reunion brewing over my head. I'll be home soon. I love you.
At the end of the message, Wally pressed replay once more, and then a third time, his shoulders sagging each time he listened to the message. He finally sank onto the couch, reclining his head back and closing his eyes. Kent huffed, jumping off and trotting off to Wally and Artemis's room.
"Leaving me alone, eh? Traitor." Wally mumbled.
Kent snorted a bark in response.
After a while of lying around doing nothing, ignoring his growling stomach, and beginning to doze off, the phone startled Wally awake once more. He heard Kent growl from somewhere in the apartment, chuffed at being awoken after undoubtedly falling asleep as well.
Glancing at the caller ID and not recognizing the number, Wally replaced it back in its holster and began to make his way towards his room, the ringtone finally stopped and the answering machine picked up, Artemis's voice sounding as it echoed the recorded message.
Hey, this is Wally and Artemis West. Sorry we can't come to the phone right now, but we'll try to get back to you as soon as we can, thanks and talk to you later.
"Hello, Wally West," a woman's voice began, twisting into a guttural purr. "This is Cheshire."
Wally froze, spinning on the ball of his foot, eyes wide, as the message continued.
"It seems you most likely don't know who I am, or at least you're doing a helluva job pretending you don't, but let's not get into specifics. You see, I know who you are, and I've got a new friend here who would be, hmm, rather," Cheshire laughed, the sound making Wally's fists clench, "special, I suppose, to you. Wouldn't that be right, Artemis dearie?"
A muffled noise, like a scream stifled by a gag, sounded faintly as Cheshire laughed again. "See here, Wally West, I've got a little proposition for you. How about, you come out of hiding and flash that flattering scarlet suit and mask of yours, and meet me in two days in the Bialyan desert? You should know the place. Until then, say farewell to your little sweetheart. Ta-ta."
Absolute fury coursed through Wally's veins as the message ended. He could have been engulfed in flames and cared less. Sprinting for the door, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, slamming the apartment door closed behind him and calling Nightwing, launching down the street at the speed of light.
"Wally?" Nightwing said, picking up after the third ring.
"Yeah it's me."
"Oh hell, I'm glad you called. Listen, Bats and I agreed we were way out of line earlier and –"
"None of that matters now."
Nightwing paused. "It…doesn't…?"
"No."
"Okay, what happened?"
"Dick, they nabbed Artemis."
The silence lasted for a moment longer this time, and when he responded, Nightwing's voice was cold. "Who?"
"Cheshire called. She knows who I am. Artemis was visiting her mother in Gotham."
"Shit…then that means…Bats and I were way out of line."
"Dick, seriously, shut up! It doesn't matter! They've got Artemis, and Cheshire wants me in Bialya in two days. Otherwise, I have a bad feeling the longer they wait, the less of a chance Artemis has."
"It's a trap?"
"Hell yes, most definitely, but I'm not leaving Artemis to fend for herself."
"Okay, Bats is on his way over. Connor and M'Gann too, along with Zatanna, Bee, and Beast Boy."
"More than enough. I need someone to watch the apartment though and take care of Kent."
"Cassie and Jamie are on their way."
"Alright. See you in ten."
"Dude, how fast are you running?"
"Let's just say, M'Gann should cook everything in the fridge as soon as possible."
Cheshire's scheme to lure out the Flash was ridiculously moronic. Of course she knew the guys secret identity. Go figure. Of course she'd nabbed a random girl off the streets to use as bait. And of course none of this pertained to Artemis – correction Tigress's mission.
Cheshire just wanted to draw it out for as long as possible, mess with the guys head, push him to his absolute limits until when he finds out all of his loved ones are safe, he breaks down, and is easier to take care of.
For someone who doesn't want to put in much effort, she was sure making a hassle out of the entire thing.
With a sigh, Tigress left the room, hell, left the building. The warehouse was located on the very outskirts of the Bialyan desert. The building was worn out – the ceiling collapsing, concrete breaking apart, rusting metal lofts in danger of falling down as well.
"The sooner you get this done, the sooner you can go home Arty…" Artemis said to herself, pushing a lock of black hair back behind her ear. The smell of dye still hung around her head in a loose, noxious cloud. The colored contacts in her eyes itched like crazy, burning with every blink she took, but she hadn't taken any chance at being recognized.
Tigress was her other half – she wasn't connected to Artemis. If she had the choice, Tigress wouldn't exist at all. But growing up in Gotham with her parents and sister working with the Light, she hadn't had much choice if she was going to survive. And then she'd gotten old enough to choose, and had left it behind her. That was five years ago. Of course, her "family" still badgered her, still threatened to take away whatever she'd earned and fought to have, but they had never made do on their promises.
Until now, that is.
Cheshire – Jade, knew everything about her, and most importantly, she'd found out about Wally. Artemis had made sure to cut the strings that could tie her to anything the Light could hold against her, but Wally had become a steel cable – holding her to the ground from where she floated light-as-air above the earth.
Nothing could sever them from each other.
But Jade had to go and be an ass about the entire thing.
"Blood is thicker than water," she reminded her younger sister when Artemis had stepped out of the plane.
The archer glared, dark eyes flashing in a fury that made Bane – Cheshire's apparent body guard – take a step closer.
"The full saying is "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb," Chesh." Artemis snapped.
Jade's smirk faltered for a moment, and Artemis could almost feel the sudden tension in the air, before Jade seemed to shrug it off and it was gone once more.
"Fine, fine, keep believing what you want," she said with a wave of her hand, turning to lead Artemis to the van. "Just know…" she paused, hand on the passenger door, other pulling her mask from her face for only a moment. "Fail to complete this mission, and I will kill him myself." she said in a low voice, baring her teeth before replacing the mask and hopping into the cab.
Artemis felt a tremor make its way down her spine. You've got to do this…you need to, for Wally…
And that's how she found herself outside of an abandoned building, in the chilly desert air, stranded in the middle of Bialya with only one choice for her course of action – a choice she hadn't gotten the chance to refuse or make on her own – she had to kill the Flash.
"Ok man, you're about 90 miles away from the Bialyan border. After you've crossed over, we've managed to track one of their vehicles to a compound 235 miles to the northeast. From there, you're on your own. We'll keep SB and everyone outside, far enough away that they won't get noticed, but close enough to get in if you run into any trouble. According to Cheshire's message, you've got 24 hours to get in, find Artemis, and contact us to get you out of there."
"Okay, okay, sheesh, I get it. Sorry I had to flip out on you earlier, by the way."
"Dude your wife is in peril, and Bats and I just tried to convince you she was an evil mastermind assigned to kill you. I think we're about even."
Wally grimaced, pulling a pair of goggles down over his cowl, noting the coordinates logged into the database flashing across the lenses. "Any news?"
"Nothing new. They haven't made any move to contact you or anyone else. How'd they find out your identity though?"
"Maybe they didn't. Maybe they just needed a convincing story to keep Artemis locked up…or they could have found a connection between me and Uncle Barry."
"…"
"Yeah yeah, it sounds impossible, but I'm almost running on mental fumes man, give me a break."
"Sorry, that just came across as so ridiculously unintelligent; I was busy counting how many brain cells I could feel dying."
"Screw you and the joke book you rode in on, Nightwing."
Wally could hear Dick cackling over the transmitter, a low-hum compared to his insane you-just-got-shit-wrecked laugh he'd had when he was thirteen.
"Okay, okay, you just crossed the border."
"Noted; currently 130 miles in and counting."
"Okay smartass. You just passed M'gann by the way, and she's a little pissed you didn't wave back."
"Is this really the time to be cracking jokes? Really?"
"Loosen up Speedy Gonzalez. You run in their tense and unfocused, you're going to lose your chance and put Artemis at greater risk."
"Like I have a choice."
"You do, and you're too damn stubborn to see it. Artemis is depending on the Flash to swoop in and save her, not a scarlet, soulless dementor."
"Harry Potter references are currently not welcome either."
"I hope next time you and SB spar he slams you into a wall."
"Yeah, well –"
"Yeah well, here's the thing, dude, you – WALLY WATCH OUT!"
Wally raised his gaze from the screen in his goggles a moment too late – the missile hit the sand in front of him, blowing a crater into the desert landscape and sending the speedster flying. He slammed into a dune, crumpling backwards, and rolling head-over-heels only to lie flat on his back. Letting out a moan, Wally turned onto his side, shakily pushing up with his arms. His ears rang from the blast; the goggles had gotten smashed when he'd rolled, and he yanked them off of his face.
Faintly, he heard heavy footsteps and he raised his head to see a white-painted face, as if to look like a skull, and the muscular figure cracked their knuckles. Black spots danced in Wally's vision just as Bane threw his fist down, and then his sight faded into darkness, Nightwing's voice frantic in his ear.
At the sound of muffled voices, Wally stirred. His entire body ached, mind clouded as he strained to remember where he was – his hands were tied behind a chair, feet bound to the floor. A sting in his lip, and he tasted copper and salt. He cheek was swollen, and he could his nose throbbed with pain when he tried to take a breath, blood oozing down over his lips.
Over-head, a bare light-bulb flickered a yellowish-light, leaving half the room in darkness and making Wally wince.
Okay, a split lip, broken nose, black eye, hands and feet are both tied, but I've still got my mask. Where the hell –
"Chesh, you've got to be kidding me. You wanted him taken care of, but you lock him up? Why not just dispose of him when he's at his weakest?"
"Dear, dear little Tigress," someone purred. "The game isn't fun unless everyone is playing along."
"Chesh, that's sadistic, and downright sick. If you were going to torture him anyways, then why do you even need me here?"
"You need to take care of him?"
"Why me? Seems like you've got this handled so perfectly, you could pull one little thread and it'd be over for him."
The second voice – Cheshire, Wally guessed – chuckled.
"Because we've got something of his."
"I know that."
"And I want to see him unravel so quickly, there's nothing left to destroy. Just an incompetent little shell."
"Oh gee, where's the fun in just killing the guy. No, no, we have to wipe out any form of confidence or mental strength he has and reduce him to a mentally unstable turtle. Fuck off. I'm not wheeling him out of here and taking him to a mental hospital because you wanted to play sucker punch with his head."
Cheshire's tone went serious, and Wally stiffened at the sudden change in her demeanor.
"He won't give us any information. His body runs at such incredible speeds, that we can't give him a large enough dose of truth serum without alerting Luther and compromising our location. I don't give a rats ass what you do with him anymore, just take care of it, and get it done. Then you can saunter your way out of the building and go back to your god-forsaken hell of a life."
Tigress snarled, and the door to the room Wally was locked away in slid open. Bane came in, carrying a knife, just as Cheshire's voice came again, a little clearer.
"Well, looks like our little knight in shining red armor is awake. Bane, please take him down the hall. Tigress…" a pause, Cheshire's voice leaving a trail of venom soaking the name. "You know what to do."
Bane grabbed Wally's wrists, cutting away the chords binding his hands to the chair but leaving them tied together, before slashing at the roped around his feet. He pushed the speedster out into the hall – half blacked-out with flickering lights every twenty-feet or so – and into another room. This one was lit so well, Wally actually stumbled backwards, pain tearing through his skull.
Bane shoved him again before cutting away the ropes around his wrist and stepping out of the room. Wally looked behind him as the door slid shut, air-locking and a pass-code sensor lighting up red. Turning back around to face whoever was in the room, he found a woman leaning against the wall on the opposite side, arms crossed over her chest.
The orange and black body-suit was form fitting – her black hair flowed over her shoulders, dark eyes glowering at him from beneath a mask. Sai's were strapped to her thighs, a katana to her back, and an assortment of small knives were hooked onto her belt along with what Wally guessed was probably various noxious gases.
The woman pushed away from the wall, standing straight, and lowering her hands to her belt.
"I'm assuming I've found myself face-to-face with the legendary Tigress, am I correct?" Wally said, a weight dropping in his chest.
"You assume correctly…" she said lowly, as if uninterested that she was ordered to kill him.
Wally grimaced. "Time to fight to the death, huh? I've got to say, you don't seem like someone who's ready to kill me."
"It's an unnecessary form of action, so yes, I must concede that your point is quite accurate." A buzz and Tigress glanced at her belt, pulling a communicator free and holding it to her ear. She didn't say anything, but whatever was said to her chanced her expression entirely. Her dark eyes narrowed to slits, fingers flexing around the small device, knees locking.
Every inch of her body was suddenly tense, and when she lowered her hand, she dropped the communicator to the floor, lifting her foot and smashing the device to pieces. She looked over Wally's head, and he followed her gaze, catching sight of a camera watching them, twisting in the corner above the door.
"If you can't already tell, I know what the hell I need to do, and what you are doing to ensure that I get it done," Tigress hissed, glowering at the black lens reflecting Tigress and Wally's forms.
Wally turned his gaze back to Tigress and saw her draw a katana. She moved into stance.
"You should prepare yourself," she snarled before shooting forward, lashing out with the blade.
Wally shot backwards – he only had a moment to react before he knew that Tigress would strike to kill.
The Flash and Tigress fought as if in a dance. Tigress's black hair flowed behind her in a halo as she threw a punch. The Flash darted to the side, hitting her arm before effectively kicking the katana out of her hand. Tigress pulled a sai from the holster on her thigh and twirled it – holding it backwards – and lashed out. The tip of the three-pronged blade nicked the Flash and he jumped back.
"Is that all you've got?" He said, ignoring the sting on his arm.
"You have no idea…" Tigress murmured, wielding her second sai.
The Flash shot forward, sprinting in a circle around Tigress. The assassin held her breath, feeling the centrifugal force drawing away the oxygen in the space around her. She willed her heart to slow, raising her arms and blocking hits as the Flash continued his onslaught.
"Look, I don't want to hurt you babe. Stop fighting and I'll take you into custody. You can get out of this." Wally said, remembering how uncertain Tigress had sounded about her assignment earlier.
Tigress barked a laugh, kicking out and tripping the speedster before launching into the air and spinning, her foot connecting with his jaw and sending him backwards.
"You can't run from your past," she rasped, feeling a burn in her arms.
The superhero met her gaze, green eyes narrowed behind his cowl as he pushed himself back onto his feet. "You can't run from your past, but you sure as hell don't have to make a future based off of it."
Tigress froze just as the Flash shot forward, throwing a volley of hits that she just barely managed to block. At one point, she missed and was sent careening through the air, hitting the wall on the far side of the room and crumpling to the ground. Her sai's skittered across the floor, away from her, and as she pushed herself onto her knees trying to catch her breath, the blade of her katana was pressed against her throat.
Her breathing stopped altogether, and she looked up to see the Flash's brilliant emerald eyes boring into hers through a cut in his mask. The slightest hint of freckles brushed over his nose; his hand held her shoulder, pushing her back against the wall.
"I don't have to hurt you," he repeated.
Tigress was close enough to feel his breath brush across her cheeks, and her body went numb, her chest hollow.
"…Wally…?" she breathed, not wanting to believe it.
Only he could have heard her – she'd spoken barely above a whisper, not even the best microphones would have been able to catch anything but a low hum.
But the Flash stiffened and they both knew.
It was Wally.
And she was Artemis.
She quickly leaned in, whispering "first two buttons next to the door, and then the fifth, and then the ninth. Wait for the buzzer," and then she arched backwards, pulling her knees up between them and kicked Wally away. The force knocked him back a few feet, the blade falling from his hand. Artemis darted forward, grabbing a sai that wasn't too close to Wally and giving a half-hearted swipe at his chest that she prayed looked real. Wally jumped back and began racing around the room.
Artemis twisted, trying to see him through the red blurs – desperately keeping an eye on the door. Her second sai was launched with thrown at the camera with wicked speed, the device shattering in a shower of glass and sparks. The door signaled the correct passcode and slid open just as a set of arms wrapped around Artemis's torso and under her legs, and then she was being carried up and out of the building.
"What are you doing?!" she shouted, wrapping her arms around his neck, the blurred images of the building surrounding her making her nauseous.
"I'm not leaving you!" Wally replied, darting around a corner with ease.
"Wally, I'm dead either way," she said, squeezing her eyes shut.
Wally's arms tightened around her. "I won't let them," he murmured.
Artemis barely caught it, and she pressed her face against his neck.
"I thought I'd lost you," she whispered, tears threatening to fall.
"Ditto."
A burst of cold air, and Artemis dared to open an eye. A navy sky, speckled with white stars, and endless desert was all she could see.
"I'm assuming you should call your team…" she murmured, pulling her phone from a holster near her ankle.
Wally opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it once more. He turned his head towards her briefly, watching her disable anything that could give them away.
"I'm not going to let them hurt you Artemis," he said, his voice soft.
Artemis raised her head and met his gaze, eyes solemn. "I'm not sure you have a choice."
Wally clenched his jaw. "It doesn't matter.
"Wally, yes it does. I've been helping the Light since I was little. No doubt taking me out of the equation one way or another is their top priority."
Wally went silent for a moment, allowing Artemis to continue fiddling with the phone.
"How long have you been inactive?" He finally said, breaking the silence.
"Close to five years now…" she murmured, letting out a curse when the phone shocked her.
"Then I'll make sure you're not their priority."
Wally, don't you get it? It doesn't matter how long I've been inactive! I'm the enemy; I was forced to put on this stupid costume because they convinced me they had you in custody and would kill you if I didn't return. You can't leave your past. I can't get away with this, nor should I. Just because I'm married to you, the Justice League isn't going to forget that I'm a threat. They'll probably see me as an even bigger one."
"…why did you go?"
"What?"
"Why did you go back to Gotham?"
Artemis stopped messing with the phone and slid the battery pack closed. "To tell them I wasn't going to help…" she said, glancing to the side, her mouth set in a thin line.
"Then what happened?"
"They convinced me they'd taken you captive."
"And you were forced to help."
"…yes…?"
Wally nodded, taking the phone from her and dialing a number, holding the phone to his ear. "I believe you."
"Wally, that –"
"Just because I do, doesn't mean they will, I know. But the Light manipulated me too so that they'd have the ball in their court."
"What? How in the–"
"They said that they had taken you," he interrupted.
Artemis went silent and when Nightwing picked up and Wally transferred their coordinates, the speedster glanced over at her to see tears shining in her eyes, mouth in a thin line.
Wally dropped the phone in the sand, running a little farther before finally stopping at an outcropping of boulders. Setting Artemis down, she immediately spun around, pulling a bow from her back and smashing it against the rocks. Wally immediately took a few steps back, knowing that an Arty-tantrum was coming on, and he knew well enough to take a few steps back and leave her be.
"I'M – SO – STUPID!" she shrieked, her voice shrill. "I can't believe I fell for that! It's petty and ridiculously thought out, and painfully obvious enough just to be another one of their stupid schemes! GOD! DAMN! IT!"
By then, Artemis had started crying, smashing the remains of her bow against the boulder. She then threw her sai's away, followed by her knives, and then her weapons belt, all the while screaming and crying at the sky. When she finally seemed too tired to continue, to the point that her throat was raw and her nose was a brilliant red, dripping down her face, she sank to her knees, hands burying into the sand.
"I'm so stupid," she rasped, sniffling and wiping her nose with the back of her gloved hand.
"No…no, Artemis, you're not."
"I had to go and fall for a stupid little trick," she gasped. "I'm such an idiot, it's so obvious now. They'd find any way to pull me back in, and now I've ruined everything because I couldn't see through their lies."
"Artemis, you're not the only one who charged in without thinking."
"But I'm the one who caused all of this."
"NONE of this was your fault. The Light manipulated both of us like a set of puppets."
Artemis placed her hands over her face, trying to the hide the threat of the next onslaught of tears.
"You've never wanted to help the Light, have you?" Wally said, kneeling next to her, his arm wrapping around her shoulder."
Artemis shook her head.
"You wanted to leave."
She nodded.
"And as soon as the chance presented itself, you did."
Another nod. "You're expected to follow your parent's path as close as possible – to be just as successful, if not more," Artemis choked. "I was the weak link. That's why they let me go so easily and for so long. But I was also an asset. So in the end, they kept calling me back, but I never did return, until now."
Artemis pulled her hands away from her face, wrapping her arms around Wally's neck, holding him close.
"I thought I'd lost you," she whispered, kissing his cheek.
Tears brushed Wally's face, and his arms wound around her torso.
"You'll never lose me again." He said, closing his eyes.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
The two stayed like that for what felt like eternity, but could have only been minutes. Nightwing arrived with SB, M'Gann, and Zatanna. When they saw Tigress, they all tensed, but Wally assured them that it was alright – Artemis remained silent. When they came aboard the Bioship, Nightwing asked Zatanna to bind Artemis's hands and feet – Wally was about to protest but Artemis shook her head, moving to stand in front of the magician and awaiting any orders Nightwing gave her.
The group traveled in silence other than a low murmur from Wally and Artemis, sitting in the cargo hold with SB as a guard.
"What are you doing?" Wally whispered, glancing at the clone standing near the door.
"Behaving Wally, now shh." She replied in the same manner.
"I thought I told you I'd take care of this. Once they hear what you have to say…" he trailed off, noticing Artemis's expression.
"I'm taking any punishment they give me, Wally. If I end up in jail, good, and if I don't get a chance at parole, even better. Bottom line is that I'm willing to accept the consequences, alright? Even if that means the worst happens and we're separated."
SB, surprised at Artemis's compliance, caught Wally's gaze – gave him a brief nod – and left for the ships cabin. Confused at his abrupt departure, Artemis looked to Wally, silently asking for an answer, but Wally simply shook his head.
"Hey Nightwing, how much longer until we land?" He called, his hand catching Artemis's and giving her fingers a slight squeeze.
"About ten minutes. Batman, Martian Manhunter, and Captain Atom will meet us at the landing zone. We…we'll take Tigress into questioning. They'll ultimately decide what happens after that."
"Please, don't call me Tigress," Artemis sighed, removing her hand from Wally's so that she could pull the mask from her face. "Just Artemis."
Nightwing paused, glancing back at the two as the mask clattered to the ships floor, the couple entwining their hands once more. Artemis laid her head on Wally's shoulder – the speedster raising his free hand to stroke her hair.
"Artemis." Nightwing corrected after a moment.
The BioShip finally landed inside of Mount Justice. As promised, the three superheroes met them at the loading dock and took over as captors for Artemis. Wally walked with them, next to the Captain, and would occasionally glance at his wife's face. Her expression had fallen, face blank, contact-colored eyes giving away nothing. The three questioned her, and anything they asked about the Light's future plans that Artemis could have possibly known about, she was quick to give away their secrets.
Martian Manhunter kept a close watch on her mind, occasionally confirming that she was consistently telling the truth. M'Gann – outside of the interrogation room with SB, Nightwing, and Wally – sighed and agreed with her uncle.
After a while, the three left Artemis to sit in the room by herself to talk amongst themselves, removing her handcuffs so she could take out the colored contacts. Her stormy gray eyes glanced at the glass panel, mirrored so that she couldn't see anything from her side, but perfectly transparent to the other. Wally raised a hand, laying it flat against the glass, desperately wanting to be in the room with Artemis, to add to the story.
Batman returned alone, and indeed he did summon Wally. He added his side of the story, explaining the call from Cheshire to where they'd met in the underground facility. After they were both done, and Wally was standing behind Artemis – hands on her shoulders – Batman nodded.
"It seems that both sides of your stories match completely. Martian Manhunter has confirmed the existence a new weapon being developed between Lex Luthor, Klarion, and Vandal Savage. We don't see any necessary reason to incarcerate her for past crimes that have already been dealt with. She did not commit them by herself, and has never made a constant effort to dispose of her victims. Each came away simply incapacitated with noxious gas, or simply stunned."
In the end, Artemis was free to go. The tension that she had tried to hide from Wally relaxed, her shoulders falling as she took a deep breath. A wide grin spread across the speedsters face, his arms wrapping around her shoulders, kissing her cheek.
"But, there's a catch," Batman continued, keeping a blank expression though Nightwing could have sworn he'd seen his former mentor's mouth twitch into a smirk ever-so-slightly.
Wally's relief quickly faded as the couple looked toward the League's commander.
"We'd like Artemis to join the team."
Artemis looked as she'd been kicked in the gut, her face going pale – she seemed to stop breathing. Wally blinked.
"…what…? Why? You just said she was free to go."
"She is. But there is a catch, like I said. She'll be under surveillance for a year, and that's the extent of an actual punishment that we have agreed to. However, we'd like her to join the team. We have found that she could be an incredible asset to have on our side, and her time with the Light gives us an advantage to their techniques and possible plans for the future. She is free to stay with us, or leave."
Wally clenched his jaw. "She won't –"
"Deal." Artemis interrupted.
Wally's eyes widened, and his gaze shot to his wife. Her gray eyes flashed as she stared at the Dark Knight. "I want to join," she continued, crossing her arms.
"What?! Artemis, why –"
Artemis glanced at Wally, and the corners of her mouth twitched into the slightest of smiles. "What? I'm just supposed to sit at home and leave you to all the glory? I don't think so. I almost lost you once, and it's not going to happen again."
Wally groaned, removing his hands from Artemis's shoulders and raising them to his head, angrily running them through his messy red hair. Artemis turned back to Batman.
"If you'll have me, I'll happily join."
Batman nodded, turning to leave. "Superboy, Nightwing, Miss Martian. Take Artemis to Green Arrow. Introduce them – while she adjusts, she'll be brought in as his apprentice. Then, when the rest of the team returns after their mission, introduce her to them as well. No one needs to know any excessive information about her predicament for now."
Artemis stood, and Wally led her from the room, following the Dark Knight into the corridor and meeting up with the other three.
In time, the Team would learn Artemis's story, and she would be welcomed with open arms. She would learn Nightwings true name was Richard Grayson – she'd punch him in the arm for messing with her like that – and she would be reunited with Mal and Karen shortly after attending their wedding.
Wally and Artemis West became partners for the Justice League, and for the remainder of their time with the Team, would fight by each others side, never to be separated again. Until a mysterious experience in Bialya where she – alongside Nightwing, Wally, M'Gann, SB, and Aqualad – found her memories erased. After that, their bond was stronger, and the two never parted, moving on to live their happily ever after, or as close as superheroes can get.
The End (of this chapter)
This was ridiculous and I almost hope that I never have to do anything like this again
I hope you all enjoyed, and like I said above, feel free to submit any themes, and please review!
See you all later, and I hope I didn't kill your eyes with the length of this x)
(if anyone caught the early reference I made above, message me because I'm a dork and I like new friends)
~Aoi~ (;B