A Shot in the Dark (part 4)
"Anything for the citizens of Central City," the Flash said with a chuckle to his voice and a bright smile.
Artemis felt her stomach twist when she recognized the Flash's voice. This wasn't the Flash she'd grown up with, she didn't even need to look at the difference in how Mrs Allen was reacting to him to know that.
The voice belonged to Wally West. And it was taking everything Artemis had in her to keep from running up to the hero and either hitting or kissing him.
Instead, she forced her smile to stay merely mysterious as she called out for his attention. It had been nearly four months since she'd gone completely into her disguise as Linda Park. Four months of being only as connected with hero activity as her job made her. If she was going to deal with Wally being the new Flash, fine-but she was going to troll the so called "Forensic Scientist" inside the suit for not being able to recognize her.
He picked her hand out of the crowd, giving a smiling nod to urge her question forward. For a moment she blanked, having thought too quickly in getting noticed, but years of working with Dick Grayson had its advantages. "Flash, your fight with Captain Cold ranged all over Central-and then into Keystone City," she heard herself say over the ringing in her ears as his eyes locked onto her, and she fought down the smirk that she felt coming to her lips. "Do either of the cities have an allotted budget to repair all the damage caused?"
Wally's grin faltered for a moment at the mildly accusatory tone her voice had taken, but he caught himself and gave a bemused laugh that only two in the crowd of reporters could tell was forced as others joined in the clamor. "I don't know, actually," he admitted. "But I'll be helping put everything right if I can."
There were more shouts of questions, but Wally dodged them and quickly ended the press conference with an announcement that he had to dash (or something equally cheesy) before taking off as quickly as though he'd simply disappeared. Leaving only a breeze that moved Artemis's hair ever so slightly as he passed. For that split second, her heart's pace doubled as her thoughts locked onto the numerous scars her vigilante career had given her, but if Deliah's make up was as good as everyone claimed, then she didn't have to worry. But still...
With a few more statements on the events of the day, Artemis signed off her report and handed the broadcast back to those in the studio. Much to the delight of her camera man, David Blake.
"Nice run, as always," he informed her as he lowered his camera to cover the lens. "Got a thing against the Flash?"
Artemis shot him a grin as she twined the microphone's chord around her elbow. "I've got a thing against people who don't clean up the messes they make."
"Ah. Big difference," he said, chuckling. "Remind me not to let you near my wife."
"Ooh, too late, remember?" Artemis teased. "She's invited me over for dinner tomorrow."
David laughed. "You better be joking."
He gave her a beseeching look. They'd only been working with each other for about a month and a half, and he was still not fully sure when she was being sarcastic. Enjoying the day's outcome of rattling people's nerves, Artemis just smiled vaguely and began walking the microphone to the van.
"Linda?" he called after her, jogging with his equipment to join her when she opened the van's sliding door. "Tell me this is just your Yankee sense of humor!"
That made her laugh as she tucked the mic into its appropriated case, turning to face him with her hands on her hips. "Would it matter if it isn't?"
The man blanched slightly. The station had already had it's yearly family picnic, so Artemis had actually met the Blake family and, after hearing David's tirade for having inspired the woman to force him to clean more, she could definitely understand why he wanted her to stay well away. Which, of course, made her laugh.
David sighed a little in relief and tucked the rest of his equipment away. "Button-presser," he muttered.
"Only when there's buttons to press," she said with a bright smile as she swung herself into the passenger seat, then leaned out the window. "Speaking of buttons, I claim radio rights!"
"What?" he yelped and climbed into the van before sliding the door shut. "Oh no you don't! You're not touching my radio, kid!"
"It's not fair!" she whined as he climbed through to the driver's seat. "All you listen to is country!"
"What do you have against country music?" David demanded and started the car.
"Oh, nothing," Artemis said, rolling her eyes and steeling herself for the next few hours of banjos. "Unless it's the only thing you listen to! C'mon! You're not that much older than me! Haven't you ever listened to anything else? Classic rock? Oldies? Hell, the 80's would be a blessing at this point!"
"Hey! Nothing's wrong with the 80's either!" David cried out in mock offense.
Artemis let out an over-dramatic groan, as was her custom, and dropped the debate a little sooner than usual. Her mind, instead, traveling back to Wally. He was the Flash now? But what had happened to Barry? Had he... No. No, Dick would've come out and told her if Barry went down in action...
Wally looked like he was doing well, though. The hero life still suited him, and she'd be lying if she wasn't just a little bitter about that. There he was perfectly fine, back from the dead, and schmoozing everybody he came in contact with. He was doing great without her. But when she'd lost him? Yeah, she'd fallen to pieces. Just goes to show that Dad was right.
"You okay over there, Lindy?"
David was throwing her semi-concerned glances as he wove his way down the highway, so Artemis straightened in her seat and nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Just perfect."
It didn't take a genius to know he didn't believe her.
"So," she continued loudly. "You gonna help me on that disappearances story?"
"The streetcar babies?" David asked, his eyebrows shooting up before he adamantly shook his head. "Are you crazy? Do you seriously want someone to kill you? Even the head of the station's told you it's better to drop it."
"And that's why it needs to be looked into," Artemis insisted. "I can take care of myself, I just prefer shooting live footage."
"No, Linda," he said firmly. "I'm not taking that up and neither are you."
"David-."
"Nope!" And with that he started blasting the jangling guitars of some crooning cow-poke. His way of ending conversations.
.- .- .
After bidding David a "good night" at the station and telling him to spoil the kids for her, Artemis hopped on her motorcycle and cruised across the city to her apartment, stopping for Chinese take-out along the way. She passed a few friendly faces along the way, neighbors from her apartment building, and she remembered to smile back at them as though it didn't weird her out ever so slightly. What could she say? She was from Gotham, smiles from passers-by usually meant you were going to get mugged.
Granted, as time had gone by, she'd found ways to make herself look too busy for conversations. Especially when Ms. Greene came round the corner. Like tonight, where she had her purse in one hand while she dug for her keys with the other, mail under her arm and food bag in her teeth. So the far-too-nosey woman simply gave her information about others (that she really didn't care about) before announcing that she was trying out a Zumba class and promptly continued down the next flight of stairs.
Finally getting the door unlocked, Artemis ducked quickly inside and leaned on the door as it closed again, kicking her shoes to the side in the process. She sighed, finding herself strangely comfortable in the condensed open space, and flicked on a light before leaning over the kitchen counter to retrieve a fork. Then she sauntered the short distance to her living room couch, where she plopped the bag of delicious smelling onto the glass coffee table and turned on the tv as she started retrieving the little containers of rice, Lo Mein, and General Tso's.
She flipped through the dozens of channels until she found the old movies channel and sat back with a smile, tucking her feet beneath her as she set into the glazed chicken. She wasn't sure what movie this was, something about an art thief so far as she could gather, but it had plenty of laughs to it. And she needed that after a day like this. It wasn't that she'd been particularly terrified by Captain Cold's attack on the cities-hell, she'd been the first reporter to rush along after them-but being that close to Wally. That was draining. And painful.
Artemis curled back into the green pillows, tucking into something of a ball as she fought off the bittersweet emotions tied to the redhead. She did well, considering how much practice she'd had at it, but still a tear managed to get loose and she found herself changing the channel to some classic cartoons. After a few slap-stick moments with Bugs Bunny besting both Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck, she felt a familiar calm settle in.
It wasn't a particularly happy mood, but it brought on a clarity that she'd learned was perfect for working. So without wasting another moment, she got to her feet and pulled at a piece of the wall next to her television screen. When she'd first moved in she'd noticed it. A random sheet of something resembling dry-wall that was just begging to hide a secret. And, really, as long as it didn't look like damage the landlord wouldn't care.
How long had it been since I've focused on this? she wondered. The darn thing was almost stuck. But after a little tugging it did swing open and Artemis found herself staring at dozens of print-outs and news clippings held in place by thumb tacks or staples or blue putty. There was also string. Lots of string. Of different colors too, all twisting together and making a strange sort of psychedelic spider's web.
She knew it was leaning towards obsessive, but she couldn't help it. Someone wanted her dead and the only way she could keep herself from going crazy as she waited for an attempt on her life to happen was to start putting puzzle pieces together herself. Well, not entirely by herself. Oliver would help when he could and Nightwing continuously got her updates on what he knew. But both of them had busy lives and other cases to focus on with their hero duties.
From what she could gather, it was someone in the Light. Probably tied closely to the Reach invasion. Which, irkingly enough, had given her a ridiculously long list of names. Since she'd initially left the team, more than three years ago now, she'd wheedled it down. Now she had four very prime options. Lex Luthor, Victor Strange, Black Manta, and Count Vertigo topped the bill. All of them had gone met her with particularly strong dislike in the year she'd tried to continue her hero life without Wally at her side, undoubtedly in response to Tigress trading sides. The last of which also had a history with Green Arrow to tack onto motive.
But who was the one that forced this new life on her? She couldn't tell. But someday she'd find out. And a feeling in her gut told her it was coming soon.
.- .- .
"What's the matter? They run out of jello?"
Sitting alone at one of the round tables in the Watchtower's dream-like food center, which he had no doubt was influenced by Uncle Barry, Wally probably had looked like he was brooding. But he lifted his gaze with a smile as he was joined by four of his closest friends. Nightwing regarded him with a coy smirk and folded arms.
"Nah," Wally said, shaking his head. "I was just pining for one of Miss M's cookies."
"Sure you were," the younger man scoffed, but his smile broadened as the foursome took up seats. "Or maybe Captain Cold nearly whipped your butt today."
"As if!" Wally laughed.
"Well if it is cookies," the green-skinned woman said with a smile as she floated closer. "You're always welcome to come visit us in Chicago, you know." To which her boyfriend rolled his eyes, making M'gann chuckle. Then she gave Wally a kiss on the cheek as she went to sit at Superboy's side.
"So what's up, guys?" Wally asked, looking from one face to another. "Bart on another sugar high?"
Conner snorted, folding his arms across the S logo on his shirt as he leaned back in his chair. "No more than usual."
"Hey, I'm not the one who introduced him to soda," Wally defended with a smirk as he raised his hands. "That one's all on Wondergirl and Robin."
The original Young Justice team shared a few chuckles and Wally let his gaze fall back to where he'd been moving his mashed potatoes around with a fork. And his mind drifted too. It had been four months. It was creeping up on Halloween. One of his favorite holidays, second only to Thanksgiving. It was a love that must run in the family since Bart had picked his costume out in July, but Wally just couldn't get into it. He wasn't even sure he was going to dress up this year. It just felt wrong.
He knew why, of course. Artemis wasn't there. She'd loved Halloween just even more than he did! It had to do with her past. Actually, he was willing to bet it had also been part of why she became a hero. So that she could show herself to the world as someone other than Sportsmaster's daughter.
"Watchtower to Wally! Come back into orbit!" A set of gloved fingers snapped in front of his nose.
"Huh?" Wally blinked, dragging himself out of memories of life in Palo Alto when Artemis had decided they'd dress up as Bonnie and Clyde, to find all four friends watching him with varying levels of concern. He quickly flashed a smile. "Hey, yeah, I'm fine! Uh... what was the question?"
"We were just wondering if you are enjoying your new roll with the league, my friend," Kaldur explained.
"Oh, yeah, been a blast," Wally answered quickly with another large smile. "But I'm not really league. I'm only doing this gig in Keystone and Central so that Uncle Barry can have some time with Aunt Iris and the twins."
"So you're still thinking of leaving?" M'gann asked, twisting her fingers pensively.
The smile was harder to force now and Wally found himself glancing down at his half-eaten lunch again. "I don't know," he said softly, giving a small smile for her concern. "I just... don't know." Then he sighed and pushed to his feet. "Well, it's been nice seeing you, guys. But, uh, I gotta get going."
It was as if the air had spoken the last of his words as Wally zipped out of sight, leaving only a gust of wind to follow him. Nightwing had barely gotten half way to his feet, the other three hadn't tried at all.
"He's getting faster," Conner observed as the youngest of their group sat down again.
"But he's eating less," M'gann countered, gesturing towards the forgotten tray. "He shouldn't be doing that."
Nightwing sighed, fully ready to blame himself for this. It was still the repercussions coming off his planned approach to the Reach problem. Pinching the bridge of his nose, effectively scrunching the smooth material of his mask, Nightwing scooted the tray towards his friends. "Here," he sighed. "If you take this, I'll take him."
They may not have been thrilled with the idea, but his teammates nodded, each looking a little despaired as the younger man jogged out of the room. Kaldur was the first to move, reaching across the spot Nightwing had vacated to pull the mess of food closer.
"You think he'll get him to come around?" Conner asked.
M'gann shrugged, slouching forward to rest against her hand. "It's Wally," she said, glancing towards the doorway. "Even when we were younger it took him a while to bounce back... He's making progress, though. Right? I mean, Wonder Woman said this was his second tray full!"
Kaldur merely sighed. "I do not think our Flash was planning on eating this particular tray of food," he informed them and turned the tray towards them. "Tell me what you see and I believe we will have our answer."
Conner and M'gann exchanged glances before leaning forward to examine the tray of strangely arranged potatoes, peas, and meatloaf. It was almost artistic. The potatoes had been smoothed to one end of the plate and down the side in a flowing wave. The meatloaf had been cut into something like an oval or heart shape above an upside-down T. Green peas bordered the bottom of the plate thickly, but there were a few sectioned in two little clusters on top of the oval chunk of meatloaf.
"Oh my gosh," M'gann gasped behind her hands.
Superboy openly stared. "Artemis."
Kaldur nodded and the trio shared a heartbroken glance before their gazes went to the door leading from the cheerful eating place.
A/N: I really wonder where I'm going with this sometimes... Don't worry, I'm aiming to get the next bit up soon enough. I just have to take a sledge hammer to it, to some degree... Thanks for all the positive feedback! I'm thrilled to hear that my story's not horrible!