"Zatanna you are a god send," Artemis gushed as she ran her fingers over her glossy dark green bike that was sitting next to the curb in front of her apartment building. She had a feeling she didn't have to fear, as she did in Gotham, that someone would come along and hotwire her bike or steal her tires.
"I know," her tall raven haired friend responded from where she sat perched on the brick steps. She stood after a moment and walked to the doors, her heals clacking loudly, "come on Arty, we have work to do."
"I resent telling you that I have a date this evening," but she stood and pulled out her keys and threw them up to Zatanna.
"Oh really?" Her friend countered as they walked up the two flights of stairs and into her apartment. "Does that mean you don't want me to tell you what I found out about him?"
"You didn't"
"I did, and you can thank me later."
"Dude, I need your help." Wally said into his cell-phone as he opened the door to his apartment on the first floor. His, much like Artemis' wasn't that fancy; with a regular sized kitchen (with an extra large fridge) a nice sized living room, one large bedroom, and one and a half baths.
"With what, I need details." Wally pulled out sandwich fixings from the fridge and set them on his small table in the middle of the room.
"I have a date." There was silence on the other side of the phone as Dick walked across the Bat-cave to the large monitors.
"With Artemis?" Wally grunted a yes through his mouthful and heard Dick on the other side typing away. "Last name?"
"Crock."
"You sure you want me to do this Wally? What if it's bad?"
"I'll deal, just do it Dick."
"Full name: Wallace Rudolph West," Artemis let out a little chuckle. "He grew up here in Kansas in Central City, Keystone's sister city. Went to MIT and got his bachelor's degree in Engineering." Zatanna paused as she skimmed ahead for more useful information. "He took his high school to states in track and field, and he was on his college track team."
"So he's in shape." Artemis said with a smirk. "I bet he'd give your little friend a run for his money."
"Little friend? I'll just let Nightwing know that's how you refer to him off duty. We'll see how many times he pairs you up with Flash-boy."
"You wouldn't dare." Zatanna sent her a smirk over the top of her laptop and continued reading.
"He has a strained relationship with his parents and-"
"How can you know that?" Artemis interrupted.
"Because I may or may not be using League resources to look up your boy toy. Anyways, he lived with his father's sister and her husband for a year during his senior year, and he's-"
"Okay that's enough; I have to get ready Zee."
"But Arty!" Zee waved madly at her computer screen but Artemis just stood up and shut it with a smile. "Fine, but I'm helping you get all dolled up."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," she responded with an eye roll as she sauntered down the hall to her bathroom.
"You're kidding."
"I wish I was Wally. But I don't think Batman's database lies." Wally sighed and slumped down onto his couch, his head hitting the back with a soft thud.
"Sportsmaster, and Tigress?" Wally asked, his voice strained.
"Yeah," Dick took a pause to let his words wash over his ginger friend. "Wally this doesn't mean anything, you're not your family and she's not hers."
"But what if she is Dick, what if this is some terrible convoluted plan, and she makes me love her with her feminine wiles and then she just kills me!"
"Then it will be a terrible loss, and after a brief mourning period Bart will become the new Flash." Wally let out and animalistic growl and laid his head in his hands. "Dude come one just go out with her, if not because he like her, but because he want to collect intell on her and her "convoluted plans."
"God, I gotta go man we're supposed to meet in an hour. I'll call you if she tries to kill me."
"Just try and act normal Wally, I'll talk to you later." Dick hung up quickly and let out a laugh that he had been holding in during their whole conversation. He only stopped when his phone began ringing (it was playing Do You Believe in Magic.)
"Hunk-Wonder! You are never going to believe what just happened."
"Artemis asked you to help her get some info on her date didn't she?" Zee's tinkling laugh was answer enough. "The same thing just happened with Wally, he's pretty positive that she's going to kill him during dessert."
"This is going to be great. How about dinner tonight to make a plan?"
"Sounds good beautiful, I'll see you in a little bit."
Wally stood outside the restaurant adjusting a readjusting the buttons on the sleeves of his shirt nervously. His nervousness was a mixture of fearing for his life, and trying to not make a fool of himself in front of Artemis.
He heard her before he saw her; the roaring of the engine as she whipped around the corner, her blonde hair flying behind her from under a green helmet. She was sheathed in a black leather jacket, and dark denim pants, and boots with heels that went on for a mile.
Artemis came to a stop in front of him, a wide smile present on her face. She dismounted her bike and pulled her helmet off, shaking out her long hair, and turned to him.
"Hi," she said brightly before laughing at his stunned expression. His green eyes darted back and forth between her and the bike before settling on her and giving her a shy smile.
"You look," he paused as she unzipped her jacket revealing a flowy dark green tank top, "wow." She blushed deeply and returned his smile.
"You don't clean up so bad yourself." Her own eyes raking over his lean form. "So are we going to go in or just stand here admiring each other?" She asked with a smirk her eyes meeting his own.
"I'm quite fine with just standing here," Wally replied. When his stomach growled a second later she raised an eyebrow at him and grabbed his hand pulling him inside.
