Tim kept an eye on his older brother after the first incident. He seemed to have calmed down and was fine. He didn't act that way to anyone else. Did Shirou say something to his brother? He doubted that Shirou had asked Grayson something that would lead to him almost rip his arm off, go a little harder on him, maybe, but that extreme…. That was training he would do with Black Canary or Batman. Tim sighed and put it into the back of his mind. He would have to ask about what happened later. For now, he had to focus on his own partner he was fighting….. His own girlfriend.

"What was with Nightwing? I've never seen him so…. Agitated… have you?"

Cassie threw a few punches as Tim dodged and blocked.

"No, and it worries me. I already knew he didn't like Gil, but Shirou? He and Dick are on good terms. They were planning on taking down Gil."

Tim did a side shuffle and got behind Cassie and went to take a hit. She dodged.

"Yeah, you did mention that. Although, you aren't off the hook quite yet."

Cassie twisted around and stopped Tim's hit before it could get to her.

"Oh, what for?"

"Keeping a certain speedster hidden from us."

Tim jumped back and gained distance from Cassie.

"Hey! What was I supposed to say? Guess what, remember a certain speedster that died and the Team lost not one but two members? Well guess what, he's back! Also, I had to deal with my girlfriend almost being killed by Ra's spirit, a de-aged king and my brother coming back from the dead."

"Oh, right….. yeah, okay, I guess you did have a lot on your plate at the time…"

"Yup, and things just keep adding to it."

"Well, you can always talk to people about your concerns. Like me. I'll listen."

Tim smiled at Cassie.

"Thanks Cas."

"No problem, and you lose."

"What?"

Cassie had watched the training session between Gilgamesh and Jason and she was able to watch the move that Jason did to knock Gilgamesh to the ground. She dropped to the ground and extended her leg and swiftly knocked Tim to the ground and hopped back up. Tim was surprised but started to laugh.

"Alright, alright, you win."

"You better not have been going easy on me, Timothy."

"I wouldn't think of it, Cassandra."

Cassie helped Tim get to his feet and then planted a kiss on his cheek.

"So, where is our friend in yellow?"

"He and Achilles are having a race to see who's faster."

Cassie started to laugh at that. Of course that's what Wally was doing. Although he was still slower than his other family members, he was still faster than normal people. She wondered who would win - Wally may have gained more speed after being a heroic spirit. Cassie and Tim have seen first hand how fast they are.

"Hey, where did Bart and Jaime go?"

Tim looked around. He didn't see either of the two teens. He could have sworn they were here.

"I really don't know if we should do this."

"Jaime, Jaime, Jaime. You worry too much. All we are doing is helping a friend out."

Jaime gave the speedster a skeptical look. His younger friend had convinced him to leave the training deck and head to a different room.

"All we are going to do is create a meal for… everyone here. But we have to keep in mind, Gil was clearly troubled by reliving his past, so maybe this will help cheer him up."

"Why do all Speedsters always have food on their mind?"

"Hey! My grandpa Barry doesn't think like that and oh you were joking."

Jaime smirked and nodded. The two managed to find a giant kitchen. It was perfect for a staff of chefs.

"Alright, you tell me the ingredients and I'll get them."

"You haven't told me what we were making….."

"Well, we will make a little bit of everything! Remember how happy tiny Gil was so happy to try Pizza? Italian? Check! Let's make a whole bunch of multicultural foods! We can even try to recreate a dish from his time. That might make him happy."

Jaime thought about it and shrugged. He did recall how happy the kid was when he tried Pizza, and the shock to learn that there was someone he knew that could stomach a Carolina reaper.

"Okay, sounds fine. But you better not eat anything until we finish and everyone is here. Got it?"

"Sí, Amigo!"

Achilles and Wally had gone on a quick race, and Wally did win, it was still fun. Now the two were sitting together and resting a bit after using the amount of energy they had.

"Achilles….. Do you think I should ask Enkidu for advice on how to talk to the person I was closest to before she watched me die and never be able talk to me again since Enkidu and I went through similar events? Or do you have any advice for me?"

Wally questioned the Greek warrior. He didn't know if Achilles, being a warrior, would have advice for what he was going through.

Achilles shrugged. "Honestly, I'd imagine the hardest part about that would be saying hello to her again. I'd just do it - once you do, it'll work itself out. Besides, this girl probably knows you're back already, and if she's the 'spitfire' you claim she is, she won't be happy that you took so long," Achilles looked at Wally. "But, I don't know. No one I know is here, so just do it the way you think you should. I doubt Enkidu really knew how to approach that king either."

"Oh she won't, but she'll probably cry at seeing me, yell at me, maybe hit me, hug me and cry some more. I actually can't wait for you to meet her."

The Greek warrior grinned. "From how much you talk about her, I can't wait to meet her too. She's an archer, right?"

"Yup, she's an excellent archer, hardly ever misses. I mean, she shot an arrow through my heart and now she's the only one for me."

Achilles laughed - from what the speedster told him, his Artemis seemed a lot like another archer Achilles knew about. "Well, once you two see each other again, you have to introduce us, alright?" Then he added on as an afterthought: "You think she would spar with me?"

"Yes, and sorry my friend, but I will have to cheer for her in that fight. Do you want to go to that training session that my friend is covering? I'm sure you could spar with someone there."

Achilles' eyes brightened with excitement. "That would be great - I've been wondering how heroes of this age fight."

"Well, everyone fights differently and all, so I guess seeing them and fighting them will be a challenge for you, then."

He smiled. "It's going to be a lot of fun though, for sure."

"If you say so. Let's go. I haven't actually seen anyone yet since we were told to stay hidden for a while. I'm so happy that I get this chance again….. Is there anyone you miss and would want to see if you could?"

"No one that's here, but I'd love to see Patroclus again," Achilles said. "And my teacher Chiron - the last time I saw him, we had to duel each other to the death in a Grail War, so it'd be nice to see him. And Atalanta, last I saw her, things were pretty stressful - I had to kill her because her dream had driven her crazy… I hope next time I see her she'll be able to laugh instead. And though we've never met, I'd love to see Heracles. Imagine dueling with him….now that would be epic."

"You really like to fight, don't ya." Wally chuckled as he and Achilles went into the building.

Achilles shrugged. "Well, it's something I've been doing almost my whole life, and I was good at it. I don't know, there's something about it…..you know?"

"Well, at least you are doing something you enjoy."

Wally smiled at him. He looked up. "Oh…. we are here… Uhhh, you can go in first."

"Sure," Achilles said, entering the room. He surveyed the entire room - so many heroes….but where to start….. Then he saw the young hero that had been at Vandal's base. He was currently engaged in a sparring session with a girl who seemed about Tim's age. "Hey, Tim!" he called out.

Tim looked over and waved at Achilles. He spoke to Cassie and she nodded her head and the two of them walked over to Achilles.

"Hey, Achilles, what brings you in here?"

"I heard you guys are doing some training. Mind if I join in?"

"Yeah, sure. Uh, Cassie, this is Achilles, Achilles, this is my girlfriend, Cassie."

"Hello." Cassie smiles and waves at Achilles.

"Oh, hey," Achilles noted. "Cassie, huh? You're the daughter of Zeus, right?"

"I, uh, yes. And you are a heroic spirit from ancient Greek. It's nice to meet you."

"Since you're a daughter of Zeus I guess we're related," Achilles mused. "I think….you're my great-aunt? Or something?"

"I… maybe? I didn't even think about that."

Achilles was uncertain that the girl even knew who he was, but all-in-all, he decided that didn't matter. "Oh well, I guess. To be honest, I never thought much about Zeus anyways. The fact that you're Grecian is enough for me."

"Hmmm? Oh! Sorry, I am just surprised that I am talking to The Achilles! And the fact that he's related to me, wow…. I've gotta say it's really nice to meet you and just talk to you. I've heard so many stories about you and I never thought that I would get the chance to even speak to such a legend!"

"Yeah, but you're no pushover yourself - you're known as Wondergirl, right? I think it's pretty cool how you fight villains. Grayson and Wally have told me alot about the team, so I've been waiting to meet you all."

"Wally… right… he got summoned as a heroic spirit. And knowing him, I bet he never stopped talking." Cassie chuckled. Tim looked at her.

"You don't stop talking either, Cassie."

"Hey!"

"Not saying it's a bad thing."

Cassie gave him a playful punch.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Knock it off, Tim."

Achilles watched the two of them with a smile - it was nice to see the kids enjoy themselves, free of care. "You two are close," he teased.

Tim became a little flustered. Cassie smiled.

"Yeah, you could say that. Did you have anyone special?"

"I've had a few people," Achilles said, slightly regretfully. "Though it seemed they never had good luck around me."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

He waved away her concerns. "Nah, don't worry about it. To you guys, it's all old news."

"Even if that were true, a memory is a memory to a person. Bad memories tend to linger in one's mind for…. Quite some time."

Achilles gave a slight grimace. He knew that, especially since Bludhaven. "Still, you don't need to apologize. Hey, you want to spar? Wally, you can come in too, you know!" he called out to the other spirit.

Wally had been debating going in or not, but when Achilles called him out, he didn't really have a choice in the matter. He walked in. Cassie looked over and rushed over and hugged him.

"Wally….. I…. I'm so happy you're here….."

Wally looked at Cassie before hugging her back. He had a feeling he was going to be doing that a lot.

"It's good to see you too. Love the new base."

"Oh, this isn't our base. This is Gilgamesh's place. We are here only for a little while. The others will be so happy to see you… Artemis especially."

Wally gave a half smile. He was, honestly, worried about seeing the archer. What could have happened in a year? Cassie looked at her nephew (still a strange thought to the young hero). "You wanted to spar?"

"Yeah," Achilles nodded, grinning. "It'll be fun."

"Okay, we can spar. I will agree with you on it being fun."

Cassie smiled. Tim looked at Cassie and Achilles and decided it was a good idea to avoid their sparring area. He and Wally left the two to their own devices.

"Alright, Achilles, let's see what a mythological hero has to show!"

Cassie exclaimed, excitedly.

"Back at you, aunt-" Achilles smirked and dashed forwards. He didn't use his lance - he figured hand-to-hand would've been more fun.

Cassie blocked his blow, and he blocked hers. They had wide grins on their faces as they both sought to pummel each other (in a good, friendly way~). They first only used the one portion of the room, but that was too small to contain the two, so naturally they took to using the rest of the room too, to the amusement and ire of the others who were training.

Cassie scored a hit on Achilles, and he retaliated by throwing her across the room. "You're a good fighter," Achilles appraised her as they clashed again. "I expected nothing less."

"And you live up to your reputation. I've gotta say, this is fun. Feels like I'm training with Wonder Woman."

"Yet another person I want to spar with," Achilles noted, ducking a hit from Cassie. "I've gotta say, it's nice to see Greek heroes making names for themselves in this era."

"I agree, although, I guess I would be biased for saying that since I am a Greek hero. Wonder Woman is a respected Hero of this time and I'm lucky to be able to train under her."

"And I'm lucky to be able to be here," Achilles said, blocking a punch, then throwing one. "This really is an exciting time to be alive, don't you think?"

Cassie caught the punch Achilles had thrown. His strength was intense, but she knew she could handle it.

"Yes, it is exciting. To think that because I live here and now, I get to meet a legend and fight him. How many people can say that?"

Cassie threw Achilles to the ground. "And how many can say they knock him to the ground? Although….. you weren't going easy on me, right?"

As quickly as he was thrown down, he was back on his feet, fists at the ready. "A little bit - but try not to hold it against me. You're pretty strong, but I'd say you're lacking combat experience. I've been in wars half my life, so I've got plenty."

"Yeah, that would be true. Even after death you are still fighting battles."

"But I think you'll get there, you've got time," they exchanged a round of blows. "After all, you're plenty strong now - imagine how strong you'll be with time. I'll help you out as long as I'm here too - I don't think I'm a teacher like Chiron, but I'll do my best."

"I would appreciate that very much. Thank you so much, Achilles."

"Don't thank me just yet," Achilles grinned. "There's going to be a lot of training in the future. It'll be fun though - for me, at least."

"Anything to give me a challenge. Just you wait, you will be begging and praying to the gods."

Achilles laughed. "You can try and get me to, but you won't have much luck with that."

Cassie smiled, happily. "I think I will have some luck."

Cassie swung her leg up while he was focused on her hands to try and hit him with a kick.

Achilles ducked her kick, then swept out her remaining leg from under her. "Nice try, but kicks are always tricky - they either work wonders, or they totally ruin your balance."

"Yeah…. I try to do kicks when I think my opponent is distracted or only focused on my punches. They know I pack a punch, not always the kick." Cassie quickly gets up and looks at the Greek warrior.

"I guess, but never take it for granted," Achilles said. "After all, I don't really know your fighting style, so I'm prepared for anything right now."

"Yeah, I guess that is true. Even though I was trained with the techniques you were, I don't know your next attack."

"Not quite," Achilles said. "We've had different teachers, and different experiences. Our techniques do differ in that way, you know?"

"Aren't all battle techniques the same if taught down from generation to generation?"

"Yes, but also no," Achilles said. "Greece is like, a bunch of city-states. I guess the most famous example would be Sparta and Athens. Just because we share Zeus as family, doesn't mean we come from the same place. Everyone kind of has their own way of doing things. I mean, if you were taught by Chiron, then perhaps. But I don't think you were…." Achilles frowned. "Right? He didn't teach you?"

"No," Cassie shook her head. "I was trained by Princess Diana of Themyscira, better known as Wonder Woman. She was trained by her mother and her people, the Amazon warriors."

"Yeah, even though I pretended to be a woman once - for pure reasons, I promise - I can't say I was trained with those warrior women, though we have engaged in battle from time to time."

He thought of Penthesilia, a queen of the Amazons in his time, and how he had killed her - it was something he'd always regretted, but wasn't able to do anything about it. She had come to assist the Trojans, so of course he fought back. And he, the stronger warrior, had won.

"Really? That's actually interesting to know. I'm sure the Amazon warriors gave you quite the challenge!"

"Oh yeah, definitely," Achilles agreed. "They gave us a hard time for sure."

Besides when Patroclus died, that was one of the most difficult parts of the war, for him.

"Well-"

"Cassie! Achilles!"

Tim rushes over. Cassie turns and waves.

"Hey, Tim. What's up?"

"Nothing, just wanted to check on you two. So, uh, how's it going over here?"

"I'd say we are having fun. It's actually interesting to meet a family member from a different time. Wally got to go through something similar, however, I think I am having a better meet and greet than he did." Cassie looked at Achilles.

"Wally did, really?" Achilles asked.

"Yeah, I don't see him now, but the one that took on the name Kid Flash, after Wally died, was his cousin once removed or something like that. But Bart, that's his cousin, was from the future. Bart actually teased him when he first came here because Wally-"

"Anyway, yes, Wally met his cousin from the future." Tim interrupted Cassie.

Achilles nudged Wally - it seemed they were done sparring (for the moment). "Looks like you and I are kinda in the same boat, with relatives and all."

"Yeah…. That's true. Where is my little cousin anyway?"

Cassie looked around and Tim glanced at Wally.

"You know, we have no idea. He and Jaime just left at some point."

Achilles glanced at Wally. "Where do you think they went?"

"Honestly… that little troublemaker is probably up to something. And I wouldn't know."

Wally said, and while he did phrase it like he was annoyed, he sounded happy and he smiled. He was just teasing his cousin even though he wasn't even here.

Ristuka wandered around the penthouse - she didn't have a specific destination, but she had felt the need to do something. Mash was still in the training room with Cu, the Irish warrior patiently giving Mash tips. It seemed every version of Cu they met was determined to become a mentor to Mash.

She wondered how her other spirits were doing, back at Chaldea. They were all chaotic in their own right, but Ritsuka loved it. From Nero's antics, to the knights of Camelot's quirks, to various royalty of different times and countries…..she missed them. This singularity was taking longer than she had expected - she had thought, by then, she'd be back with them all.

Strange, how historical figures and legends could become family to her. Of course, that's why she was glad that Mash was with her, and Cu - along with the pleasant surprise of Achilles, and Gilgamesh.

Passing the kitchen, she stopped when she heard noises. How strange….by being in charge of Gilgamesh's island when he became a child, she had to manage schedules. And she was pretty sure that the kitchen staff wasn't supposed to be in yet.

Poking her head in, she blinked. "Jaime? Bart? What're you guys doing?"

Bart looked over and smiled at her.

"Hey, wanna try something for us?"

"Uhhhh, no, I'm sure she doesn't. I don't even think what we created is edible…"

"Sure it is… it's cake… or bread.. It looks like cornbread. Ya know I'm not sure what you made."

"You told me the recipe and the directions and you don't even know what we made?"

"To be fair….. We made a lot of different types of food. I lost track."

Jaime hit his head and let out a sigh.

She looked around, and true enough, it seemed like everything in the kitchen had been put into use. Ritsuka cringed, just thinking of what Emiya would say if he saw it - the Heroic Spirit was a general in the kitchen. "What's all of this for?"

"Oh this is for everyone, but mainly Gil. You should have seen how he reacted to Italian food, aka pizza. So we made a mix of different cultural foods. And some dishes that are from his time. We were worried that he is troubled by his past and all so we wanted to do something for him and try to cheer him up. Don't tell him. We are almost done. We have been in here for….. Three hours now."

Jaime narrowed his eyes at the speedster.

"Wow…" Ritsuka looked around at all the dishes. "This is amazing, and really cool. I think Gil will appreciate it, though he probably won't say anything - I know I do. Honestly, in all my traveling, it's been difficult to actually enjoy the cultures of the places I visit. If you'd like though, I can help you two finish up - some of the Heroic Spirits I know taught me to cook their favorite dishes."

Bart brightened up. "That would be amazing! Honestly, Jaime is a really good cook, but you can help by getting things all set up. Jaime is just about to finish with the last two dishes. Or drinks. You can help with drinks. I knew I forgot something."

"Sure!" Ritsuka agreed. "Hm, let's see….I'm certain Marie Antoinette was telling me about some French drink the other day…." she got to work mixing drinks, which she had learned from one of her servants.

Bart rushed around setting up the table and making everything look nice while Jaime made the remaining dishes look nice. After maybe twenty minutes, the three were done. Bart looked happy. Jaime looked tired. Ritsuka was simply satisfied.

"Okay, now we just need to get everyone here. Hmmm, what would be the fastest way to get everyone in the same room?"

"I….don't know," Ritsuka said. "Well, scratch that, I do know, but it's not a good idea to use that method. Though, you did say as fast as possible…."

"Hmmmm, we could call a fake attack or something. But that would get us in trouble…."

Bart thought out loud.

"That's what I was thinking," Ritsuka agreed. "So that….probably shouldn't be an option."

"Don't you all worry!" a voice said. "I, your big brother Merlin, can help!"

Jaime looked around. "Where did that voice come from?"

'I do not sense another presence, nor any radio waves. This could be similar to the Martian's telepathy powers.' Scarab said to Jaime.

"Uh, no. I definitely heard it and not just in my head."

'This information is not compatible.'

"You say that way too much, amigo. If you don't know, why would I know?"

"Ah ah ah, have you all forgotten me so?" Merlin's voice came again. "I am the Mage of Flowers, so using my magic to carry my voice here is child's play!"

"Did you know he could do that?" Jaime asked Bart.

"Oh yeah. He did it when you, Cassie and Gil were captured and all. You never actually heard this. Don't worry, I freaked out too. I was glad no one was around when I did because I swear I started to act like there was a ghost in my room. So, Merlin, whatcha got?"

"Well," Merlin said. "To gather up all of you young ones, I know the perfect method!"

"I'm all ears. You do your thing!"

Merlin cleared his throat. "Very well, then~ Ladies and gentleman! If I may have everybody's attention! In the dining hall, I am pleased to announce, Magi Mari is here live and in person, doing signings! Come quick before she leaves~" Merlin said grandly. "I should also add that if you all don't come right now I shall flood the entire building with flowers. For Magi Mari, of course."

Jaime looked at Bart. "Is he serious about that last part?"

"You know, I'm not really sure. His magic is strange I guess."

"I am completely, one-hundred percent serious," Merlin assured them. "It's a perfect little prank for the king, don't you think? And oh, I think I hear some footsteps!"

The door was flung open, and Gilgamesh walked in, eyes narrowed. "You foolish mage, how dare you use threats to bring me here."

Enkidu was right behind Gil, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be too mad. Merlin can be quite entertaining at times, and it looks like his threat did serve a purpose." Enkidu gestured to the food laid on the table.

Gilgamesh's frown softened, but still - he was not pleased. Electing to ignore the mage, he looked to the three kids. "Did you lot plan this?"

Bart rushed to Gil's side. "Yes, yes we did. You see, I thought, and Jaime, that you weren't completely fine with….. Everything that has happened…. And you have done so much for you and well…. We thought we'd do something for ya. And the two of us recall how much you liked a dish you never had before so we made a bunch of multicultural dishes. Oh! We even tried to recreate food from your time! Just think of this as our way of making you feel better and a giant thank you."

Gilgamesh opened his mouth to say something, but Enkidu nudged him with their elbow. Gilgamesh then sighed - he still retained his posture, but though he acted as if he were irritated, he was not (at the kids, at least - Merlin was another story entirely). "I see. I am glad to see that you are all taking such an interest in other cultures. It is good to do so."

Enkidu peered at the table. "Oh, look Gil - it all looks so delicious."

"Indeed, it does," Gilgamesh replied to his friend, slightly raising an eyebrow at a cake-like bread. Clearly, it resembled food from his own time, though he doubted it was the same. "I assume that terrible ploy was meant to summon everyone here for this?"

Jaime gave a small smile. "Yeah, that was the wizard's idea though. While this started out for you, we realized…"

"We were going to end up with way too much food so we made it more of a banquet. Since you are the first here, you can get whatever you want!"

"As is the king's right," Gilgamesh reminded them, not unkindly.

Enkidu had already begun piling up food onto their plate. Of course, it was mostly meat and sweet things.

"You fool, at least have some of the salad-" Gilgamesh said to Enkidu. "Isn't it almost cannibalism for you to eat so much meat? You did grow up among beasts, after all."

"Eh," Enkidu said. "That is simply the way of the beast, the strong eat the weak - and if I am to be your friend, I must be the strongest."

"Still," Gilgamesh said, filling up a bowl of salad. Putting it on Enkidu's plate, he began to serve himself. "Nothing less will do than a balanced meal."

Enkidu frowned at the salad, then rolled their eyes. "Alright, then."

Gilgamesh looked at Enkidu suspiciously. Enkidu never gave in so quickly. "...Good."

The doors burst open and Jason is there, sword in hand. "... Am I…. missing something?"

He, not knowing who Magi Mari was and thinking she was a threat, thought that she was an enemy.

"Oh, Jason!" Ritsuka exclaimed. "You don't need to worry, okay? That was just Merlin, he wanted to get everyone here. No one is in danger, we just wanted to serve some good food for everyone…"

"Yep, Ritsuka Fujimaru speaks the truth!" Merlin's voice proclaimed. "No one here is in any danger from myself - it would certainly be troublesome if something happened to any of you."

Jason lowered his sword. "I see….. I…. sorry."

Still standing with Enkidu, Gilgamesh looked over at Jason. "Fool. Do not waste time with apologies and simply serve yourself, before those others come."

Jason glanced over and gave Gilgamesh a half smile. "I don't think I should…. I should head back to the medical wing…. Remember?"

Gilgamesh frowned at him. "Enough of that - simply eat, as it is the hard work of Ritsuka, Jaime,and Bart. Surely you would not want them to have worked on this for you to not eat it?"

"Alright, if you insist, Gil."

The rest of the others arrived similarly, many thinking it was a threat, only a few knowing it was someone non threatening and then becoming disappointed, and the rest just curious. Turns out, Jaime was quite the cook, and not many people knew that. Bart took notice of his cousin. He knew he was here, but didn't get to see him.

"Wally!"

He rushes over and hugs the older one. Wally ruffles his hair.

"Hey, Bart. I heard you have taken the name Kid Flash. Keeping my memory alive, I see."

"Yup, it's a great way for me to not feel like you…. Well it doesn't matter, you're here! Have you seen Artemis? She will be so happy you are back!"

"Yeah….. Everyone keeps saying that….. Achilles! Come here! This is my cousin, Bart. The one I keep talking about."

The Greek warrior, who had just entered the room, walked over to Wally and Bart. "Oh, so you're the cousin - I'm Achilles, nice to meet you."

"Achilles huh? Interesting, interesting. I've heard that name before. Hmmm, where was it? Oh yeah! You're that warrior that is indestructible right? The whole River Styx thing, am I mistaken?"

Achilles nodded. "Yep, you've got it! And you're a speedster like your cousin, right? Want to race sometime?"

"A race? Uhh, could you even keep up? Aren't you a warrior?"

"I am a warrior," Achilles agreed. "But I'm also the fastest there was in Greece - come on, it'll be fun."

"Okay, sure. I'm sure it'll be fun. I'm one of the fastest Speedsters of this time!"

"Then I'll look forward to it." Achilles grinned.

Bart grinned and Wally gave a chuckle. It was nice to see his little cousin again. It was nice to see everyone again.

Cassie was looking at all the dishes that her two friends had created with the help of that person she didn't know too well. Everything had looked amazing and she was looking forward to eating some of them. She had sat down with Tim with a plate full of food and found herself drinking a drink that had both smelled and tasted familiar and she couldn't remember from where. She and Tim were talking and while she did keep focus on him, she slowly lost focus.

After some time, she was a laughing mess. Tim had said something(It wasn't even that funny) and she just started to laugh.

"Oh Tim, that's hilarious."

"I…. what? I didn't say anything funny?"

Tim stared at Cassie, slightly confused as well as concerned. She gave him a hug and Tim found that he almost couldn't breathe from it before she let go.

"Cassie…. Are… you okay?"

"~Of course I am. I just reeeeeeally love you.~"

Cassie started laughing again and Tim gave a nervous laugh. Cassie was not herself.

"~Timmmmm…. I'm gonna be right back.~"

"Huh?"

Cassie got up and walked off. Tim took this time to look at what Cassie had gotten. Nothing here is something she was allergic to(not that she really was allergic to any foods). He picked up one of the glasses that Cassie had. This drink had alcohol in it. Why was Cassie drinking an alcoholic drink…. And who even made this? Bart and Jaime knew better and he was sure that Ritsuka wouldn't have this kind of drink so where did she get it?

Cassie made her way to the King of Heroes and sat right next to him.

"~Heya Gil. How's your little party? Having fun?~"

Cassie chuckled.

Gilgamesh looked at her, frowning. "You've had some ale, I see."

"~Hmmm? Nooo, I had whatever drink I saw you get.~

Cassies' head tilted to the side and she gave him a big smile.

Enkidu peered over their shoulder at Cassie. "Hey Gil, isn't ale illegal to minors in this era…?"

Gilgamesh shrugged. "I do remember Ritsuka saying something of the sort, but as long as she doesn't have more, it should be fine. Besides, the youth of Uruk were fine, drinking our ale."

"~Gilllllll….. You think Tim would like this?~"

She asks while holding another glass.

He thought back to the rigid stubborness of the majority of the other heroes. "Perhaps not," he said, carefully taking the glass from her. "To drink is fine, but you must know your limits to not drink in excess. Drink water for the rest of the night."

Cassie tilted her head again, taking notice of Enkidu. Gilgamesh did seem…. Happier since his friend made an appearance. Her not clear mind put together an…. Interesting theory.

"~Gillll? Did you… ask Enkidu out?"

Gilgamesh stared at her. And stared at her more.

Enkidu leaned forward towards Cassie, smiling. "I think you broke him."

Finally, Gilgamesh snapped back to reality. "Such nonsense! Enkidu is- That is none of your concern! You fool, I will forgive you only on account that you are drunk."

Enkidu laughed. "Cut her some slack, alright."

"But," Gilgamesh looked to his friend. "Enkidu."

Enkidu shrugged. "Besides, it does no harm, really."

Gilgamesh sighed aggravatedly. "I can not believe you."

His friend smiled and gave him a thumbs up. "Believe it!"

Gilgamesh felt a tap on his shoulder.

"What is it?" Gilgamesh asked brusquely.

"YOU GAVE MY GIRLFRIEND ALCOHOL?!"

"~Oh, Heya Tim!~"

Gilgamesh looked down at Tim with a frown. "You dare raise your voice at me?"

"Sorry, but seriously? Why would you do that?"

Tim didn't mean to raise his voice, but he was dumbfounded by the King.

"I did nothing to deserve such ire, fool."

Tim sighed and shook his head.

"I'm…. I'm not mad, or angered…. I just wanna know…. What made you think it was a good idea?"

Gilgamesh hadn't even given Cassie the alcohol -this time- but he found himself answering Tim. "In my time, it was common for people to drink ale. It was the lifeblood of Uruk - drinking was simply a way of life. Cassie made the choice to drink it - I did not force it upon her, if that's what you were wondering, fool."

"I….. this was a tradition of yours?"

"Of course it was," Gilgamesh said proudly. "To see it not so in this era is strange to me."

"I guess…. I can't completely blame you. I am still trying to get used to you not being used to this time. You being from thousands of years ago does throw me off. I mean, you don't always seem as if you are from a different time….."

"Don't let Gil bully you," Enkidu added, looking to be positively angelic. "He was actually in this era for about ten years, until two years ago."

Gilgamesh looked at Enkidu. "So? You had grown up in the forest before you came to Uruk, and you still retain tendencies from those days."

"I'm just making sure he has all the facts," Enkidu said lightheartedly.

"I think we all keep a small part of our past with us. Our past can never truly escape us."

"That is true," Enkidu said. "We just need to make sure it doesn't overshadow who we have and will become."

They looked at Gilgamesh expectedly. The king nodded his head. "Indeed."

Tim laughed, he had started to rub Cassie's back after she had fallen asleep during their conversation.

"Maybe you should tell that to my two idiot brothers."

Enkidu looked over at Jason - they knew the man had formed a friendly (by Gil's standards) relationship with his friend. "Perhaps so," they said thoughtfully.

"You know….. I have never seen Jason so open until he met you, Gil."

Tim said as he thought back to a time before his brother was thought of to be dead.

Gilgamesh pursed his lips. "Refrain from calling me such a casual name," he said. "I am a king, so being called so informally is an injustice."

Tim chuckled. "You know, you were the one that told us to call you Gil, plus, it shows that you have gotten used to being around us. My name is Timothy and everyone calls me Tim. It's something friends do with each other."

Gilgamesh gritted his teeth. "Even so," he said. "Disregard everything my child self has said. My full name is how I shall be addressed…..I will make my additional title of king optional."

"Is that so, Gil?" Enkidu pressed.

"You really want to be difficult today, don't you?"

"It's not every day I get to see you like this," Enkidu said. "I like it. That you've made friends."

"Oh Enkidu, he didn't just make friends."

Tim smiled at Enkidu, enjoying helping him tease Gilgamesh.

"He made someone get so close to him, that they are like family. I will admit… that made me jealous, but still, it is funny when I think back to it."

Gilgamesh crossed his arms and glared at Enkidu (though he wasn't really mad at his friend, of course). "See what you have done? You've encouraged him."

"He's not wrong though," Enkidu said. "I just wish I had been here to see you when you were young….I'd imagine it would be excellent blackmail."

"Why would you need blackmail?" Gilgamesh asked Enkidu. "Why would you need something like that?"

Enkidu shrugged. "You never know. Besides, once we've been resummoned to Chaldea, I could've used it against your archer self too…."

Gilgamesh shook his head with a slight smile. "My, what a menace you have become in my absence."

"I learned from the best~" Enkidu shot back at Gilgamesh.

Tim thought for a moment. "Actually, Enkidu….. We may have some video of him as a kid."

Enkidu turned to Tim. "You do?" they asked. "I would love to see it-"

"No," Gilgamesh interrupted. "You absolutely will not."

"Yeah, you can see if ya want to. I know that the bioship records, as well as the security cameras around the building, Gar taking secret videos and pictures along with Bart….."

"I forbid it."

Tim glanced over at Gilgamesh before turning back to Enkidu. He pulled out his phone and looked for a photo that Bart had sent him.

"Here you go, this is Gil riding on Jason's shoulders."

Tim showed the image to Enkidu.

"Aw he was so cute as a kid," Enkidu said, then looked up at Gilgamesh. "What happened?"

He sighed, exasperatedly. "That's it - if anyone wishes to see me, I will be elsewhere."

The king did not elaborate as he left.

Enkidu sighed, looking at the picture of their friend's child self. There was something about seeing a child's innocence on their friends face that made Enkidu both happy and wistful at the same time. "Don't worry about him:" Enkidu told Tim. "He's just shy."

"I think I embarrassed him… At least he doesn't seem to get mad now. I wonder if we have you to thank for that…."

"Perhaps," Enkidu said. "Though I'd give him a little more credit than that."

Tim was about to say something else to Enkidu when someone else entered the room. A person that was not here for the past few hours since she had to watch her niece. Artemis. Tim looked over at Wally, who was still talking to Achilles and Bart. Artemis is the only one that didn't know that Wally was here. Boy was she in for a shock. That is, if she saw him. Tim looked at Enkidu who had gone back to looking through the photos and videos of his friend as a child on Tim's phone. Tim figured that it would be fine to leave for a moment. He wandered over to the speedster and tapped his shoulder.

"Hmm? Oh, heya Tim. What's up?"

"Well… I thought you would be interested in knowing that Artemis is here."

Wally's smile changed to a mix of emotions. Bart looked around for the blonde Archer. He found her quickly and rushed over to her.

"Hey, Artemis, how was watching Lian?"

"Oh, it was fine. Will says I should move into the house with him since it's just me. I keep telling him no and I think he is using Lian to try and persuade me to do so. I don't know…. I just… I am….. I don't want to leave the house that Wally and I owned…."

"Uh, well, I think you should move in with him. It would be easier on you and you would be able to see your niece every day. Also, you should never forget Wally even if you do move in with him. Also, you should go see him."

"Bart, he's gone. I can't see him."

"Well…. Remember the whole summon spirits of past hero thing that's been going on? Well, Dick met these two mages and they summoned him! He's talking to Achilles and Tim over there. "

Bart directed his hand toward the three and Artemis' eyes followed. Her whole body froze when her eyes landed on Wally. She didn't know if this was a trick or a dream, but she didn't care. Wally gave a small wave to her and gave her a smile. She quickly ran over to him and hugged him. He quickly hugged her back.

"Wally…. I… you…. I missed you so much. I…. I…"

Artemis was crying and Wally was just smiling at her.

"Artemis…. I can say that I missed you as well, even if it only felt like a few hours to me, I couldn't see you since I knew that I died. I wanted to see you every moment since I came back, but I couldn't. Not yet anyway. I had to be there for my best bud, but you were always on my mind, beautiful. I'm here now, so don't cry."

Wally kissed her forehead and that caused Artemis to weep again. He was there. She could touch and feel him. She could hear his voice talking to her. Tim smiled at this and directed Bart and Achilles away do the couple could talk. He found that he didn't have to as Wally picked up Artemis and rushed her out to the roof, so that he and she could talk. Wally's closest friend witnessed their reunion and gave a small sigh and smile. He went to sit down.

A/N: Hey, remember when I said that my writing partner dropped this, I kinda lied. I thought she did, but I was wrong. This story is actually complete now, I will just be editing and updating the chapters. I really just need to do that. Even though I got busy with school and moving, I had a lot go on that I just needed this. Just something to distract myself. From a funeral, to my apartment flooding on day one, all the way to the sudden stress from lack of sleep I got. So yeah. Anyway, will be updating this and then see how far I get with editing.

~Akira

Posted: 8/19/2024