Return of a Speedster

Cleaning Day

Palo Alto
One Week After Arctic Incident

Artemis pulled up to the apartment that Wally and her used to share. She came here to get some stuff that Wally's parents requested. Some photos and old clothes as keepsakes.

When she gets out of here '04 Impala, she greeted by the sight of police tape and dozens of broken windows--on both the building and the cars next to it. She walks up to the attendant at the front desk and asks what happened. The attendant responds by stating that there was a freak lightening storm two nights ago, some people reported seeing a ghost, and some government research team showed up, and that that was all she knew.

Artemis heads to elevator with an empty box in her arms. She presses three and the doors close. When the elevator stops, she exits it and goes to the third door on the left. She opens it, and goes to the taped up window in the main room that overlooks the street.

She remembers all the fun moments that Wally and her shared in this room. It has been nearly a year since she was here last--following his funeral the day earlier.

Artemis enters the bedroom that she shared with him. She goes to his dresser and starts the emotionally painful process of cleaning it out. She makes quick work of most of the drawers. They are filled with whatever little amount of clothing that Wally kept in the apartment.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the lobby, Artemis's friend Zatana enters the elevator on her way up to help Artemis clean out the apartment. When Zatana reaches the slightly ajar door to the apartment, she knocks cautiously, and Artemis gets up to greet her. After entering the apartment, Artemis guides Zatana to the bedroom and opens the bottom drawer of the dresser.

In this last drawer, they find various trinkets and mementos that Wally collected over the years. There's Cheshire's mask. The arrow Artemis used against A.M.A.Z.O. A photo booth filmstrip of Artemis and him from a carnival he took her to years ago when they first started dating. It's almost too much for Artemis to bear. Almost. But when Zatana pulls out the last item, Artemis can't help but shed a few tears.

Zatana reaches into the drawer and takes out two items, one at a time. The first is a photo album that Wally's parents gave him. It is filled with pictures of him from his younger years.

Artemis quickly places it inside the nearly full box.

The second item is a small scrapbook that Dick made for the couple. It has the words 'Spitfire Forever' in gold imprinted on the cover. Upon seeing this, Artemis opens the book and starts to look through it as Zatana watches cautiously.

With every page turned a tear is shed, as Artemis takes a trip down a long road called memory lane. A dam breaks when something falls out from the last page. Zatana is about to ask her what is wrong, when she stops short upon seeing a small scrap of paper with a glinting piece of metal taped to the bottom. The scrap of paper is a note addressed to Artemis. The glinting piece of metal is a ring. She starts to read it....

Palo Alto
Three Years Ago

In the small amount of time that occupies the ticks between seconds on a clock, Wally West, in his Kid Flash uniform, sits down to the table in his shared apartment. He pulls out a pen and begins to write:

Dear Artemis,

If you are reading this then that is due to one of two reasons. The first being that I forgot to get rid of it. The other is that I did not survive. I am really hoping that it is the first one.

Anyway, this probably would be the part where I confess my eternal love for you in some poetic manner, but as you would know, I am not the best with words. I will say that when this is all over I will drag you off to the side, say something romantic that probably would only sound good in my head, and say those four little words that make every girl's heart melt: Will you marry me?

He pauses in his writing and pulls out a small emerald encrusted ring.

If you are reading this due to the second reason, well all I can say is that I am sorry. I can only imagine the pain you must be going through. A race against death is one that even that fastest man can only prolong, but never win. I hope that one day you are able to move on from this.

Sincerely,

Yours forever,

Wally

P.S.: You will always be my Spitfire.

And with that final statement, Wally tapes the ring to the bottom and stashes the note in the back of the scrapbook. He heads to the nearest Zeta-tube and is transported to Anchorage, Alaska. From there he runs to meet with two other speedsters....and his date with destiny.

Present Day

After reading the note, Zatana joins Artemis on the floor in a comforting embrace. With tears in their eyes, they fall asleep on the floor of the apartment.

As they fall into slumber, a small, silent yellow flash can be seen on the horizon through the living room window. Both are unaware of how that flash will change their lives forever...