The Death Of Wally West

The Begining of the End

'Wait! Where's Wally!' Artemis cried out, her voice desperate and panicked. She stood in the Arctic looking at Flash and Impulse, praying that there was some logical explanation to why he wasn't here, and that he'd be back momentarily. Flash took a few steps towards her, his eyes filled with despair and grief. 'He- he wanted me to tell you...' He began before Artemis cut in. 'No! No! No...' Her voice was urgent, then slowly became inaudible. Her lip quivered as tears were threatening to break through the surface as she waited for Flash to finish.
'That he loves you.' That was enough to break Artemis, she dropped to the floor in a heap. Her hands cradled her face as a tsunami tide was unleashed from her eyes.
The commotion was over, the storm had cleared and the crysalyst was no longer a threat to Earths atmosphere. The world was free and safe once more. For the people there was hope, the world was whole again.
Unless you were part of the Justice League, more specifically Artemis, who's world just shattered and burned into ashes. Her crying became more desperate, as she called out for Wally. M'gann dropped to her knees next to Artemis, embracing her in a hug as comfort. She accepted it but the pain never left, it was life a knife in the heart that continuously was replaced every second.
The rest of the group were also grieved, some more silent then others. Connor's head hung low, silenced by his grief. Richard Grayson exchanged glances with Kaldur'ahm, before turning away. His mask covered the tears that fell for his best friend, his already haunted eyes were shut, unable to look at anyone. Fearing that he could not maintain the strength to not break down himself.
Impulse stood, shock and pain exposed on his face, he was still heavily breathing from the extreme running that he had just done. But right now he found it harder than ever to regain his normal state.
The team had barley moved, Flash had embraced Impulse in a comforting hug. They all stood like that, pained, for a while, trying to recollect their feelings that were scattered on the floor.
The Arctic was in complete silence, sending shivers down everyone's spine. It only emphasised Artemis sobs. M'gann had manage to lift her up so that she was standing, with her support. Artemis head was crammed with memories, all replaying at the same time. The kiss that had shared no less than an hour ago, in Paris. 'We are totally coming here, babe. When we don't have a world to save.' He had said, smiling. She had joked back saying 'There will always be a world to save!' She recollected the memory of the first time they had met, when Green Arrow had bought her to join the team. Over 5 years had passed since they had met, almost 5 years they had been together, Wally West and Artemis Crock. She had never thought that they wouldn't be together.

It was gone 11pm, and Artemis was standing out side of the West's house. She slowly and lightly knocked on the door. Both his mother and father answered the door. Artemis looked up from the floor into their eyes and the tears began to fall again. No explanation was needed. They understood that they had just lost their son. Artemis was embraced in a hug by Mary West first, who also found it hard to control her tears that flooded down her face. His dad, Rudy also joined the hug. The comfort helped but none of them were ever whole again. Wally's memory was tattooed on their shredded hearts.
The world carried on, birds still sung in the morning, children still played in the streets and the world always needed saving. But for anyone who had ever met Wally, was ever made laughed by Wally. Ever loved Wally. Their world was never the same. The sun never rose with hope, it only ever rose to sink back under the horizon away from the painful truth.