Chapter Text
Artemis sat at the small kitchen table, carefully sharpening a set of arrows, while Wally lounged nearby, flipping through a comic book with one leg draped over the arm of the couch.
“Almost done…” Artemis murmured, inspecting the tip of an arrow. But then—a slip. A tiny sting, a thin line of blood, and a curse escaped her lips.
Wally was instantly up, eyes wide. “Artie! Are you—are you okay?” He dashed to her side in a blur, crouching down to get a better look.
“I’m fine,” Artemis said quickly, shaking her head and trying to wave him off. “Just a scratch.”
But inwardly, frustration burned. A voice that sounded suspiciously like her father scorned her in her mind.
I trained you as an archer since before you hit puberty, baby girl. You should be better than this. No daughter of Sportsmaster can commit such a laughable mistake. You’re gonna make me look bad.
She shut her eyes, as if trying to will that voice (and the memories that came with it) out.
Wally stayed quiet, studying her finger. Then, unexpectedly, he reached out and took her hand gently. He leaned forward, his small palms vibrating just above the cut. Artemis froze, unsure of what he was doing.
A soft hum filled the air, and she watched, speechless, as the cut slowly closed before her eyes, the redness fading until her finger was completely healed.
“…Wally?” she whispered, staring at him. “How… how did you do that?”
He shrugged casually, as if it were nothing. “Speedsters can heal themselves fast, right? But my connection to the Speed Force… it lets me accelerate the natural healing process for other people too. I just vibrated the molecules in your finger the same way my body would.”
Artemis blinked, still processing. “…So… you just… healed me?”
“Yup,” Wally said, grinning like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Pretty cool, huh?”
Artemis shook her head, a mix of awe and disbelief on her face. “This… this changes everything. Your connection to the Speed Force… it’s giving you abilities no one’s ever seen before.”
Wally’s grin widened, but there was a spark of seriousness in his eyes. “Yeah… I think so.”
Artemis studied him for a moment, letting the weight of the realization sink in. This wasn’t just her lover back—this was a new Wally West, one who could keep up with her in ways even she hadn’t imagined.
And somehow, that thought made her proud… and maybe just a little nervous.