Ow. [geez artemis what are your joints made out of, knives] I'm just saying, with how tight that ponytail is, no wonder you're always irritable. [DO YOU WANT TO DIE OR SOMETHING WALLY]
[Death glare. Though it's behind shades, so ya know.]
Irritable?! Oh, so you think I'm irritable? No, Wally. This is a natural reaction to dealing with annoying, mouthy, know-it-all red heads all the time.
You deal with more than just me?! I'm wounded. I don't deal with more than one blond angry highway cop at a time. [wally seriously ur lookin to die
Luckily, the coaster is right up ahead and the line for it isn't too long. Thank god for weekdays. Wally perks up and jogs over to secure their place in line.]
Not one this big. Mom and Dad would take me to the state and county fairs when they came along, but y'know. The coasters in those things gotta fold up, so they dont' get too tall. [Wally crunches down the last of his popcorn and stuffs the bucket into an overflowing trash bin as they inch forward in line.
Artemis is in for the most frustrating thirty minutes of her life, because there's nothing more excruciating for a speedster than having to wait in line. Wally whines, complains, picks on Artemis, gets really annoying with that stupid stuffed monster and at one point actually lays down on the dirty, sticky ground while fake-crying about how long it's taking to get on the ride. Everyone around them is staring Wally, who doesn't notice, but they are also staring at Artemis like 'would you control that thing please']
[Everyone knows you don't want to get stuck with Wally on a stake out, so she's not exactly surprised that it isn't a delight to wait in line with him. At first she deals with it in the usual way--by glaring.
But gradually Wally, the Georgia heat, and low blood sugar (mostly Wally) wear down her resistance. When he starts throwing some kind of temper tantrum, Artemis has had enough. She's mortified and yes, irritable. It's not like she can pretend she doesn't know him--they've been waiting in this line with the same people forever and they're all looking at her to fix it.
She hauls him roughly to his feet (she's a strong girl, especially when she's mad) and speaks through gritted teeth, afraid of drawing even more attention.]
What is your problem? You're sixteen years old--grow up already. It's not cute.
Okay one? I'm adorable. Two? I'm fifteen. Three? When your average speed is three hundred miles an hour, you don't do well with not moving. [Wally shifts restlessly from foot to foot.
A ride attendant is traveling down the line and speaking to people in front of them; Wally cranes his neck and overhears her say that the ride is temporarily down for maintenance and will be up momentarily, thus explaining the standstill. Wally rubs his face before thrusting the stuffed doll at Artemis. The words tumble out of his mouth a little too quickly to be natural.] Would you hold this and my place in line because I gotta go I'll be right back do you want anything?
[It catches Artemis off-guard and she can't do much more than splutter around the sudden mass of purple monster in her arms. When she finally hears the announcement, it all becomes clear.
This is quickly becoming a disaster and she's more annoyed at herself than at Wally. Why did she think this was a good idea? This place is stupid, coming here with Wally was stupid, and she REALLY hates this stupid purple monster. The girl needs a cool drink, some shade, and a shot of adrenaline. Instead she has a sort of sticky purple monster, more waiting, and a fleeing speedster. A speedster who isn't even the right age.]
[Wally's already gone before she's done saying it, and he's gone for ten minutes and the line's still standing still by the time he comes back. He's got a huge bag full of ice cream bars but instead of just coming back to Artemis and eating them all himself, he...starts handing them out to people in line.
He hands out all but two, to all the people surrounding them in line, then steps back over to Artemis and holds out one of the bars.] Trade you. [give him back that monster and he's gonna eat his ice cream bar]
[By the time he gets back, it's only sheer stubbornness keeping Artemis from just giving up and catching a bus home. And then he goes and does something like this... Wally is confusing.]
... Thanks.
[She's more than willing to swap and as soon as she takes a bite of the ice cream sandwich, she starts feeling better. It's a little messy to eat, but it's sweet and cold and that's exactly what the doctor ordered.]
Yeah. [Wally eats his ice cream just as quietly, the monster stuffed under the other arm, and he won't look her in the eye so he knows he crossed a line somewhere but is unwilling to do anything about it. The ice cream is probably the only thing he will do about it.
The line starts moving after a few more minutes, albeit just as slowly as before, and Wally tosses his stick into a can when they pass by before clearing his throat.] Look, I don't like- I'm not saying I buy this time distortion thing. I probably just have amnesia [and you know a guy is dedicated to science when he would rather believe he has AMNESIA than consider time travel] but humor me, or something. The whole thing with...with Red. [He still won't look at her. He picks the caramel corn out of the monster's mouth and flicks it into the trash.] Does that get...I mean, do we fix it?
[Artemis is eating her ice cream as slowly as possible, enjoying it but also grateful for the chance to not talk without it feeling awkward. More awkward. She glances up at his question, mildly surprised by the topic. Though it's still vivid in her memory, it's still been a while. There was a lot going on in Artemis's life even before she arrived in an alternate reality.]
Tornado? I guess so... I mean, he's okay. [She stares at her ice cream, contemplative.] He only went with the other Reds in the first place to find Morrow... And to protect us.
Whoa- you serious? [For just a few seconds he looks so painfully hopeful, right on that edge of worried and relieved and reluctant to believe her but wanting so badly to.
RT didn't betray them. RT was just looking out for everyone.]
[To be fair, Wally's pretty good at not letting people see how hard things can hit him. It's nice to know that though; he'd been so angry but more than angry he'd been hurt. Without knowing what they were going to do after RT leaving with the other Reds and then showing up here, well.
That word, though. Sacrifice. That hits before "mole" even registers.] Wait wait, Red's dead?
What?! No! [The idea alone is disturbing enough that Artemis squawks] He lost his legs, but he's a robot, so no big deal. Tornado's fine. He's still our den-mother and everything.
[The other Reds... well, Artemis doesn't have that much sympathy for them, even though they ultimately sacrificed themselves. They also did a very good job of trying to kill her and her friends, so no. Whatever they got was at best fair play.]
Geez, [Wally sighs explosively, and shoves his face into the stuffed doll for a second before giving Artemis an exasperated look.] Why'd you say "sacrifice" like that? You freaked me out. Don't do that.
[Wally gives her a strange look.] Why wouldn't I be worried? We almost died. It's kind of a big deal. [also thanks for that awesome, incredible life-saving shot and not like, abandoning all of them to their deaths or whatever]
...And what'd you mean, he wasn't the mole? What mole?
She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. This time travel stuff is a headache. The last thing in the world she wanted was to start the mole rumors, she just genuinely didn't realize that from Wally's perspective it hadn't happened yet. The Reds attack and the revelation that there might be a mole had been so close together.]
Look, just... forget I said that. There's no mole. It was just something Sportsmaster said to mess with the team and Red Arrow won't let it go.
[Oh, hey, it's Artemis's two least favorite people in one sentence. Now can we talk about that amazing shot? No?]
Wow, that is definitely one of the most suspicious things I've ever heard. [Wally doesn't push it either (though his mutter is a little mutinous) just because this time travel stuff is a headache for him too. Not to mention that apparently he's going to forget all of it once he gets out of here anyway, or hey! Maybe even before that. Stupid circumstantial amnesia.
Lucky for them, the line finally shuffles to the row dividers and Wally automatically lines up for the front row. The line's longer but the payoff is so sweet, and even though Wally can't convince the ride attendants to give the monster doll its own seat, he just squishes the stupid thing against his chest as they lower the safety harnesses into place.
He grins over at Artemis and knocks his knee into hers, thrusting his hands up into the air.] You can't hold on! That's a cardinal rule. No hands or you didn't really ride.
[Artemis is busy making sure her sunglasses are securely tucked down the front of her shirt and totally not being way excited and a little nervous but she looks over when Wally bumps her knee.]
No hands. Got it.
[She makes a sarcastic little jazz hands gesture but before she can do anything else, the roller coaster lurches into motion. Automatically her hands shoot up next to Wally's and her eyes go wide. The car chug chug chugs up to the top of the steep precipice and she has a brief (but detailed) glimpse of the park sprawled below them and then...
Artemis doesn't scream--mostly because her teeth are clenched too tightly to let out any sound. She has a huge, adrenaline-fueled grin slapped across her face and this. Is. Crazy.]
[Wally's run faster than this. Wally's moved almost ten times as fast as this, but his feet weren't dangling in the air and his face wasn't rushing toward the ground and he wasn't gasping for breath because the adrenaline that just shot through his gut was from joy, not fear.
Artemis doesn't have to scream. Wally's doing plenty of that for the both of them.]
Woooooooooo hooooooooooo! [Wally's fists are up in the air and the coaster slings them around like a child with sugar rush and a fistful of Barbie hair. A girl behind them screams shrill and piercing, edged with panic but not quite there and Wally can't help but laugh. He glances over at Artemis; her hair keeps whipping loose and smacking her in the face but she's smiling and Wally doesn't know if he's ever seen her face look like that before. Weird.
Then the coaster flips them upside-down again and Wally shouts again, and he's gonna be hoarse by the end of the day, isn't he?]
[She catches weird glimpses of strangely precise details as the world whips by--like the exact number of seagulls perched on the top of some water ride. Maybe it's the much lower speed or just the fact that she's getting used to it, but there's none of the queasiness she felt earlier.
She can hear Wally yelling in her ear. Okay, so it's more like whooping for joy, but still. Then he starts to laugh and Artemis finds herself joining in, carried away by the giddy excitement of freefall.
Then, all too soon, it's over. The roller coaster car slows and rattles to a stop back where they started. Artemis has strands of her own ponytail stuck in the corners of her mouth and her knees are wobbly when the ride attendant comes to let them out of the safety harness. All the same, her eyes are alight and she can't stop grinning. She looks over at Wally.]
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You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. [A beat] Wait, what's wrong with my hair?
[Tread carefully, Wally.]
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Irritable?! Oh, so you think I'm irritable? No, Wally. This is a natural reaction to dealing with annoying, mouthy, know-it-all red heads all the time.
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Luckily, the coaster is right up ahead and the line for it isn't too long. Thank god for weekdays. Wally perks up and jogs over to secure their place in line.]
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... and awesome.
She hurries to catch up with Wally and get in line.]
Have you ever been on one of these before?
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Artemis is in for the most frustrating thirty minutes of her life, because there's nothing more excruciating for a speedster than having to wait in line. Wally whines, complains, picks on Artemis, gets really annoying with that stupid stuffed monster and at one point actually lays down on the dirty, sticky ground while fake-crying about how long it's taking to get on the ride. Everyone around them is staring Wally, who doesn't notice, but they are also staring at Artemis like 'would you control that thing please']
action;
But gradually Wally, the Georgia heat, and low blood sugar (mostly Wally) wear down her resistance. When he starts throwing some kind of temper tantrum, Artemis has had enough. She's mortified and yes, irritable. It's not like she can pretend she doesn't know him--they've been waiting in this line with the same people forever and they're all looking at her to fix it.
She hauls him roughly to his feet (she's a strong girl, especially when she's mad) and speaks through gritted teeth, afraid of drawing even more attention.]
What is your problem? You're sixteen years old--grow up already. It's not cute.
action;
A ride attendant is traveling down the line and speaking to people in front of them; Wally cranes his neck and overhears her say that the ride is temporarily down for maintenance and will be up momentarily, thus explaining the standstill. Wally rubs his face before thrusting the stuffed doll at Artemis. The words tumble out of his mouth a little too quickly to be natural.] Would you hold this and my place in line because I gotta go I'll be right back do you want anything?
action;
This is quickly becoming a disaster and she's more annoyed at herself than at Wally. Why did she think this was a good idea? This place is stupid, coming here with Wally was stupid, and she REALLY hates this stupid purple monster. The girl needs a cool drink, some shade, and a shot of adrenaline. Instead she has a sort of sticky purple monster, more waiting, and a fleeing speedster. A speedster who isn't even the right age.]
Just go already.
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He hands out all but two, to all the people surrounding them in line, then steps back over to Artemis and holds out one of the bars.] Trade you. [give him back that monster and he's gonna eat his ice cream bar]
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... Thanks.
[She's more than willing to swap and as soon as she takes a bite of the ice cream sandwich, she starts feeling better. It's a little messy to eat, but it's sweet and cold and that's exactly what the doctor ordered.]
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The line starts moving after a few more minutes, albeit just as slowly as before, and Wally tosses his stick into a can when they pass by before clearing his throat.] Look, I don't like- I'm not saying I buy this time distortion thing. I probably just have amnesia [and you know a guy is dedicated to science when he would rather believe he has AMNESIA than consider time travel] but humor me, or something. The whole thing with...with Red. [He still won't look at her. He picks the caramel corn out of the monster's mouth and flicks it into the trash.] Does that get...I mean, do we fix it?
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Tornado? I guess so... I mean, he's okay. [She stares at her ice cream, contemplative.] He only went with the other Reds in the first place to find Morrow... And to protect us.
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RT didn't betray them. RT was just looking out for everyone.]
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Yeah. He sacrificed himself for us. He definitely wasn't the mole.
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That word, though. Sacrifice. That hits before "mole" even registers.] Wait wait, Red's dead?
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[The other Reds... well, Artemis doesn't have that much sympathy for them, even though they ultimately sacrificed themselves. They also did a very good job of trying to kill her and her friends, so no. Whatever they got was at best fair play.]
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[She holds her hands up in a gesture of innocence. She really hadn't been trying to freak him out.]
I guess... I didn't know you were that worried. Besides, it's kind of old news for me.
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...And what'd you mean, he wasn't the mole? What mole?
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She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. This time travel stuff is a headache. The last thing in the world she wanted was to start the mole rumors, she just genuinely didn't realize that from Wally's perspective it hadn't happened yet. The Reds attack and the revelation that there might be a mole had been so close together.]
Look, just... forget I said that. There's no mole. It was just something Sportsmaster said to mess with the team and Red Arrow won't let it go.
[Oh, hey, it's Artemis's two least favorite people in one sentence. Now can we talk about that amazing shot? No?]
action;
Lucky for them, the line finally shuffles to the row dividers and Wally automatically lines up for the front row. The line's longer but the payoff is so sweet, and even though Wally can't convince the ride attendants to give the monster doll its own seat, he just squishes the stupid thing against his chest as they lower the safety harnesses into place.
He grins over at Artemis and knocks his knee into hers, thrusting his hands up into the air.] You can't hold on! That's a cardinal rule. No hands or you didn't really ride.
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No hands. Got it.
[She makes a sarcastic little jazz hands gesture but before she can do anything else, the roller coaster lurches into motion. Automatically her hands shoot up next to Wally's and her eyes go wide. The car chug chug chugs up to the top of the steep precipice and she has a brief (but detailed) glimpse of the park sprawled below them and then...
Artemis doesn't scream--mostly because her teeth are clenched too tightly to let out any sound. She has a huge, adrenaline-fueled grin slapped across her face and this. Is. Crazy.]
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Artemis doesn't have to scream. Wally's doing plenty of that for the both of them.]
Woooooooooo hooooooooooo! [Wally's fists are up in the air and the coaster slings them around like a child with sugar rush and a fistful of Barbie hair. A girl behind them screams shrill and piercing, edged with panic but not quite there and Wally can't help but laugh. He glances over at Artemis; her hair keeps whipping loose and smacking her in the face but she's smiling and Wally doesn't know if he's ever seen her face look like that before. Weird.
Then the coaster flips them upside-down again and Wally shouts again, and he's gonna be hoarse by the end of the day, isn't he?]
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She can hear Wally yelling in her ear. Okay, so it's more like whooping for joy, but still. Then he starts to laugh and Artemis finds herself joining in, carried away by the giddy excitement of freefall.
Then, all too soon, it's over. The roller coaster car slows and rattles to a stop back where they started. Artemis has strands of her own ponytail stuck in the corners of her mouth and her knees are wobbly when the ride attendant comes to let them out of the safety harness. All the same, her eyes are alight and she can't stop grinning. She looks over at Wally.]
I totally knew you would scream.
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