Anchor (Hiatus)

Do-over II

After avoiding the drinking fountain, somehow managing to stomach the cafeteria slop and taking multiple dodge balls to the face, school is finally over. Sprinting out of the gates, Wally uses a short burst of superspeed then skids to a halt to release a celebratory whoop.

Hit with a sudden sense of déjà vu, he realises that despite his knowledge of the future, in the seven hours he's been stuck in the past, he hasn't actively done anything to change it. Yet.

In fact, the first thing he does differently is changing into his yellow and red spandex costume back at his house. It's a shame he couldn't greet Artemis with the rest of the team, but he supposes fashionably late is just as good. Besides, then he'll have her full attention and not have to compete with the others.

Speeding down the road to the nearest Zeta-Tube, Wally's heart seems to beat faster in his chest. Is making a good first impression really that important to him? Apparently so, as he stops opposite a run-down convenience store to tweak his auburn hair in the dirty shop window so that the gelled strands sit better around his mask.

Ducking into an abandoned alley, he activates the Zeta beam and transports himself to the cave in a bright burst of energy.

When his vision clears, she's all he sees.

Silky golden hair, swept up in a long ponytail, cascades over olive skin — complimented by her emerald green two-piece suit that hugs her athletic figure, shifting effortlessly as she turns to face him. Steely grey eyes meet clear green as she tries to read his dopey expression. Fortunately, she doesn't seem to catch on.

Say something cool. Say something cool, he thinks. "Hey." Nailed it. Now play dumb. Remember, Arty doesn't know you. "What's your name, beautiful?" he asks. Smooth.

"Artemis. I'm Green Arrow's niece," she says, one hand on her hip and seemingly unaffected by his irresistible charms.

Sure, it hurts that the first words she offers are still a lie, but she hasn't mocked him yet, which is progress, right? And, with time, she'll open up and come clean, so it doesn't matter in the long run. Besides, he knows for a fact that if she found herself in the same position she would trust the team right off the bat second time around. But it was his chance to start over; to do it right. Not hers, so he lets it go.

Wally's about to fire off some cheesy line when the Zeta-Tube powers up with an electronic hum and Speedy exits the tunnel with an air of seriousness, right on cue.

"RECOGNISE: SPEEDY; B-0-6," says the computer tonelessly.

This time around, Speedy doesn't contribute a witty remark to Wally's question about his whereabouts as it was never asked, but GA is still the first to react to his presence, falling into the same trap of not finishing his own sentence fast enough.

"Roy. You look—" he starts, but Roy cuts him off.

"Replaceable," he inserts darkly, almost accusatory, his gaze trained on Artemis.

"It's not like that," Green Arrow tries. "You told me you were going solo."

"So why waste time finding a sub?" he questions hotly. "Can she even use that bow?" he asks his ex-mentor, with potent hostility.

Wally can't take it any longer. "Yes she can," Kid Flash and Artemis say in unison, both right up in Roy's grill.

Judging by his expression, he anticipated this kind of reaction from Artemis, but not from KF — one of his oldest and most trusted friends. No one did, and Wally feels the need to explain himself. Out of everyone, Artemis is probably the most surprised that he would side with her over Speedy.

Making a gesture that said: 'wait one sec', Wally speeds off to a different sector of the cave in search of a visual aid. When he returns, he has the green arrow from his trophy shelf clasped in his gloved hand and presents it to his team like evidence before a jury.

"She saved my life," he expands, then turns to face Artemis with a warm smile. "Welcome to the team."

A/N: Thanks for reading! I love this concept, but I feel like I'm not doing it justice, so constructive criticism is very welcome :)

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