Author's Note: This will ultimately be in 3 parts, possibly 4 if the third part gets any longer. Actually, maybe 2 if there's no interest in it. The title is inspired by the song "Locomotive" by Alex Winston, but I never reference the lyrics in the actual story and the plot is tangentially connected to the song at best. As always, let me know what you think. I'm weird in that I'd prefer ranting about this than just praise. I learn more from criticism, even if it's just "this blows."

Artemis clutches her textbook tight to her chest as the wind blows into her face. Winter in Metropolis isn't awful, not nearly as bad as it was in Gotham, but she'd picked the wrong jacket, figuring she'd be back at her apartment before sunset. Clearly, that isn't the case, and Artemis walks home in the cold under the bright yellow light of street lamps, her feet dragging quietly on the cement. She remembers a time when she could walk without making a sound, when she still fought villains on a team. It's been three — maybe almost four — years since then, and suddenly twenty-three just feels so old.

So she walks down the streets with a strange sense of displacement. She could have taken the subway — it would've been faster — but it was only a twenty-minute walk home anyway, and Artemis feels vaguely nostalgic. One foot goes in front of the other, and she looks down to see the leather of her boots crinkle at her toes with every step. Then she hears yelling, and the unmistakable sound of a fight under way.

Artemis follows the sound to a nearby alleyway, where a scrawny guy in a grey hoodie is getting his ass pummeled by a mugger. And she may not be a hero anymore, but Artemis is not about to let the poor guy die on the street. She drops her textbook and backpack, grabbing the mugger's arm and kneeing him in the gut, twisting his arm back. He cries out and falls to his knees. Artemis is rusty on her fighting skills, but she knows enough about fighting people bigger than she is to win against a basic mugger. He writhes in her grip for a second while she composes herself.

"When I let go you're going to run," she says, her voice flat and even. "If you hesitate for even a second, the police will need dental records to identify you. Are we clear?"

He nods hurriedly, and when she lets go, he scampers and runs away, his eyes wide and his arm held against his chest.

She then turns her attention to the man on the ground. He's griping about the whole situation, but she doesn't see pools of blood, which she figures is a good sign. She asks him if he's all right as she helps him to his feet.

When he stands up she sees him. And she's a little panicked, because she doesn't just recognize him, she really recognizes him, and the streetlights show pieces of red hair sticking out from inside his hood and his bright green eyes staring right back at her. He's a little taller and a little broader and his face is just slightly gaunter, but she knows it's him.

"Artemis," he chokes out, his voice tentative but lacking the adolescent chirp she remembers. "I haven't seen you in… well, forever. How are you? Why haven't you been around? And why on earth are you in Metropolis?"

"I'm fine, Wally. I think the bigger issue here is how you are. How do you even manage to get your ass kicked like that when you have superpowers?"

"Hey, I can't risk blowing my cover." Wally shrugs. "I was just walking down the street when he attacked me."

"That tends to happen when you don't give them your money." By this point, any sort of sympathy she was feeling two minutes ago has dissipated.

"And what exactly makes you think that I have any cash on me?"

"Only the fact that you do." Artemis smirks as she says it, and picks up her bag and book.

He tries to defend himself by saying he only had twenty dollars with him, and he didn't even remember he had it at first, but Artemis just rolls her eyes and laughs. And Wally then fumbles around from one conversation topic to another, while subconsciously walking with Artemis to her house. He explains why he's in Metropolis (League business. Wally says he can't tell her anything else because technically it's a secret. Artemis doesn't really care), what's going on in his life (his aunt Iris' birthday is next week), and what plans he has while he's here (he doesn't have any). For a moment, they shift back into their former selves — Wally rambling on, always cracking jokes, and Artemis tolerating it, half annoyed, half entertained. At one point, she feels her insides pitter-patter. But the moment is fleeting, and the book in her hands and the hair that now only grazes her shoulders anchor her to the present. Wally notices her shift the textbook to carry it under her left arm.

"I never really pegged you as a physics person," he says, glancing at her textbook.

"Archery is a lot like physics. It makes sense, I guess." She doesn't look at him, just pushes a piece of hair behind her ear.

"So you're still doing archery?" he asks, and though she doesn't look up at him, Artemis can hear the hopefulness in his voice and just knows his eyes are lighting up right now.

She crushes him. "Not… not really. Sometimes for fun, sure, but I'm not in the hero-ing thing anymore. Just a PhD student now." She smiles at him, but he looks disappointed — in her and in the situation. He congratulates her on her studies, but it's just small talk. Artemis is dying to steer the conversation away from her personal failures, so she asks about her old teammates.

"Are Conner and Megan still together?" she asks.

"No. They broke up before you left, remember?"

"I do, but I just thought…" Her voice trails off. "Is Dick with Zatanna?"

"No."

"Kori?"

"No."

"What about that one Batgirl? The one with the red hair — Barbara?"

"Maybe. I don't really know. It's hard to tell what's going on with those two."

Artemis chuckles softly. "It's hard to tell what's going on with Dick in general. The guy is shrouded in so many layers of mystery."

"He's not half as complicated as you are. I mean, you gave us all about a week's notice before you left and we never saw you again. Not that we didn't try." He gulps. "Well, I did… at least. I tried to get Dick to find you, but he said he couldn't."

"I bet he could in five seconds."

"He said he wouldn't."

Artemis looks down at the ground, guilty. She can't blame Wally, though. Nothing he's saying is unfair. She was scared and naïve and she couldn't handle giving so much of herself to fighting crime. She doesn't regret the decision, but she regrets how she made it. "I'm sorry," she says softly, and places her hand on his shoulder. Pitter-patter.

"It's fine now, I guess. I mean, it's not like you were very smart to begin with," he jokes.

"Well, riddle me this, Wallace: if I'm the moron here, then why have you been walking towards my apartment for the last ten minutes?" She pointed to a building 100 feet in front of them.

Wally stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Artemis laughed and grabbed him by the arm. "Come on, you're here anyway, you might as well come in. We have catching up to do, apparently. I don't suppose you have to be anywhere right now, do you?"

Wally shook his head. "All right then," said Artemis. "Though I have to warn you that the only food I have is made in five minutes in a microwave. So I hope you like instant oatmeal."