This is just a little AU thing that I've been working on and it was too much to just fit into a single oneshot. So I've decided to broaden my horizons and do a multi-chapter fic. I hope y'all enjoy. I'm a little nervous about this one because it's completely different from what I usually write. Expect this to be no more than 6-7 chapters.

I don't own the characters.

"Hey! Dude, wanna go on a run?" A voice called out from the other side of the room.

Wally looked up from the bunch of shot glasses he was carefully putting back on the shelf. Dick Grayson leaned against the wooden doorframe of the bar.

"I thought you had a date tonight." The redhead was expecting to have the apartment he and Dick shared to himself for the night when his roommate had talked about the latest lady in his life.

Dick shrugged. "Lori and I just didn't hit it off."

Wally tried his best to bite back a laugh. Dick had very low standards when it came to women. Whatever it was, it must have been something significant to drive Happy Harbor's Casanova away. He had finished stacking the shot glasses and moved on to the sticky bar top.

"She seemed nice." Wally carried on the conversation as he wiped down the granite with some Windex.

Dick shook his head and groaned. "She was nice."

Wally raised a brow at this information. "Then what was wrong?"

The young man let out a heavy sigh and walked over to one of the bar stools. Whatever he had to say he wasn't shouting across the room. There was a slight look of disgust on his face that. "You know that taxidermy place on the far side of town?"

Wally nodded. That place always gave him the creeps. He thought it took away an animal's dignity to be displayed in such a way.

Dick frowned, "It's her mom's place. Lori's mother is a taxidermist."

"Really!" Wally howled with laughter, much to his best friend's indignance. He was going to have to remember to tell Roy about that when he got back into town. It would definitely make his friend's day, and with the way things had been going with Roy lately something to laugh about would be a good for him.

"So do you want to go on a run or not? It's a nice night and fresh deer sounds really good right now." Dick knew Wally never passed up an opportunity to hunt.

The redhead put away the cleaning supplies and grabbed the keys. "Sure, but there's something I gotta ask." Wally grinned.

"What?"

It was hard for him not to laugh. "You want a wall mount or a full body mount? I bet if you patch things up with that girl you could get a discount."

"Well maybe I can get a two for one deal and get you on a plaque too." Dick replied smoothly, but there was no mistake for the acid in his tone. It wasn't often that a girl took him by surprise like that. Sure his standards might have been low, but there was a bottom line and he didn't enjoy hearing about the various methods of preserving a dead animal. He remembered it took everything he had when Lori talked about the crown jewel of her mother's collection; a grey wolf.

Wally flipped off the lights and locked the door. "My car or yours?"

"Yours. I walked here." Dick supplied and they headed towards an old red Jeep parked in the rear of the lot. They both got into the vehicle and Wally pulled out onto the main road.

"Where to?"

"State Park. It's the closest."

Wally could tell how antsy Dick was. He felt it too. With all of the extra shifts Ollie had been asking him to pull while they looked to replace Roy really cut into his free time. The extra cash was a little nice sometimes, but he missed being able to go run around the woods every other night.

They were the only car out on the road. Humans usually didn't go hiking at the brisk hour of three in the morning. However, Wally wasn't human, at least not completely. And what they had planned was a little more than just some hiking. Wally could barely contain the excitement that rushed through his body as they pulled into the deserted parking lot. The sound of tires grinding against the gravel was like music to his ears. It wasn't until then that he realized that it had been more than a week since he had last shifted. He guessed it had been about the same length of time for Dick from the look on his best pal's face.

"Let's go." Wally smiled. He had stashed his keys in a special spot under his car and made sure to lock the Jeep. A few months before he had not been so careful and his precious Wrangler was three states over before he realized it had been stolen.

Dick nodded. "I want to try the north trail. The south is getting a little boring."

"For you maybe." The redhead grumbled. The north trail had dense foliage while the southern had more clearings and was easier to run through. He really wanted to let loose and get a good sprint in, but Dick wanted a good hunt so Wally let his friend have this one.

They both knew the forest like the back of their hands. It was the closest neck of woods to town that offered complete cover. It was an easy spot to go to for a midnight meal.

"How was work?" Dick asked quietly, stirring the silence as they walked down the trail.

Wally shrugged. "It wasn't that bad. Mostly regulars. No surprises." Like most of the staff at Ollie's bar, his job as a bartender had two purposes. He was the one who kept an eye out for other shifters passing through. Bruce—the alpha—was very protective over their territory. Every so often a lone wolf would pop up. They usually watched the shifter. Sometimes they would confront them and ask them to leave if they were deemed a threat, but nothing usually got out of hand. Once they encountered a bear shifter. That occasion didn't end on a happy note, but the pack was safe and that was all that mattered.

Dick nodded. "That's always good." Outside shifters weren't always welcome in their territory. They had a claim on most of Rhode Island and some of Connecticut as well. It was not the most favorable land terrain wise, but it was close to all of the major cities in New England. Some of the shadier clans wanted to get their paws on the area for 'business' reasons.

They walked for about fifteen minutes on the trail until they came to their usual spot. Wally headed off into the bushes and began undressing. He carefully folded his dark jacket around his jeans and tucked them under a bush. The ground felt cool against his skin as he crouched down and started to shift. Ice shot down his spine and his bones felt like they were on fire as they rearranged into a new form.

Relief washed over him as he stood on all fours. The animal inside was finally free. His surroundings suddenly came to life as his senses awakened. After a quick stretch to work out the stiffness in his muscles, Wally trotted over to a small little clearing a little ways off of the trail and waited for Dick.

The bushes were silent as a large coal colored wolf with blue eyes slipped out into the clearing. Dick wagged his tail and nodded his head towards the other side of the meadow. Wally joined him and they headed off to sniff out the game trails. The darker wolf took the lead. Dick had a better nose and would find the deer faster. Wally, on the other hand, had speed that was second only to his uncle's. He was built for the long chase. They had a system when they hunted. Dick would find the deer and scare it and Wally would come around and chase after it until they had a meal.

Artemis gave a sigh of relief when the exit sign for Happy Harbor came into sight. Her clunky old Ford had been sputtering like an indignant madman for the past hundred miles. She feared it would break down before she reached her destination. The green 150 had faithfully carried her across the country, but without repair it would soon fail her. Fifteen miles stood between the young woman and her destination. Artemis prayed the truck would stay together in the final stretch. She would hate to be abandoned on the stretch of road at three in the morning.

Her worries were put to rest as her breaks squealed to a stop in front of a cheap motel. She locked up her vehicle and slung a large duffel over her shoulder. Artemis stopped for a moment and observed her surroundings. The motel was located on the outside of town so there wasn't much to see, but she liked what she could see. Happy Harbor was small enough to be out of the way, but large enough that she wouldn't stand out like a sore thumb. Perfect. The last thing she wanted was to be noticed.

The salty air reminded her of Anacortes, the last place she briefly called home. She never stayed in one spot for long. Small towns were easier to hide in, but every so often she switched it up and stayed in a big city for a month or two. Artemis was from the city originally, but with her time on the run she learned that the danger in the city blended in just as well as she could.

After talking to the grumpy attendant she took her key and headed up the rusty staircase to her room for the night. Her boots were unusually silent against the old metal stairs. Artemis preferred to be silent when she moved. Sound brought attention. She hated attention.

Artemis looked around the dark, musky room. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness so she didn't bother with the light. She sniffed a few times before setting her things down on the lumpy bed in the middle of the room. It was instinctual now after all the times she had been ambushed by the various people her father sent after her. Artemis had learned the hard way that she could never be too careful.

The motel room had one exit and one window. Artemis wasn't sure if it was a blessing or a curse. The limited entrances made it hard to break in unnoticed, but if they were broken into she was cornered. Before heading off to bed she loosened the screws on the doorknob so it made a jiggling noise at the slightest disturbance. Artemis was still tense as she collapsed on the bed, but the mattress—as lumpy it was— felt nice. She had spent the last week on the road. Only stopping for gas, food and the occasional hour of sleep.

This time she hoped she could stay a little longer. Artemis spent the last three years on the run and she was tired. Maybe it was something inside of her or the sleep depravation, but she could feel that this time things would be different.

Wally scratched at his neck with his back foot while he watched Dick finish off the rest of the deer. The large black wolf dragged the carcass out of sight when he was done. It was a good-sized deer that filled both shifters' stomachs. Wally took point on the way back to the trail. He detoured by the little stream so they could wash the blood off. The redhead had a strict no blood policy when it came to his Jeep.

The duo galloped through the dense foliage with ease. They both had work the next day. Wally didn't have to go in until the afternoon, but Arthur, the harbormaster, expected Dick to be there by ten. He was in charge of typing all of the old files up on the newer digital system. At least he had Kal to keep him company.

When they reached the place where they had stashed their clothes they paid more attention to their surroundings. It was unlikely that a human would run across them, but neither wanted to take that chance.

Once he was satisfied that there were no humans in the area, Dick loped over to the rotted tree trunk and snatched his clothes out with his mouth. It took him a few minutes to shift back into human form and put his clothes on. When he was done he expected to see Wally there too, but found his friend still in his wolf form sniffing the air.

"What is it?" Dick asked. Wally was acting strange, or at least stranger than usual. The reddish-brown wolf briefly glanced at his friend, but continued to sniff the air. Something had caught his attention. Dick inhaled the fresh night air, but he could not pick out any scents that were out of the ordinary.

Finally, after a little more sniffing, Wally headed back towards his clothes and Dick. A few minutes later the redhead emerged from the bushes.

"Something is off." The redhead answered. There was something in the air that was different, but he couldn't figure out was it was or if it was good or bad. What Wally did know was that something was coming. He could feel it in his bones.

Well? Is it alright? I'd love to hear what you guys think of the story. The next chapter is on it's way. I'm going to try to update once every week if my schedule allows me to do so. Any comments, constructive criticisms, or suggestions are helpful. I'm more than willing to answer any questions you have about the story. Thanks for reading! Until next time!