A/N: I wrote this once. It got erased. I wrote it again. I will say, I think the first one had better quips and little details. But because I couldn't remember everything that I poured into the first one, I had to do what I could to recreate it to the same effect. I apologize. And I hate my iTouch. Onward.

P.S. I hope you're familiar with the poem (:

Disclaimer: Busy not owning YJ.

Fire & Ice

He approached her from behind. "Artemis, may I ask your opinion of something?"

The girl, who'd been laid out on the couch while flipping through a magazine about knives for the better half of an hour, looked up from the waxy pages to see their android den mother standing there with a proffered piece of paper that she could tell bore black words. She set aside her own reading and smiled up at him. "Of course, Red." Really, she was sure any of the team would do just about anything for Tornado. After all, he'd done so much for them through the years... "What can I do for you?" She folded her arms on the back of the couch and looked up at him almost eagerly.

He let her have the paper. "In my studies of human opinion and thought, I have found two controversial pieces of literature that can display true colors within a person. They are meant to elicit a certain response by different sorts of people due to controversial topics and life-altering situations. Both of which are taught in your grade levels, therefore you may be familiar with them.

"The first is entitled 'The Lady and The Tiger'," continued the crimson bot, "but I have deemed results from that opinion set biased due to gender and specific life experiences, which do happen to format human opinion, but I believe such biases are too much to deem and accurate response. The second piece of literature is by a particular Robert Frost, who bears no relation to any ice villains in the Justice League database. I checked."

Artemis's blue-grey eyes fell on the familiar title, and a smile perched upon her lips. She knew this one. "Fire and Ice," she said almost sweetly, her eyes flickering over every word as she devoured the poem for probably the hundredth time; it was one of her favorites.

"It seems you are familiar with it," verified Red Tornado in his neutral tone.

Artemis's smirk said it all. "That I am."

"Then may I ask your opinion?" he inquired. Upon her subtle nod, he stated. "Fire and ice are both possible ways to die on this earth and I wish to understand why humans have conflicting views on this subject. The world will end one way or another in some timestream, so why does the 'how' factor matter in human thought?"

"Because everyone's different, Red," Artemis began slowly, trying to find the right phrasing for such a complex matter. Still, she couldn't really explain it. She only knew her views. "Personally, I believe the world will end in ice. But I'm sure if you asked someone else, they would tell you something else."

She could hear the lenses in his eyes refocusing, like his gaze was narrowing critically. "Why do you believe the world will end in ice, Artemis?"

She reached for her magazine to at least set it back in her lap; the poem laid atop it. "I believe the world will end in ice because of Earth's cycles. Right now, we're in a warm cycle, and global warming is delaying another cold cycle, which is the equivalent of an ice age. In the next few centuries, another ice age should come around and freeze the world solid again. Science and patterns dictate ice." One hand played with the end of her ponytail. "But I also believe that we, as humans, will survive the ice age and rebuild and become new again. Survival of the fittest, Darwin's theory of evolution. Some will make it through the frozen years and become the next generation in order to keep our species alive or even to evolve us to another level."

"As accurate as your science and timeline is," came a smart-ass voice from the kitchen, "you're still-" Wally zipped in from the other room with half a sandwich in hand. "-wrong." He took a big bite from his bologna and cheese masterpiece.

Artemis's gaze turned into a sarcastic glare as her arms folded across her chest. "Oh really?" she said, words sassy and biting as they rolled off her tongue.

"Then you believe the world will end in fire, Kid Flash?" asked Red Tornado, his attention turning to the speedster that had not yet learned to chew with his mouth closed.

"Of course!" the ginger stated with all his faith in those words. "The world will so end in fire before it'll be frozen over in an ice age." He waggled his sandwich in front of his girlfriend's face before taking a bite and swallowing it whole. "I believe that your life, everyone's life, leads up to this one big moment where everything happens all at once and you see every memory flash before your eyes so that you can relive everything in your final seconds. And when that big moment comes, a big ball of fire that'll consume everyone, that'll be what your life leads up to. And then you get to go out with a bang."

The archer girl nodded in consideration.

Then Wally added in a more matter-of-factly tone, "Also, there's a better chance of volcanoes exploding and the ash disrupting our atmosphere and killing off the entire human race than there is of another ice age coming anytime soon. Global warming sucks."

"Yep, there's the science." Artemis let out a big sigh before giving Wally a quick little smack on the forehead for upstaging her, to which he responded with an utterly pathetic "Ow!". She then turned her attention back to Red Tornado. "I hope that helps your human studies, Red. Don't know that it will, but we tried our best."

"I appreciate both of your inputs, Artemis and Kid Flash." He collected the poem once more and moved to head to his quarters, possibly to try and create his own thoughts on the subject.

"I cannot believe you thought the world would end in ice," scoffed Wally, turning around and ready to walk away with his sandwich until he was hit in the back of the head by a pillow. He turned again only to see Artemis standing there with a knowing, yet devious, look on that lovely face.

"Think about it this way: if you and I survived the ice, we might have to repopulate the earth."

...maybe he did want the world to end in ice. But at the same time, he still wanted the world to end in fire. He wanted to relive his finest moments and know that he'd accomplished something. He wanted to go out with that one big bang. "I think I'll stick with fire, my little Spitfire." Wally winked at his girlfriend, took a bite of his sandwich, and sauntered off into the kitchen.

She sighed and fell back into the couch, letting the cushions embrace her. "At least I'd survive ice." Artemis picked up her magazine again and sank into the fabric. She gazed absentmindedly at knives, yet she thought about the end of the world...

A/N: Leave a review and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.

~Sky