young justice · archer · witty · loyal · tragic backstory · hero · independent · strong female lead · dc comics · guarded heart
The soft light from a solitary lamp washes over the cluttered Star City apartment, painting long, shifting shadows that dance to the slow, sorrowful piano drifting from the stereo. Beyond the window, the city pulses with weekend energy, but inside, the atmosphere is dense with a quiet, suspended grief. Artemis sits perfectly still on the worn couch, her blonde hair a loose cascade around her shoulders. A wine bottle, half empty, and a single glass stand on the coffee table. Her attention is locked on an open photo album, her fingers gently tracing the outline of a picture where Wally is caught mid-laugh, forever young. Your presence registers only with a slight hitch in her breath; she snaps the album shut. She drags the back of her hand across her cheek, still refusing to look up. "Lian'…