Mamma Mia
–🕸️–
Oliver Queen doesn’t enjoy thinking about his teenage years, whenever he thinks of that time and his reckless attitude towards everything back then, he gets angry, angry at the fact that no one put him in his place, that he hurt so many people and that he never faced consequences for his actions; and his inaction as well, his lack of care for other people's emotions and situation, he could go on forever.
One of the only aspects of that time that he remembered with bittersweet fondness is Mary Parker. As he read the email from Peter Parker, the name Mary Parker evoked a surge of emotions within Oliver. He remembered her vividly, a bright presence amidst the snowy peaks of the Rocky Mountains during that fateful spring break in 2007, she was there with her friends to have fun and so was he. They had been just teenagers then, full of life and reckless abandon.
Oliver's heart had raced as he flirted shamelessly with Mary, their shared laughter echoing through the crisp mountain air. They had spent the entire holiday together, forging a connection that felt deeper than the fleeting moments of teenage infatuation.
Months later, in the chill of November, Oliver had invited Mary to Starling City, eager to prolong their whirlwind romance. For a brief, fleeting period, Oliver had allowed himself to believe in love, basking in the warmth of Mary's love and affection. He’d told her that he loved her, that he’d never felt that way before, images of nights on the beach, salt air, and twisting around each other in the bedsheets come to mind.
But just like all good things in Oliver’s life, he just had to ruin it, fear had crept in like a shadow, casting doubt on the sincerity of his feelings. His mother's expectations loomed over him like a specter, whispering of alliances and advantageous matches that held no place for Mary. The weight of his family's legacy bore down on him, suffocating the budding love that had blossomed between them.
Oliver had recoiled from the intensity of his emotions, retreating into the safety of his privileged world. He had pushed Mary away, his actions driven by fear and the insidious voice of societal expectations. The pain of their separation lingered, a bitter reminder of the consequences of his own cowardice.
He would never forget the hurt look in Mary’s eyes as he told her he’d have to get married to some heiress someday, that their relationship was never meant to last; that day, he added one of the first names in the never-ending list of people he’s hurt.
Not even three years later, he'd go on the Gambit while doing something stupid, and his life would change forever. Oliver Queen was a man who had once been driven by his own desires and fears, blind to the consequences of his actions. Now, faced with the opportunity to make amends, he hesitated. The weight of his past choices bore down on him, a burden that felt almost insurmountable.
With resolve in his heart, Oliver composed a reply to Peter, his words carrying the weight of a promise unspoken. He would confront the ghosts of his past, confront the pain he had caused, and embrace the opportunity to set things right.
As he hit send, Oliver Queen felt a sense of determination wash over him, a beacon of light illuminating the path to reconciliation. The journey ahead would be fraught with challenges and uncertainties, but for the first time in a long while, Oliver dared to believe in the possibility of redemption.
"What are you working on?" asked Connor, seeing him so entranced while writing something was kind of rare.
"I'm going to Gotham tomorrow, I have some business there" Oliver replied, determination in his tone, maybe it was also time to visit some friends "I'll be in Wayne manor if something happens".
Connor thought this was weird, his dad hates Gotham, he supposes this business is important then, maybe it also had something to do with the Waynes, or he needed their help with a mission. Roy was the one that went to that wretched city the most to visit Jason "Got it, I'll let you know if anything bad happens" he said as Oliver was already exiting the room, on his way to pack.
He wondered how Mary felt about her son inviting him to his graduation at such last minute.
–🕸️–
Wally West raced through the crowded streets of Central City, the wind whipping past him as he flashed through the cityscape. Speed was his constant companion, and the urgency of his work as the Scarlet Speedster demanded his undivided attention. The world around him became a streak of colors as he zigzagged through the city with unparalleled speed.
As he approached his destination, a twinge of curiosity crept into Wally's mind. Right, he’d gotten a notification from his email earlier, he ignored it and deleted it, thinking it was spam the same way almost everything in his inbox was spam, but now his mind wandered to that notification, what if it was an actual person? What if something had happened? Something about that email lingered, a nagging sense that this was different. The speedster's fingers tapped rapidly on his phone screen, navigating to his neglected email app.
There it was, the message from Peter Parker, nestled among the usual barrage of spam. Wally's eyes scanned the words, and for a moment, he felt a jolt of surprise. This wasn't some automated message or a promotional offer; it was a genuine message from a real person seeking a connection.
Wally's mind raced, not just with the speed of his physical movements but with the realization that he had a connection to this person. The mention of Mary Parker resonated, and the memories of winter break of 2007 rushed into his head, getting him to reminisce about those fateful days.
He’d met Mary while he was visiting Gotham, seeing family and wondering about, taking in the sights on the dark city, his eyes met her sad eyes before they'd bumped into each other, he stammered, trying to apologize while also making a horrible attempt at flirting and she'd laughed, it was one of those laughs that you couldn't help but laugh along with them, melodic and shameless. She'd asked him if he was from around, he said he was just visiting and that was the start of one of the funnest weekends in his life, so he planned to stay longer in Gotham, the weekend stretching into a whole week.
He got a car for a couple of days and they went camping far from Gotham and Central city and all of Mary's concerns about a past boyfriend, they forgot all about their lives and spent two days in a desolated campsite, only each other as company; they'd explored each other in their tent at night, after spending hours pointing at stars and constellations. After those two days, they never really saw the other again, each concerned with their lives again and fated to never have contact again, he wouldn't say it outloud but, at the time, Wally felt heartbroken after he'd never heard from Mary again.
He continued to stare at the daunting email before the speedster's fingers moved at lightning speed across the phone screen as he composed a quick reply to Peter. His thoughts were a whirlwind, a mix of excitement and curiosity. The rush of the moment, both in the physical and digital realms, mirrored the pace of Wally's superhero life.
As he hit send, Wally West couldn't help but marvel at the unexpected turns life could take. The rush of the city streets beneath him echoed the rush of emotions within. The adventure to discover the enigma that is Mary Parker awaited him in Gotham. It was time to visit some friends.
–🕸️–
Dick Grayson, now Nightwing, sat in the Batcave, surrounded by the familiar echoes of Gotham's underworld. The glow from the Batcomputer cast an ethereal light on the vigilante as he scrolled through his email notifications. Among the messages was an unexpected invitation to Peter Parker's graduation, a name that stirred memories from the depths of his past. As he opened the email, the mention of Mary Parker and the upcoming graduation brought forth a flood of memories. He leaned back in his chair, allowing the nostalgia to wash over him. The connection to Mary Parker traced back to a winter night in 2007, a time when Dick was still Robin, Batman's trusted sidekick.
It was a cold evening in Gotham, the city wrapped in a blanket of snow. Mary Parker, a bright and spirited young woman, was walking around her neighborhood when fate led her to cross paths with Richard Grayson; their meeting was unplanned, a chance encounter that unfolded in the midst of Gotham's chilling beauty. She'd never heard of him, which was odd for a Gothamite, but Mary didn't seem very interested in keeping up with the latest Gotham gossip. They talked for hours, sitting on a park bench, about how neither of them seemed to know much about the city they'd lived in, how they hadn't bothered to get to know a city that didn't care for them. And so, Dick offered his help and suggested they explore the city together after seeing her hesitance to explore on her own; with a smile that could melt even the coldest of Gotham's winters, Mary had accepted his help.
Dick remembered the night vividly. They had explored the city together, Mary's infectious laughter cutting through the stillness of the winter air. Together they stumbled upon the hidden gems of Gotham, the places that held secrets only the city's protectors knew. As they navigated the snowy streets, Dick couldn't help but admire Mary's resilience and curiosity as she'd told him about her unfortunate love life; when the night got too cold for either of them, Dick brought them back to a near by safe house and told her it was his dad's apartment, the conversation flowed effortlessly, and Dick found himself drawn to Mary's warmth and genuine spirit; they warmed up next to each other and ended the night together under the bedsheets. When he woke up there was no trace of Mary, except for a note that read:
"Richie,
Thank you for the beautiful night and your kind words, it had been a while since I had so much fun. I'm sorry.
-Mary"
He never heard from her again afterwards and he decided looking her up in the batcomputer or tracking her down would be wrong and he's better than that. He often wondered how she was doing since, keeping her in his mind and heart since that one winter night.
As Dick gazed at the email, the memories of that winter night resurfaced. He marveled at the twists of fate that had brought Mary back into his orbit, this time through the invitation to Peter's graduation. The passage of time had transformed them both, and he felt a sense of gratitude for the unexpected connections that wove through the tapestry of his life.
With a determined glint in his eye, the man composed a thoughtful response to the invitation. As the shadows of Gotham stretched around him, he prepared for the challenges and revelations that lay ahead, ready to step once more into the dance of memory and destiny.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw his phone light up with a text, he glanced at the screen to read a message from Wally West.
"Hey Dick, long time no see! I know we haven't talked lately but do you mind if I crash at your place for the night? Need to take care of some stuff in Gotham."
Dick chuckled, he'd really missed Wally lately, he quickly replied, "Of course, Wally! You're always welcome. Alfred's got your room ready. See you soon!"
Dick was turning back to the batcomputer to think about his failed love life when he saw his phone light up with another text, He looked at the screen once again to see a text from Oliver Queen.
"Hey Dick, in Gotham for a bit. Mind if I crash at Wayne Manor while I handle some business? - Oliver"
Dick smiled and quickly replied, "No problem, Ollie. Wayne Manor's open. Just let Alfred know you're coming. See you soon!"
He put his phone down after replying and decided to get back up to the manor, what was up with everyone having business in Gotham?
–🕸️–
"Yo! Dickie!!" why could he never get a full night sleep? Yesterday it was Tim and Damien fighting again, today? it's his dear friend Wally West not respecting other people's sleep schedules, or at least he thought so, until he looked towards his bedside clock and saw it was 8:06 A.m. He looked up at Wally, who was standing next to his bed, he'd probably waited for him to wake up before he gave up "Did you forget I was coming?" Wally continued.
"I didn't forget, you're just here early, you've never been this early before" Dick replied to his friend while he sat up in his bed and grabbed his glass of water from his bedside table.
"Well, I guess I'm kinda excited" Wally said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"What could possibly be so exciting that you're miraculously early?" Dick asked with genuine curiosity, was it something romantic? He couldn't remember a time when Wally was early or even on time to something that wasn't some kind of emergency "Is someone dying? Are you dying?" he asked with even more curiosity and worry.
"What? No! no one is dying, this is just something important to me" he said, deciding not to tell Dick about Mary and her son's email "Also, I wanted to ask, what's Oliver doing here as well?" he asked, trying to change the subject.
Ok, now this morning was getting really weird, since when have these two ever been early?
"Now. why is he early too? Are you both on some mission or something? this is way too weird. You know, you both texted me almost at the same time last night. Plus, Ollie hates Gotham, so it makes this whole thing even weirder."