The More Things Change: Chapter One
Arsenal's POV:
Everything was different now. Everything would change.
Madz tried to convince me to stop the superhero game. After everything with her dad and lots of other stuff happening since the five years ago when we were found. She wanted to stop. I think that Wally and Artemis leaving really made her think too. She wanted to settle down and have a normal life, one that she never got to have because of her powers and her dad.
Batman well he didn't like that idea, I wasn't completely against it I just wasn't ready yet. I spent years of my life on ice and I never really got to be a real superhero. Batman wanted Madison to become part of the bat family. Madison's response to that was as follows, "You hid me away from Dick for longer than I can remember. You didn't want me in your family then and I'm not going to be part of it now."
It was about that time that Batgirl joined the bat family and Madison well— she quit the team. Her dad quit trying to have a relationship with her, but Nightwing he never quit. Even after his growth spurt he still wanted to be her little brother.
This led to Madison blocking everybody out and it happened not long after Tula died. When Tula died Kaldur went rogue. It kind of tore the team apart. And Madison she was really close to Tula, one could say she was her other best friend, and for Madz, that was something. People weren't really her thing.
The first change I noticed in her was she stopped practicing with Nightwing. There were days when all they did was battle it out on the practice mats and then she just stopped. She stopped talking to everyone on the team, everyone except for me and Wally. I mean Wally? Really?
All of this was one year ago. Now, Artemis was dead too. Now, Madison was who knows where. She left again, when she promised me she wouldn't. She promised. And no one knew where she was. Ever since the two of us split off from the team, because that's what she wanted. She kept getting farther away. At first farther from the team and then, finally, from me. And she left just like that, no good bye or anything. I was crushed. She was my rock, the one person who kept me from going insane. We kept each other from going insane. I wouldn't accept that she was gone forever. I would search for her like she searched for me.
Still keeping up the hope that I would find her, I continued looking. After six months when she didn't come back most of us assumed she was dead. Even Batman told me to give up, but I wouldn't. I loved her— more than anything.
~0~
"Hey dude," I said to Nightwing. He nodded, he was listening to Batman. He'd called me in for a mission, a big mission. Almost the entire League was in on it.
"Nice that you could join us, Roy." Canary said to me. Batman, Canary, and the entire Young Justice team were there not including Lagoon boy or the other Roy. No one was really sure where he was, he came in and out. Mostly just to hang out with Oliver. Oliver and I weren't on speaking terms at the moment. Not since I came back actually. It was sort of his fault for me being on ice so long. He barely even looked for me, unlike Madz, he gave up on me.
"We are mounting an attack on the underwater base we found. We have reason to believe that Lagoon boy was taken there after his capture. Myself, Aquaman, Canary, Green Arrow, and Superman will also take part in the mission. A small team will infiltrate the base and find Lagoon Boy, while a larger group will mount an offense as a decoy," Batman said.
Nightwing stepped up, "The team going after Lagoon boy will be me, Batgirl, Miss Martian, Arsenal, and Bee. We will be team Beta. Team Gamma is going in for recon only. Finding us any useful data then getting out. Robin, Beast boy, Blue Beatle, and Impulse, that's you. Team Alpha is everyone else they'll be with Batman, who'll be leading the attack on the base."
"Yes!" Cassie exclaimed. She was almost too happy about being on Alpha.
"We are leaving in one hour, be ready." Batman said walking off. Everyone else went on their separate ways as well, getting ready for the mission.
I just stood there. I wasn't exactly sure why Nightwing wanted me. I don't know how much help I could be on this mission and I was still looking Madison.
"You're wondering why I asked you to come. Aren't you?" Nightwing said creeping up behind me.
"Yeah, I kind of am."
He sighed, "I got a distress signal from Trace." My eyes got wide. Trace? That was Madison.
"Madz? You found her. Is she okay?" I said urgently. I needed to know if she was all right. I had too. Even the few seconds of suspense was killing me.
"I don't know. It was a distress signal so maybe, but you can never know, knowing her. She was the reason we found the base. When we traced the signal back, that's where it was." He paused, "Is it wrong that I'm worried about her?"
"No. I'm always worried about her. I think it's impossible not to be," I said.
Our conversation ended and it wasn't long until we left on the mission. I was going to see her again. And no matter what it took, if she was in trouble or even if she didn't want to come home. I would make her. I would save her. I don't think I could take it if anything bad happened to her not after what we'd been through. I needed her to be safe, with me. And I would never let her run off again, never let her go from me.