She was running, her goal set firmly in her mind. Her feet silent as they pushed her forward, faster and faster. Her breathing was labored, her entire body was tired and aching; she didn't stop. If she stopped, she would become the prey, she would be the example. A flash of movement off to her right caught her eyes. Sonic. Sonic was still here. If she had the breath she would have called out, but she had no breath to spare. A mass of black hair tumbled out of the trees, Cheshire. So at least three were still in the game. For some reason it made her happy, she wasn't alone. The screaming cry of a hunting animal widened her eyes, her heart fluttered in terror; he had let THEM loose. She ran faster. A desperate half-cry that was quickly silenced brought tears to her eyes. She blinked quickly, tears would only blur her vision; she refused to look back. Death was nothing new. She was being hunted, she could hear the creatures' paws behind her, she was finished, death, the end. She couldn't move fast enough to get out of the way.
She woke screaming, tears dripping down her face. She'd been having these nightmares ever since Biyalia and that freak; he brought back memories, memories he shouldn't just left buried.
"Artemis, you're Artemis." She knew what would have happened if she hadn't woken up. "You're niece to the Green Arrow, his next prodigy. You're apart of Young Justice, a team set up by Batman for undercover work." Her body would have hit one of the trees, jarring her from her paralyzed state. "Your teammates are Robin, Batman's boy; Superboy, Superman's clone; Miss Martian, niece to Martian Manhunter; Aqualad, Atlantean; and Kid Flash, protégé of the Flash." A line of blood would have splattered across her face. "You have a love-hate relationship with Wally." A crunch. "You have an independent streak a mile wide." The sickening sound of teeth in flesh. "You make smartass remarks to kill mission tension." She would have felt her own blood joining in a rivulet down her temple."Red Arrow hates you." She would have shoved her fist into her mouth to keep herself from sobbing. "No one knows you." Blade would still be smiling. "You're Artemis, not Seven." He had been calling her name. "Seven died with Blade. You're Artemis. Artemis." She forced herself to stay perfectly still. "You can't cry" She had shut her eyes and held her breath, praying the thing wouldn't see her. She had to complete the mission. The mission at all costs. Mourning Blade would have to wait. "It was just a nightmare." The mission at all costs. "Artemis get a hold of yourself." She hadn't washed the blood off for a week, if you took away her make up the tattoos marked its place. "Just a dream"
"The mission at all costs."
"C'mon you're Artemis. You don't have enough of a heart to break."
"The mission at all costs"
"People are expendable."
"The mission at all costs. The mission at all costs."
The mission wasn't worth it. She could still hear his laugh. She cried harder. "Damn it Blade. You should have let me die!" She could still feel his arms around her. The mission at all costs. "I should have died with you!"
"The mission at all costs."