Alrighty, I have no idea what causes 'mad zombie disease', so I'm making this up as I go. I'm slightly following the plot of Left 4 Dead 2, but I don't know how that'll work. I've got several heart breaking scenes in mind and I'm probably bending the rules of everything, but deal with it… So yeah, I drew a picture to this and I regret it because I can't write for Artemis and Kaldur… but I needed a girl I liked and a black guy… (I didn't mean that to sound racist)… but still… So if they seem OOC, please know that I'm trying as hard as I can for it to not be.

Disclaimer: I don't own YJ, its characters or Left 4 Dead 2, although I wish I did some days… (most days)… (all days)… (16/7 because I sleep for a couple hours) …

Richard stood out back with his MP3 player up full blast and a basketball in his hand. He wore a baggy pair of black basketball shorts he had gotten earlier that year and an old oversized blue shirt with a worn out white logo that was illegible now. He hummed slightly, throwing his black bangs back with a dramatic wannabe hair flip. He was oblivious to his cell phone that vibrated madly against his dresser top. All he knew was the sound of Katy Perry's 'Peacock' song and the feel of the basketball in his hand.

"Don't be a shy kinda guy, I'll bet it's beautiful," he lip sync, a smile playing over his lips.

He ran forward and spun around for dramatic effect before throwing the ball towards the goal.

"Come on baby let me see what you're hiding underneath," he continued, grinning madly as the ball kissed the hoop and swished through beautifully.

He ran forward and caught it, dashing back.

"Peacock, cock, cock, your peacock," Richard's head bobbed, amused as he repeated it again with Katy.

Damn you KF for getting me this song he thought to himself, running to the goal and cursing his shortness.

"I wanna see your peacock…" he continued.

He loved the song, truth be told, but he wasn't supposed to. It was pervy and stupid at best. That was probably why he liked it though. He bounded into the air with all the strength he could muster and found his fingertips were only inches from the hoop's rim. He hit the ground hard and cursed beneath his breath, kicking the basketball pole before running a hand through his hair.

"Why am I so short?" he looked up at the sky for an answer. "Hey God, any time on those two growth spurts I've been promised?"

When no magical bolt of heavenly light hit him, he sighed heavily and picked up the ball from the grass where he had thrown it angrily.

"Let's try this again," he muttered, trying to focus on the song to calm his nerves.

He backed up further and dribbled the ball until he was close enough to leap up and grab for the rim. Once again, he ended up grabbing onto the air and falling onto the Earth again. He cursed and got up from his knees which he had ever so rudely landed upon. He glanced down at them and winced slightly. They were cut up and bleeding slightly, but only slightly. It was nothing that a wash cloth couldn't fix. He shrugged at it and picked up the basketball again, ever so tempted to lower the height of the hoop, but he was too stubborn for that. He backed up again, his head still bobbing in time to the beat. Even if it took him all night, he would dunk the ball in that basket at that height with no assistance.

He took a deep breath and charged forward yet again, determination clear in his blue eyes.

XxXxX

Wally brushed away from the crowd, muttering apologies beneath his breath and pushing people aside until he got to the safety of outside and frowned angrily.

Why isn't Rob answering?

With a sigh, he dialed a new number and pressed the phone to his ear. He couldn't believe he was resorting to this, but it had to be done. He felt his heart rose to his throat when he heard the click on the other line.

"Hello?" he asked nervously.

XxXxX

Artemis sighed and paused her game.

"Wally?" she asked in annoyance at the voice. "What do you want?"

She heard him nervously laugh.

"I uh-, I just called to… talk? Is that okay?"

Artemis heard the lie in his voice, but she played along.

"Alright, let's… talk… Hey, aren't you supposed to be at the Prom?" she remembered.

"Uh, no? I'm fifteen, just like you blondie. Kaldur, Supes and Megan are all 16 so they get to enjoy the prom," there was a feint trace of sorrow in his voice.

Artemis groaned.

"I hate being young and having to wait…" she complained.

She too had wanted to go, secretly, but Wally interpreted what she said as something perverted and smiled softly, but he said nothing about it.

"How do you think Rob feels? He's two years behind us and three behind them. He has a long time left," Wally pointed out, leaning against the brick wall that supported the bar he was at with his uncle.

"Well, at least he might get to go to prom. My school doesn't have them," Artemis grumbled, getting up to turn off her X-Box 360, sensing that this was going to be a long conversation.

"Rob goes to Gotham Academy too," Wally caught her by surprise.

"How'd you know I go to Gotham Academy?" she asked slowly, her eyebrows furrowed.

Wally smirked again, laughing softly.

"I'm Robin's best buddy. We talk a lot and you came up."

"You talk about me?" Artemis interpreted it, her face going slightly pink.

Wally jumped in surprise.

"Wha- no! No we just- ah… Well… we uh… We were talking about his school and we-," he stuttered.

Artemis grinned. She loved causing Wally embarrassment. It was the best victory in her eyes. Then she noted something.

"Wait- Robin goes to Gotham Academy?"

Wally laughed awkwardly. "Ha, yeah… we just went over that…"

Artemis's eyes narrowed.

"I didn't mean it like that. Gotham Academy is really expensive. You either have to know somebody or your parents have to be loaded," she told him, pressing her phone and her head to her shoulder as she adjusted her ponytail swiftly.

Wally thought on it.

"Well… Uh… Rob doesn't really talk about his folks… or his family… I dropped him off one day though. He lives in a mansion! It's only two stories high, but it stretches sideways forever basically and his folks have a bunch of epic cars, like Camaros and Mustangs and they have a bunch of motorcycles and a lake out front and a stretch of woods behind their house and a huge basketball court and a butler! Rob told me his name is Alfred and that he is the best old dude in the world!"

Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"Robin's a rich kid?" she asked suspiciously. "He doesn't act like it though. He acts like he comes from a poor family with like, six kids…"

Wally shrugged. "If they're poor, then they're the best living poor people I've ever seen! He never mentioned siblings, but he's got the bruises for it. Either that or Batman has managed to strike a deal with Rob's folks and he comes in every day to train the poor kid… He barely ever isn't busy… We don't hang out as much as I'd like…"

Artemis shrugs. "That's the world for you… I guess… So why'd you really call?"

She heard him cough nervously again.

"Well uh… you want the truth or something that sounds like a good excuse?"

Artemis shrugged. Why not play along? She was already listening.

"Let's hear the excuse first," she decided.

She could practically feel him smile.

"Well, I was bored out of my mind and my uncle was ignoring me so I figured I'd call you just to talk until he was done," Wally half lied.

Artemis nodded. "Almost believable," she decided, "now I'd like the real reason."

Wally sighed in defeat. "Rob won't pick up his phone and I really need to talk to him so I was going to ask if you knew if he was doing something…"

Artemis thought on it.

"Robin doesn't really talk to me, but I don't think he's doing anything. Maybe he just misplaced his phone or maybe he… maybe he's mad at you?"

She heard Wally wince at that.

"W-Why would he be mad?"

She smirked. "I dunno, you're annoying for one… stupid for two… Wally for three…"

She heard him sigh angrily.

"If you were here, I would punch you so hard," he grumbled.

She just smiled.

"Sorry you can't get a hold of him. What'd you need to tell him?"

There was a bit of silence.

"Wally?" she asked, to make sure he was there.

"I uh, you're going to think I'm… stupid…" he muttered.

"I already do so it can't hurt," she reminded him.

He mumbled beneath his breath.

"Gah, it doesn't mean anything now…"

Artemis heard a faint voice in the background.

"W-Wallace… ge-get yer… ass back in here…" a slur demanded.

"Wally, who's that?" Artemis asked, worried slightly.

"N-No one blondie," Wally replayed quickly and she heard him make an effort to muffle what she heard.

"Uncle Barry, you're drunk! Get back inside! I'll call mom and tell her to come get us," Wally offered desperately.

"N… No! W-Wally… yer g-getting in hee…ruh…"

"Kid!" Artemis cried in an effort to be heard.

"Artemis, I really can't talk," she was surprised at how desperate and scared he sounded.

"Are you okay? Do you need- do you need help?" she asked as quick as she could so he'd hear.

"No," he said strongly before letting out a weak cry.

She heard him scramble back and what sounded like rocks fly.

"Okay, yes, but not from you! I can handle myself. Bye!"

The phone went dead in her ear and anger filled her. Artemis growled softly and set a hand to her head.

"Honey, are you alright?" she heard her mom ask weakly from the other room.

"Yes mom," she said softly.

But he's not…

XxXxX

Kaldur dragged Conner and Megan back out of the school's gym, shivering slightly. He didn't know high schoolers could be so violent and still call it 'love'. He closed an eye as to not look at the love struck aliens behind him and walked to his truck. He abandoned Megan and Conner in the parking lot and backed out of the lot, disgust filling his body. He reached discreetly for his phone and pressed it to his ear.

"Hey Kaldur," Artemis replied weakly. "How was the prom?"

Kaldur shrugged.

"Not too fun to be honest. Conner and Megan were basically making out the whole time. What's wrong?"

Artemis explained what she had heard from Wally and Kaldur frowned.

"That is troubling… Have you tried calling him back?"

"Yes, but he won't answer," she sounded half upset.

Then she coughed. "I uh, not that I care," she covered for herself.

Kaldur smiled softly.

"He is your teammate. Of course you care," he argued softly.

She shrugged.

"Well, sorry prom kinda sucked," she apologized.

"Sorry that Wally troubled you. Would you like me to try to get a hold of him?" he offered.

Artemis shook her head vigorously, forgetting Kaldur couldn't see her.

"No, thanks anyway. See you tomorrow?"

"Most definitely."

And for the second time that night, the phone went dead in Artemis's ears.

Alright, the reason Robin didn't pick up was because he didn't have his phone with him. Wally was at the bar with his uncle, don't question how he made it in, and his uncle was drunk near the end. For those that don't support Wally/Artemis, I don't either; it was actually supposed to seem like family, but it seemed like more so sorry. And I wanted to put in Kaldur too because I had too. So those that don't support Kaldur/Artemis, I don't either, but Kaldur is a big brother like figure and he seems like he'd check in with her because he's nice like that. So yeah, next chapter I'll try to start breaking into Zombie mode, and this is more based on Left 4 Dead 2, so sorry…

-F.J. III (who will soon have red highlights in her hair for Wally because she's awesome like that)