She cried out in pain as another blow came in contact with her. Her skin was bruised and blood dripped down her arms, head and torso. He threw more kicks and punches, more than she could handle. Her wrist was now swollen and she could no longer feel her left ankle. The pain became unbearable but she showed no sign of mercy or emotion. She knew better. She had known better her entire life. One outburst and she would be dead. She was getting lucky this time that he was sparing her life. Next she might not.
"Why are you doing this to me?" She asked trying not to sound weak.
"Because you have been naughty and you need to be taught a lesson." He said punching her once more in the ribs, knocking the wind from her. She fell onto her knees, but not for long. He picked her up and continued with her "punishment." When he was through with her, he left her on the floor and left the room not wanting to look at her anymore.
As fast as she could go she walked out of there and into the cold of the night. Tears began to drip down her bloody face. She wasn't far from the Zeta tubes, just a couple of blocks. The pain in her ankle grew worse with every step she took until she could no longer feel anything. 'Almost there' she thought the tube was insight she just had to take a few more steps, but her body no longer had the strength to continue on.
Her breathing grew heavy as she collapsed to the floor, her eyes still fixed on to the zeta tube. She no longer had the strength to keep going. She could no longer fight the pain. She began to grow weak and her vision began to grow blurry. "Wally…" Was all she could mutter into the communicator before closing her eyes, and letting the whole world go dark.
48 hours earlier
Every stood with in the main room of Mount Justice awaiting Batman's arrival. Black canary, although not too thrilled that it was cutting into important training time, knew this was a very important mission that the teens were about to go on. The cave was silent as the teens waited in angst for their assignment. They knew how important this one mission was and how high the stakes were. The silence was broken when the computer announced the long awaited arrival of Batman.
"Recognize Batman B02" their once worried faces tensed up as he walked into the room. He brought a holographic keyboard and began the mission briefing.
"Team, as you know this mission is of the upmost importance. For several months the league has been investigating the connections in your recent missions but we had come up with no clear answers. A few days ago we received a message from an unknown source. They said they would give us the answer we seek but only to you. We know this to be some sort of set up. We were tempted to send in decoys but found that we had no other option but to send you in. the coordinates on the message shows us that our mystery source is somewhere in the Himalayan Mountains. Go there and find what is up. You know what the stakes are. Now go." The team didn't say a word as they headed for the loading bay and loaded the Bio ship.
"Now setting Bio ship coordinates." Miss Martian said working with the ship. Most of the ride was quiet but as they approached their destination Aqualad began setting up a plan.
"The best thing to do is split up into pairs. According to the map that Batman sent with us the coordinates suggest that out Mystery source is somewhere within a two mile radius. Splitting up will allow us to search the area faster. Kid Flash you take Artemis and—" Kid Flash cut Aqualad off before he could explain
"Whoa there, but there is no way I am pairing up with her!" Kid Flash shouted point at Artemis.
"And what's wrong with that huh Baywatch?" Artemis asked feeling offended.
"You are nothing but a thorn in my side. You would just slow me down. I could search the entire area in a few seconds." Kid Flash said.
"Haha don't make me laugh. You would just run right off the side of the mountain." Artemis said just imagining Wally not being able to stop and sliding off the mountain.
"Enough, both of you. You two will work together and search the Northwest part of the area. Robin and I will take the Southwest part and Superboy and Miss Martian will search the entire Eastern area. If you find our mysterious friends hideout, contact us and wait. Do not go in alone. Understand?" Everyone did. A few minutes later they arrived and began their search.
Everyone split off and began to look around for their mysterious source's hideaway. Off course being the showoff that he was Kid Flash began speeding around their area finding the place within mere seconds.
"Hey Rob, Kaldur, found it. About a half mile northwest of the Bio Ship." He said into the intercom.
"Good work KF." Robin said back.
"Stay where we are. Miss Martian, Superboy rendezvous at Kid Flashes coordinates." He said to the others.
"Coordinates received. Be there in a few minutes." Superboy responded. Wally knew they weren't allowed to go in until the entire team go their but the hideaway was a large hole in the side of the mountain. The Source stood a few feet back. He wore a long trench coat and a hat. The only thing that could be seen was his eyes which were at brown as dark chocolate. He stood there his hands deep in his pockets. He removed his right one a pulled out a piece of paper.
"I have what you seek." He spoke in a low, raspy voice. He held the paper out so that Wally could take it, but he did nothing. Kid Flash just stood at the mouth of the cave.
"I mean you no harm. I only wish to help." He said coming a bit closer to the duo. Kid Flash still didn't move knowing what Aqualad had said. Artemis, not caring what he said walked over to the man and took the paper.
"Artemis, are you crazy? You heard what Aqualad said. We have to wait for the rest of the team. For all we know that man—" Wally cut himself off, for when looked back into the cave the man was gone. Wally was awestruck at how that was possible. The cave only a few feet deep, and the only way in or out was where they stood. There was no possible way the man could have left without running straight into the two of them.
"KF, are you sure this is the hideaway?" Robin asked walking up to his two friends. He looked into the cave and found nothing.
"He was here just a few minutes ago. He gave us this." He handed the paper over to Robin. The paper was an old photograph worn with the time. The picture depicted two people, a girl who looked to be three or four and a gentleman in what looked to be his late twenties early thirties. Their faces were worn to the point where they were unrecognizable. They stood in front of a house but most of the details were undecipherable.
"Let's bring it to the cave. I can use the computers to fix up the image and see if I can figure out who they are." Everyone agreed and went back to the ship.
Back at the cave Robin was hard at work fixing up the photograph. He sharpened some of the details from the house and fixed up some of the facial features of the people until he had a photograph which he thought would have to do.
"Hey guys get over here." He shouted bringing up the fixed photograph onto the large computer screen. Everyone piled into the room and began to look at the photograph. "Does anybody recognize the people or the house? This was the best I could do without completely changing the photograph." He said.
"I've never seen them or the house before." Wally said. The other all said the same thing.
"I found a number on the house, probably part of an address so I ran it through several databases and found that the house had been vacant for about ten years. No record of who the owner used to be. It sits just outside of Gotham, but that's all I got. I'm sending it to Batman and see if he or the league can dig anything else up." Robin said no taking his eyes off the computer screen.
Artemis picked up the photograph and flipped it to the back. There was writing but the ink was smudged and faded. The only word she could make out was her fathers. She turned it back over and her eyes widened. That was her and her dad years ago. They lived in that old house outside out Gotham. When she turned five, her training began. They left the house for a place much more secluded that was until she ran off not wanting to be art of her father's little crew anymore. She went and lived her mother and her father bought a place in town. Slowly the room emptied and Artemis left. She had some questions for a certain father of hers and she was going to take no as an answer.
Artemis appeared on the streets of Gotham, the rain pouring down hard. She knew exactly where she was going to find her father. She began walking the streets stopping every so often to get out of the rain and think out a plan. One thing she learned from her team was walking into any situation without a plan will get you killed. By the time she had arrived at the building she had come up with part of a plan. She gripped the door knob and opened the door. The hallway was empty except for a small table in one corner. Artemis walked in slowly. She gulped hard but knew that now she could no longer show any emotions. The door slammed behind her.
"Artemis. To what do I owe the pleasure?" the voice was low and deep. Just listening to his voice made her blood run cold.
"You know why, Dad." She responded not turning around. Footsteps came toward her and an arm wrapped around her neck.
"Well I am glad you're here. You saved me the trouble of having to track you down." He dragged her down a flight of stairs into what had to be the basement. It was dark but the light coming from upstairs gave her enough light to see. Before she had the chance to think the pain began.
Present
Wally lounged about on the couch trying to find something to satisfy his boredom. He flipped through the channels stopping on occasion if he saw something remotely interesting. It only took a few minutes for him to once again become bored. The cave was quiet. Robin had patrol duty with Bats, Kaldur the same and Conner and Megan had some school function to go to. Artemis had oddly disappeared but he never really questioned it. He flipped off the TV and walked into the training room getting ready to go home when the computer beeped with an incoming message.
"Wally…" Hus eyes grew wide. Thought the voice was weak and barely audible, it was a voice he recognized all too well. Artemis. He began typing furiously on the computer trying to pin point where the message had come from. Gotham City. Quickly he programed the Zeta tubes and rushed out. He had to find Artemis.
The second he rushed out of the tube he spotted her. She lay on the ground, her body bruised and bloody. Tears weld up in his eyes at the sight of her.
"Artemis, please talk to me." He asked trying hard not to cry.
"Wally… I'm sor—sorry." Her body went limp, but a single tear fell from her eye. She had a pulse but it was faint. Wally rushed her back to the cave and into the medical bay. Quickly she called Batman and the team. They had to know.
"Where is she know?" Batman asked as he arrived into the cave with Robin.
"The Medical bay. She is really bad shape. Her pulse is faint and she has multiple cuts and bruises as well as what looks like a broken wrist and ankle." He said summing up what he had noticed. Batman rushed into the bay and began working on her. As the others came in they tried to calm him down. All he cared about was Artemis. He wanted her to be alright. She had to be.
"Wally, you need to calm down. She's going to be alright." Robin said. Batman appeared and gave the team the diagnosis.
"Artemis will be alright. She has multiple lacerations on her body and has suffered major blood loss. She had three broken ribs a broken wrist and ankle. She has a minor concussion and will be unconscious for the next few hours. Under no circumstances are any of you to investigate this. This will be a league priority." He said nothing else has he left the cave and went to the watch tower. Wally stood and walked into the med bay.
Artemis lay still in the bed. She was cleaned up and had stitches and bandages covering much of her body.
"Arty, it's me Baywatch. Come on you have to wake up. Please. I can't lose you." Tears pricked up in eyes. He never cared so much for Artemis as he did in thought few hours that she remained unconscious.
"I… can't lose you… either Wally." Wally opened his eyes and smiled at the now awake Artemis.
"You're awake. What happened?" he asked needing to know.
"It's too painful to remember. Wally. I'm sorry. If I could take it all back, everything I've ever said to you, I would. Those hours I was out I realized that you truly are the best friend I've ever had and if I continued to act the way I did around you I would lose you." Artemis began to cry.
"Shhh… Artemis don't say that. You could never lose me. I care way too much about you to ever let that happen." He kissed her cheek. "Now I know the memories of what happened to you are painful but you have to tell me so that I can tell the league and they can put this man away for good."
"Ok, I'll tell you but trust me you won't put him away. He's probably long gone by now." So Wally sat by Artemis as she explained what happened. In the end Wally never did tell the league. He knew that they knew. He stayed with Artemis the entire week. Never once did he leave her side. Never would he leave her side again.