~Author's Note~
I am back again with another spitfire one-shot! Now this one is definitely dark and there are some serious warnings that come with reading this but it'll all be listed below. This falls very close, possibly crossing, into mature territory so that's why both ratings are stated and please make sure you are okay to read this. Anyway, I've been hearing rumors that there is going to be a season three of Young Justice so I went and re-watched season one and season two (which, after re-watching season two, it is actually a pretty solid season but I'm still gonna ignore it sometimes) and a bunch of ideas hit me so this is one of them.
This is, was, the first story I've written in my little seven month hiatus from writing (family issues) and so I hope everything reads right but please let me know if you spot anything that's confusing or any mistakes. I hope everyone enjoys, make sure you read all the warnings down below and drop a review with your thoughts if you want to! I'm also 50/50 on a sequel. :)
Rated High Teen for dark themes, scenes of torture, very sensitive scenes, some language, and violence.
Rated Mature for a scene with no consent (non-explicit) and a scene with someone getting branded.
Notes: This story takes place during Season 2, Episode 18 - "Intervention". Canon complaint with the season, but "Endgame" is different in the sense that Wally and Artemis are still kidnapped when that is going on so Barry and Bart stop the vortex on their own (their speed ends up being enough). Basically the episode is different in the sense that Wally does not 'cease' but everything else is fully canon complaint. Also, since I couldn't find any real Young Justice background on Queen Bee's powers I went with what I knew. So let's just roll with that when she has someone under her control the person is 'in a fog' like a mindless drone and doesn't realize what she made them do until after it wears off later on.
Resolution
When all hope begins to shatter
know that I won't be afraid.
.
.
.
"Black Manta," Vandal Savage greets with a low voice, lips already tugged downwards in a frown, "we're all here. Now, what kind of emergency are we talking about?"
The dark room flickers from the blinding white light of the screen, Black Manta slowly reaching up and removing his helmet. He holds it at his side, looking at all six members of the Light assembled before him. They all have a look of curiosity on their faces, but Savage's expression reads more than that, like he already knows what Black Manta is about to say.
"Well Manta," Ra's al Ghul speaks up after the silence stretches on for too long, "spit it out."
Black Manta nods and then clears his throat, standing tall.
"I've discovered a traitor among my ranks."
It takes a moment for the words to click in everyone's minds, but when it does, chaos erupts. "That's just great, Manta," Klarion quips from his corner of the screen, "way to destroy everything we've accomplished in the past five years!"
Ra's looks displeased, his voice eluding anger but holding a tone quite close to it, "How could you have let this happen? Such a foolish move coming from someone who replaced the Ocean-Master."
Queen Bee merely rolls her eyes, sighing heavily while Klarion continues to mumble comments underneath his breath. "I expected more expertise from you, Manta."
Lex Luthor, the Brain and Savage stay quiet amongst everyone else and Savage only speaks up when Klarion's whining starts to give him a headache. "Explain, Manta. Who is this traitor and how did you find them?"
Queen Bee adds in her own two cents, "More importantly, how exactly did they dupe you of all people?" Black Manta keeps his composure, sending a glare Klarion's way before answering.
"Tigress, one of my trusted lieutenants, is actually Artemis Crock, whose death was faked and who has been hiding behind a glamour charm around her neck. One of my men discovered this information when a camera to one of the damaged rooms was repaired at the same time Miss Crock took off her charm for a moment of reprise, thinking she couldn't be spotted."
Ra's smiles at the information, chuckling darkly. "Charms like that are hard to create but what most people don't know is that though the charm may hide identity, the amount of magic surrounding whoever wears the charm for however long drains the wearer, and soon they have no choice but to take it off for a moment before they forget who they really are."
Klarion laughs loudly, "I guess the sidekicks didn't do enough research!"
Savage ignores Klarion, instead focusing his attention back on Black Manta. "Does this mean your son is a traitor too, Manta?"
The room goes eerily silent, but Black Manta holds his ground. "My son is no such thing. He delivered a wound to Miss Crock, and left seconds after. I believe the sidekicks were able to bring her back and then place her within our ranks."
Savage didn't look convinced.
"Your son trusted this Tigress to be his right hand man. Isn't it a little suspicious that Tigress turns out to be someone who is supposed to be dead, let alone a part of his old team?"
"No," Black Manta says, voice raising to fight for his son, "Kaldur'ahm picked Tigress because of her extreme combat skills listed in her background information, as he told me himself when she was brought on board. He had, has, no knowledge that Tigress is actually Miss Crock. My son was fooled, as was I."
Black Manta meets Savage's eyes when he finishes speaking, holding them for a moment before Savage looks down in thought. Everything is silent for a few moments as the information is processed between the members of the Light and Black Manta steadies himself by concentrating on the sounds of the ocean around him; the waves crashing against his vessel, the hum of electric from the screen in front of him.
His son is innocent. He knows it. He believes it.
The stillness is broken, not by Savage, but by Luthor.
"I would suppose that you're going to question your son after our meeting?"
Black Manta answers easily, "I have full trust in my son. But yes, I will, to show you all that he is what I say he is - that he is not a traitor." Luthor seems satisfied with Black Manta's answer, waving a hand in dismissal to grab everyone's attention.
"I have trust in Manta that he will do as he said he will and make sure that his son is really on the right side. But, in the meantime," he pauses, crossing his arms and leaning forwards on his desk, "I have a good idea of what to do with Miss Crock."
The Brain speaks for the first time the entire meeting, French accent heavily buffering his words. "If you are talking about another cloning experiment Luthor—"
"No. I'm not." Luthor interrupts calmly, smiling. "I'm talking about torture."
Klarion chuckles in glee, rubbing his hands together. "Now you're speaking my language, Luthor." A small smirk even appears on Queen Bee's face at the mention. Savage is the one to respond to Luthor this time though, frown increasing. "Torture isn't going to be enough for that girl. She's invaded Manta's ranks, our ranks, played us for fools."
"She doesn't deserve death, Savage. That's too painless for someone who has gone against the Light." Ra's reasons, twirling one of the rings on his hand.
"That is my point, gentlemen and gentlelady. No one betrays the Light. The Light doesn't tolerate traitors. I'm saying we make an example out her, to show what happens to someone who goes against the Light once and for all." Everyone considers this ideal of Luthor's and within a few minutes they are leaning towards a settlement. "By the way," Luthor declares after everyone seems to be in agreement, "did you know that Miss Crock is in a relationship with a certain redheaded speedster? Savage, I believe you have some unfinished business with Kid Flash, don't you?"
Savage's lips fit into the tiniest of smiles that disappears almost as fast as it appears.
"You see," he continues, "the best way to break a person, especially one as young as Miss Crock, is through those she loves and would do anything to save." Luthor leans back in his chair, content with himself as Savage looks to Black Manta with a malevolent gleam in his eyes.
"Subdue Miss Crock, then find out where Kid Flash is and take him as well." He turns his attention to Queen Bee, "I believe you have a place to hold them?" She nods at Savage's request, looking at Black Manta.
"Bring them to Bialya."
Savage brings the attention back to himself by standing up from his seat and buttoning up his overcoat. "By the end, neither will know who the other is and both will suffer beyond their wildest nightmares. Our message will be clear. The Light does not tolerate traitors of any kind."
Behind his desk, Lex Luthor grins.
Artemis is walking alongside Kaldur down one of the mazelike hallways of the ship when an announcement bellows over the loudspeakers. "Tigress, report to the control room immediately." Both halt in their tracks and turn towards the other but Kaldur has a worried expression on his face.
Artemis frowns, "What's wrong?"
"I just have a bad feeling about this," he lowers his voice and gestures for them to move to a dark section of the hallway, which they do, before he continues to speak. "You haven't left my side since we helped M'gann escape, and my father usually discusses his plans with me every morning but he hasn't talked to me in a few days now. I'm just," Kaldur pauses, exhaling. "I'm just worried, Artemis. We're in the Light now, we're close to the end and I just—"
Artemis reaches a hand out to rest it on his shoulder in reassurance, and Kaldur places his own hand on top of hers. "Everything's alright Kaldur. There haven't been any signs that anyone here knows about us and they aren't going to find out. We're going to get this done, and then we're going to go home."
Kaldur looks like he's about to interrupt, but Artemis talks again before he can. "And we're going to go home in one piece." Her teammate, her friend, just looks at her for a moment, and she knows they're both thinking the same thing. She wouldn't have been able to get the guts to do this, to go into enemy lines, without him having her back and he wouldn't have gotten this far without her at his side. They're grateful for one another.
So maybe that's why, without any warning, Kaldur suddenly reaches forwards and pulls Artemis into a brotherly hug, grip sturdy around her back. She holds onto him just as tight; partially starved for actual human contact, partially wishing they were anywhere but there.
"I wouldn't have been able to do this without you, Artemis."
She smiles and pulls back, chuckling. "I wouldn't have been able to do this without you either."
He smiles too and she turns and walks away, making her way to the control room in careful, calculated steps. When she reaches the door, she takes a peek inside and sees people hurrying around, and Black Manta in the center of the room, pointing out the ship's next moves on a radar screen. She closes her eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath before entering the room, marching right up to Black Manta and clearing her throat.
He finishes up his conversation and turns around, and Artemis really wishes that he didn't have that damned helmet on. She hated not being able to read people. "You wanted to see me, sir?" She questions emotionlessly, Black Manta ushering towards the back door.
"Tigress. If you would, follow me."
"Yes sir."
Black Manta opens up the metal door, allowing Artemis to walk through first before following behind her. They walk for a few feet and Artemis grows apprehensive at the wholesome silence engulfing them. "Is something wrong, sir? Where are we—"
She's cut off by a sharp prick in the back of her neck, Artemis whipping around just in time to see Black Manta tucking a now empty syringe back into his pocket.
God, no, she thinks in a panic, swinging at him blindly because of her now disoriented vision, but Black Manta smacks away her closed fist effortlessly. She tries to kick him but he catches her foot and flips her backwards instead and Artemis lands on her back with a loud slam echoing down the empty corridor. Her spine tingles from colliding so hard with the metal.
Black Manta crouches down next to her, watching her struggle to sit up for a second before leaning forwards and tearing off her mask. Then his hand trails down her neck and rips the necklace in half, throwing the glamour charm halfway down the hallway. He scoffs when he sees her true face, and Artemis' vision is horribly blurry now, like she's drowning underwater, and black spots are starting to swim in and out of her line of sight.
"Artemis Crock indeed," he murmurs, sounding disgusted with himself for being deceived, "oh how you'll regret this. You and that speedster boyfriend of yours."
Her eyes widen and she tries one last time to punch him, to hit him, to do something but she's too weak. She's unconscious before she can even raise her fist again and her last thoughts are of Wally and Kaldur and how they are in danger and . . . and how did things go so wrong so fast?
Wally is in the middle of watching television, shoving a burnt microwavable extra cheesy pizza in his mouth and telling Brucely to stop begging when his cell phone rings on the couch next to him - ceasing his previous attempts at multitasking.
With a heavy sigh he mutes the show, finishes his dinner in one bite and grabs his cellphone, not bothering to look at the caller ID and instead opting to just hit the green button instead. "Wall-Man here," he answers casually, Brucely giving up on begging now that the food is all gone and jumping up on the couch next to him.
"Hey, um, how are you holding up?" Dick's voice sounds drained, drowsy even.
Wally knows the stress level from being team leader must be overbearing but it's nothing his best friend can't handle. Though, it also worries him - his best friend overworking himself. Wally might still be mad at Dick for seriously endangering Artemis' life, and Kaldur's, but he also understands.
"I'm alright, could be better. You sound . . . exhausted."
Dick laughs but it's dry, and Wally can hear shuffling from his end of the line. "I'm just worried. About Artemis and Kaldur, about the team, about Blue Beetle – "
He pauses momentarily, like he's in deep thought.
" - about you."
Wally smiles, the corners of his lips twitching upwards. "You need a break, dude."
The sharp intake of air sounds like another chuckle.
"You aren't kidding. I need a new night job." Brucely lifts his head from his paws suddenly, ears perking up at some distant sound Wally can't hear. "Wally I'm . . . I'm sorry about all of this. I'm sorry. I never wanted to put her in danger."
Wally scoffs, peaceful mood gone. "You knew full well what you were doing when you dialed her phone number, Dick. You knew she wouldn't say no."
There's a lull where neither one talks. All Wally can hear is Dick's shallow breathing and a low electronic whine, probably from a nearby computer. Brucely's head tilts as he stares at the front door of the apartment.
Dick breaks it with a sad whisper after a minute, "I never wanted to put her in danger, Wally. She was just the logical choice. I'm sorry. I never wanted to put her in danger." He repeats it again, subconsciously, and Wally's chest stutters.
It's like something slamming into him, the realization that Dick feels beyond guilty. And then Wally feels selfish, feels like a complete and total ass. He might be hurting, but his best friend is hurting far worse because he knows he's the one who put her in with the enemy.
Artemis and Dick bonded over the years – bonding over scars and burnt popcorn. It wasn't a forced friendship either, there was no pressure for them to get along but they did and it ended up being another reason why Wally and Artemis left the hero business and they all knew it.
Wally wanted out, he wanted to try and be normal, he wanted Artemis safe.
Artemis, tentative to retire at first, recognized with a heavy heart that she wouldn't be able to take it if she lost Wally and Dick on a mission. They saved her from her past, and she knew it would kill her if she wasn't able to save them from something one day.
A heavy knock on the door brings Wally out of his thoughts and his grip tightens on his cellphone out of reflex, like a part of him doesn't want to hang up, like he finally wants to stay and fix things and not run. Brucely starts barking when there's another harsh knock, and Wally stands up from the couch and shushes him.
"Sorry Dick, I gotta go. But I want to finish this conversation."
"Alright. I'll swing by your apartment later?"
Wally chuckles while walking towards the door, telling Brucely to go sit in the bedroom while he sees who it is. The dog obeys straightaway, padding down the hallway. "Yeah. Sounds good." Dick hangs up with a click and Wally leaves his phone on the small bookshelf next to the door before answering it.
"Hello—"
The words die in his throat when he sees Black Manta before him with two guards behind him.
Wally starts to use his speed to move backwards but somehow Black Manta is faster, shoving a needle into his arm before he can blink. Then he's tumbling to the ground in a mess of limbs, all of which feel like instant jelly, before his mind starts to fog. The speed force that's usually so incredibly alive within him fades to a dull throb and that feeling alone makes Wally's stomach churn unpleasantly.
Black Manta steps back to allow the two men behind him to hoist Wally up by the arms, and they start towing him away from his home. Black Manta lingers to shut the door and then catches up just as they get out to the parking lot, the two men hurriedly trying to get him into the SUV parked there.
"Hurry up," Black Manta barks, "hurry up you idiots."
Wally's vision diminishes just as they finally secure him in the car, and when the car door slams shut so does his consciousness.
Waking up isn't painful in the physical way, but instead in the mental, headache-like way.
Her back hurts from hitting the floor but the intense pain in her head is like someone is picking out her brain piece by piece. It takes a lot of willpower to open her eyes. It takes even more to sit up and get a solid grasp on her surroundings.
But when she does, her heart drops down to her stomach.
The first thing she sees is that she's in what looks like a cell made just for her. Or someone like her. The room is medium-sized, spilt in half by the metal bars that hold her in her cage. The half not barred has one thick iron door leading out and next to it is an electronic keypad. Underneath the neon numbers are the words 'unlocked' in bright green.
The entire area is made out of cement, and it looks like there are bloodstains in the middle of the room. Artemis sighs, lifting her hands up and running them through her tangled hair. The part of the room she's stuck in, the cell, contains nothing but the simple bedframe she's sitting on with a paper-thin single blanket and no pillow.
The cell door holds a slider for a keycard to unlock, something advanced enough that Artemis can't actually get out of. Old fashioned locks, sure – she could pick them in two minutes flat – but a keycard scanner was considerately harder.
She's still in her Tigress garb but her mask is removed and there's no necklace around her neck anymore. There's a tart smell in the air she can't quite figure out but before she has the chance to, her mind unclears and all of the memories from before rush back to her.
The most horrifying one of all is the fact that Black Manta knew that Wally was her boyfriend and that must mean that they found out who she is. It makes her feel sick, thinking about it. Thinking about if Wally's safe or if Kaldur's killed already. She's only allowed to ponder for a few more seconds before the door opens and two men walk in.
They look buff and annoyed but Artemis only scoffs at the sight of them. Two guards to escort her? Only two? She'll be out of here in no time. One walks up and unlocks her cell door with a black keycard and Artemis waits for him to get close before lunging forwards and kicking him square in the groin.
The second guard barely has any time to register what happened to his buddy and by the time he does, Artemis' fist is already socking him in the jaw. He falls but doesn't give up just yet, standing back up with a push from his hands but Artemis is faster and angrier and knocks him in the back of the head. He falls back to the ground, still.
She nicks the keycard off the first guard and tucks it in one of her suit pockets before leaving the room, closing the heavy door behind her. The hallway she's in is quiet, too quiet, and Artemis decides to choose stealth over turmoil.
She follows the hallway all the way down to the end, checks both corners and then follows the bend. That opens into a large room filled with multiple different doors and so much sudden noise that it causes Artemis to flinch.
After the space of doors is a huge hangar-like room. There's multiple gun racks at the far wall and too many medical-looking tables filled with surgical tools and flasks of blood scattered at each door.
On the left wall there's rows and rows of computers with men and women in white coats mulling about, conversing coolly. On the right is body bags and boxes stack neatly on top of each other, obviously holding top secret paperwork of some kind. Guards are everywhere, at least three near her and more scattered around the room – too many for her to fight. What's even more annoying is that Artemis can't see an exit door in sight. She's currently hiding behind an ammo crate in the corner, tucked away in the dark shadows, just like Dick taught her.
But it isn't the greatest hiding place and she needs to move, before somebody finds the disabled guards in her room. But, Artemis does wonder, what exactly is this place? And why is the room she was trapped in separate from these other grouped rooms? Those saws and scalpels on the medical tables don't look too inviting.
"Come on Artemis, think, think." She mumbles to herself, at a loss of what to do.
She's outnumbered. By a lot.
Before she has any more time to think about what to do, an action spurs her into motion. It's a sharp scream, coming from one of the closed doors nearby. It makes her jump, sets her nerves on edge. She turns and looks around, trying to figure out what door the sound came from, and it's actually the door only two steps away from her.
The scream happens again, louder this time and that's when her mind crashes because she's heard that scream before. She's heard it on missions when a bad guy is actually able to catch him and hurt him.
"Wally," she whispers, heart jumping into her throat and throbbing like a toothache.
She waits until any guards in her line of sight are looking the other way before jumping into action, running low and fast over to the closed door. She doesn't even bother looking inside, just twisting the handle and walking in.
She's thankful there's only one guard, but the electric baton he's holding is slightly threatening. The guard doesn't even bother turning around, instead moving forwards to electrocute Wally again. Artemis jumps on him before he can, knocking the stick out of his hands and shoving him into the closest wall with a punitive bang before rushing to Wally's aid, grabbing his shoulder and shaking him so that he looks up at her.
He's barely conscious, she can tell, and his eyes are hazy like there's some drug lingering in his system. An inhibitor collar rests around his throat. He blinks a few times as she cups his cheeks, and it's with a slow understanding Wally realizes it's Artemis in front of him.
And the first thing he does is lean forward and press his lips against hers.
She presses against him, yearning for the warmth his body always seems to carry but instead is met by pale skin and cold hands when they longingly touch her hips. She pulls back after another moment, running a hand through his messy hair. He smiles drowsily at her, pearly white teeth shining.
"Artemis," he whispers, hands still sturdy on her hips, "I'm so glad you're okay." She smiles back, drinking in the feeling of him, of being near him. They hadn't seen each other since the night after she had supposedly 'died'.
"Where are we?" He asks, looking around the room they're in.
The guard lays knocked out next to the wall. Artemis gently shimmies herself out of his grip to stand up and she reaches a hand out to help pull him up too. He's physically drained from whatever drug they loaded into his system so when he gets on his feet he accidentally falls into her, Artemis catching him by the shoulders. She helps him blunder over to the opposite wall and he leans against it, but grabs her hand and holds tight.
"Sorry," he mumbles, shaking his head, "they gave me some type of needle when they got me, something to dampen my powers I'd bet. I can't feel my speed at all it's . . . it's almost like it's dead."
Artemis' eyes lower to the collar around his neck, and he follows her eyesight. "Whatever drug that's in your system still combined with the inhibitor collar is probably too much for your body to handle all at once." She stops, trying to think of something to ease the mood. "They obviously don't want you going anywhere," she jokes dryly, a feeble chuckle escaping Wally.
He squeezes her hand softly in assurance as Artemis tries to answer his previous question with all that she's pieced together so far. "Black Manta figured out who I was and knocked me out and when I woke up I was in a room with a cell built into it. Two guards came in and I kicked their asses and then snuck out and I was just canvassing the place when I heard you. I'm sorry about all of this Wally, God, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. And what about Kaldur? Did I get him killed?"
"Hey, hey, hey," he says, dragging his thumb across the back of her hand to get her attention to center on him, "this isn't your fault, okay? This is a part of the hero business, this is what we signed up for. I'm sure Kaldur is completely fine and we're gonna get out of here and see him soon."
Artemis takes a breath, composes herself, and then nods.
Wally shifts against the wall and winces when a sensitive spot on his torso rubs against the material of his shirt. Artemis notices but before she can ask him if he's okay he's letting go of her hand and walking towards the door. He's getting some of his strength back, but it's in slow spurts because just walking towards the door has him out of breath. She follows him though and watches as he peeks out the window.
"Did you see the exit?"
"No, no exit. Just a lot of guards."
"We have to move before they figure out three of their guards are down." His voice is firm and deliberate, engrossed on finding a way out. She knows it from when they've been on extremely dangerous missions before; he can become serious when he needs to.
He turns towards her now, and there's the start of color returning to his cheeks, of the fight returning in him, of the drug wearing off. "Alright, I have a plan. We'll use the cover of the ammo boxes and computers to get to the other wall where the body bags are – there has to be an exit in that corner that we can't see."
"Alright," Artemis agrees, turning around and snatching the electric baton off the guard behind them. Wally nods at her before opening the door and leading the way out, and they both stay low to the ground.
They get halfway through the room before the alarm blares.
Every single guard rushes the gun racks and Artemis holds the baton in her hands a little tighter. Wally gets her attention by nudging her shoulder. "When that last guard grabs his gun rush to that corner. I can see a door over there." Artemis watches the guard Wally's talking about and just as he turns and follows the few whitecoats entering the rooms she starts pulling Wally up by the elbow.
"Go, go now!" She instructs in a low voice and they both make a run for it.
They make it to the door and Artemis pulls at the handle, praying that it's somehow unlocked. It clicks and opens, revealing Vandal Savage standing there. Artemis doesn't have any time to react. Savage grabs the baton from her grip and then seizes her shoulder, pulling her to his chest and flicking the baton on.
The electric sizzles at her as he holds it to her neck, Savage watching Wally with belligerent eyes. "Long time, no see Wally. Stand down or else your girlfriend dies." To emphasize his point he moves the baton closer to Artemis' neck, electric current only a centimeter away from actually touching her skin.
Though Artemis' eyes say don't you dare back down, Wally does, holding his hands up as all of the guards who had rushed down the hallway filter back into the room slowly. Savage smirks, motioning around the room with a flick of his head.
"Do you know why you're here?"
Wally nearly shouts, his tone profound. "Go to hell," he says and Savage all but frowns.
"You're here because the Light discovered who Tigress really was. So you can thank Miss Crock here for everything that happens to you." The guards in the room get organized enough to send four forwards to restrain Wally, two on either arm. Wally glares up at Savage, pulling slightly at the guards and their iron grips.
"What's going to happen to us?"
"Let's just say by the end of it all, you'll be wishing you were dead instead." Four other guards approach Savage and he shoves Artemis at them, the four catching her with clumsy hands. "Get them out of my sight," he states, "and lock them up this time dammit!"
He's just about to move out of the doorway when Artemis and Wally share a look between each other and take action. Artemis uses all of her strength to elbow the two guards holding onto her arms in the nose, stunning them just enough to break free. The two other guards are falling down with them by the time they realize what is happening. Wally shoves backwards, easily pulling his arms out of the guards' holds because of the unexpected movement.
He pulls off a few durable punches but he's never been too good at fighting, that's Dick and Artemis' forte, and dodges a few more before trying to meet up with Artemis. The guards keep coming; there's so many of them, but nobody tries to shoot them, apparently there's an order against that and they're doing well, they're making their way out of the room and they're gonna do it, they're going to escape –
– until Savage catches up to Artemis.
He catches her by the hair, pulling back so hard it feels like her hair is going to rip out of her head. It renders her immobilized, making her fall to the floor. Wally stops what he's doing to instantaneously come to his girlfriend's aid but in his rush to get there he misses the guard that has a gun butt aimed at his ribs.
The weapon hits him hard enough to knock the breath out of him and then the hits keep coming and he doesn't have enough time to catch his breath and punch back. The guards keep at it for what feels like hours and he can't see Artemis or Savage, and that thought alone is causing his heart to race, his blood to freeze.
The hits stop after a while.
They stop when his lip is spilt and his forehead is hammering. They stop when his left eye is swollen and right hand is stepped on. They stop when he's near passing out again, like those few moments before are sacred and meant for him to suffer through.
He can't tell how many hoist him up and start to drag him back the way Artemis and him came. They drag him this way and that, down the hallway, through the bare door at the end of the hall. Wally can only guess this is the room Artemis had woke up in as they take him into the cell on the other side of the room and pull out some handcuffs, handcuffing him and leaving him on the floor.
He groans and struggles to turn on his side so he can see the rest of the room and what he sees makes him try to reach the now closed cell door, though he knows it's futile.
A pole is being raised from the floor, and once it's in place in the middle of the room Savage throws Artemis there, guards shoving her to her knees as they take her arms and pull them behind her and behind the pole, chaining them there. Savage shouts something Wally can't hear because his hearing his going in and out from fighting against the blackness trying to take ahold of him. Savage leaves the room, taking all of the guards with him except three.
Wally sees Artemis look at the one closest to her and spits in his face. Watching the beating that happens hurts more than anything that had happened to him in that other room.
Even with unconsciousness prodding at his skull, Wally battles it off and manages to stay awake the entire time. He hears the guards snicker and leave once they're pleased with their work, and the door slams shut behind them.
Wally stares a hole into Artemis, pleading for her to talk, to say anything. She had closed her eyes a while ago. When the quiet persists for longer than he likes, he swallows the bile building up in his throat and wills himself to talk instead.
"Beautiful?" He mumbles in question, watching her carefully.
It takes a minute for her eyes to open, but they do open and he stares into her stormy greys like they're his lifeline. Her body sags against the metal pole, and it doesn't look like she has any serious injuries but bruises dot any revealed skin like a new dress and her face is red and slightly puffy from it all. Her arms have a small shake to them and her chin is an ugly shade of yellow and purple.
"I'm still here." She replies quietly, pulling at her chains to see if they are at all lose. Wally tries to move his arm. He flinches, recoils, as pain shoots up it.
"I'm sorry." She smiles.
"I'm fine."
Her teeth are stained red from blood pooling up, her gums are raw from the guards hitting her every time she spit more blood on them. "You're not." He wants to say more, he wants to do more, wants to take her pain for himself. He wants to do something besides lie on this goddamned floor and just look at her.
Artemis seems to sense this and shakes her head, gazing at him. "Do not feel guilty Wally. That is exactly what they want. They want to separate us and cause as much pain as they can. Do not let them win." Wally blinks away the wetness filling up his eyes. He will not cry. Not now.
Do not let them win.
"I won't." She tries to shift her body, realizes she can't and sighs.
"They're going to do much worse. They are going to throw everything they can at us because I infiltrated the Light. They are going to try and break us, okay? But we can't let them do that. We can't let them do that."
Wally nods, barely moving his head to make the action.
"We won't," he says. Then, "I love you."
That might just break her, Artemis thinks when she feels the moisture in her eyes abruptly. But she won't let it. "I love you too." They lapse into silence, and he waits for her to nod off first, makes sure the steady rise and fall of her chest is present, before dozing off too.
They're relentless.
The guards, that is.
They go from fists to brass knuckles to knifes. It's all on Artemis and Wally can't help but wonder if Savage gave that direct command himself. Wally's able to regain his strength by the time they bring the brass knuckles for the first time, and he slams his body against the bars in a desperate attempt to get out. He successfully annoys the guards long enough that they stop what they're doing and turn to yell at him for a while and then leave, but that trick only works once.
They feed them and drag them to the toilet when it's required but offer no possibilities for the two of them to escape at any time.
When they break out the knifes for the first time, Wally sees the fear on Artemis' face before she's able to hide it. He hangs to the bars with white fists and shouts obscurities when they cut her too close to her eye, and another when they nick her chest too deep. Even after the guards leave, the blood continues to flow and turn a good part of her outfit red, but Wally keeps with her, throwing every reassurance he can think of her way.
("Stay with me beautiful."
"Always, you dummy.")
They figure out the guards wait half a day or a full day before every new 'attack' on Artemis. It gets worse and worse though, and one day Wally can't take it anymore. He shouts so loudly one of the guards actually covers his ears. "Leave her alone! Torture me! Take me!"
The leader of the three looks Wally up and down. Scoffs. Grins.
"Your time is coming, speedster, no worries. The Light has a plan for you, for both of you."
Artemis doesn't waste any time telling him what she thought of his outburst once the guards leave. "Well, that was the stupidest idea if I've ever heard one." Wally scowls like a child and Artemis laughs for the first time since she's gone undercover.
The guards stop coming one day.
They stop coming and the time seems to stretch on for hours and hours. It could be days, not like Artemis and Wally would even be able to tell – there were no windows. Artemis has been beaten bloody but she's still intact. Wally hasn't. They both feel like they're hanging on the edge, their feet dangling from a skyscraper up in the air, as they wait with baited breaths for the other shoe to drop. For the next thing to happen.
The next thing happens when Artemis and Wally least expect it.
They're both asleep.
Wally's arm is reaching out through the cell's bars in an unsuccessful effort to reach Artemis from where she's ensnared and lays still on the cold cement floor. The door unlocks and opens loudly, startling both from their slumber. Wally looks up hazily to see at least five guards coming his way. They unlock his cage and storm in, taking him by the arms and roughly pulling his frayed white tee-shirt over his head.
They throw it across the cell and then twist him around so that his back is facing the doorway. Two guards brace on either side of him again, one on either side gripping his elbows and the other gripping his biceps and shoulders. The fifth guard walks behind him and Wally can feel his hands grab at his ankles to keep him glued to the floor.
He feels panic bubble inside him, because he can't see what's coming, but he knows Artemis can. "Artemis," he yells from beneath the guards, "what's happening? What are they going to do?"
The alarm she can hear in his voice is nothing like the sudden flood of terror she feels when she sees a sixth guard walk in with something to brand her boyfriend with.
She yanks against her chains, feeling them break her skin but she doesn't care. They can't do this to him. They can't. The guard gets closer and closer to Wally and Artemis knows she needs to say something to him to prepare him but nothing is coming to mind and – and oh God they are going to brand him like cattle.
"Wally." Her voice breaks and her heart does too. "Listen to me. You are going to be okay. Okay? Just—"
But she can't even finish because the guard gets to him before she can.
He wastes no time pressing the brand into his flushed skin and Artemis feels like she's going to get sick. Wally screams. He can't gather the strength to even attempt to hide it. He screams so loud. He's in so much pain, he rather his vocal chords split in half and shatter. He rather lose his arm. It feels like someone is pouring lava over his back and waiting for it to burn.
Tears spring to his eyes on their own accord and his body wants to shut down. His back feels numb the longer it goes on and when whatever the hell it is leaves his back Wally still wishes they had just chopped off a limb instead.
The guards release him and file out of the cell and Wally goes to turn on his back to try and release some of the pain. He lets out a loud gasp as they collide and the door secures.
His cheeks are wet and his hands are shaking.
"Wally. You're okay. You're okay. Just stay with me, alright? Stay with me."
Wally nods, more to himself than to her, and his voice is hoarse when he speaks. "W-What'd they do to me?" Artemis pauses, she doesn't know if she should lie or not answer.
"They . . . they branded you."
He lets out a weak wheeze that's full of agony and repulsion. "What – what does it say? What is it?"
"Wally—"
"Babe," he whispers, "please."
Artemis feels a tear slip down her chin. "It's your Flash symbol."
Wally sniffles, but he doesn't cry. He closes his eyes. "Why, Artemis? Why would they do that to me?" Artemis knows the answer. It's a technique her father used to use back in the day. A guilt technique, a 'you'll never be this' reminder to degrade someone.
"They're trying to break you down."
"I want to go home," he murmurs so softly and so swiftly that Artemis nearly doesn't hear him. He sniffles again and her head pounds.
"I want to go home too, babe. We'll get out of here. This will be over soon. I promise." He doesn't answer. Artemis watches his bare chest rise and fall for ages.
He doesn't fall back to sleep.
Neither does she.
Wally doesn't talk for what feels like the longest time.
He's usually blabbering nonstop, chatting her ear off about everything not related to the Light in their lives; keeping her mind distracted, keeping his mind vigilant; keeping them animated in a place of horrors.
His silence is terrifying to her, scarier than anything any of the Light could ever do to her. So, to try and keep them going, she talks. She talks about his favorite things. Stuffed ravioli, fried chicken and Vietnamese soup – she was far from a cook, that was more Wally's thing, but one thing she could make successfully was her mom's secret recipe – and she talks about chocolate and different flavors of chips for at least an hour.
She talks about Brucely and Dick, his mom, his gaming systems, Uncle Barry. She even ventures out and talks about the team. He smiles at the right moments, nods when needed, and his stomach growls at all the precise times. She talks until she can't talk anymore and the, surprisingly, he takes over. He talks again, not as brash as before but he talks.
"Artemis," he says when she thinks he had fallen asleep, voice throaty.
Her arms are beyond sore and her wrists are rubbed raw but she smiles at him anyway. "Yeah babe?" Like it's a causal conversation they're having in the kitchen while he's trying to cook dinner.
"I love you, you know that right?"
"I know."
He waits a minute, lets the words sink in for a beat. "Just . . . don't ever forget that, okay?" Artemis tugs at her chains, wishing she could just pull him in a hug. She hasn't touched him since they've been separated.
"Never," she promises.
Queen Bee enters their room with no guards escorting her.
Artemis instantly glowers and Wally stands up in his cage, grabbing the bars in front of him with malice. "You're a part of this?" He questions furiously as she approaches his cage, face getting closer and closer to his.
"I'm a part of the Light aren't I? Of course I'm a part of this."
"What do you want from us?" Wally snarls, but Queen Bee doesn't even flinch.
She doesn't answer his question and instead reaches a hand through the bars to caress his cheek. Wally finds he can't move away. His rage dissipates into nothing. Artemis' heart stops. No. Queen Bee can't do this to them. To her. To him. Wally's too innocent for this.
"You can thank your dear Artemis for this," she whispers, her voice like a small breeze of wind across his face, and he feels allured by it, to it. Queen Bee pulls back to unlock his cell and Wally's eyes are glazed over now. Artemis wrangles against her chains.
"No! No. Please. Use me. Do it to me. Please. Not him."
She never begs but she's begging now.
Pleading for Queen Bee to listen. It will ruin Wally after the fact, when he's back in his own mind and remembers what happened. It will ruin her too, but she doesn't care about how she feels, she cares about him. Wally West. The sweetest most caring and loyal man on the planet. Oh God. She feels like she's going to get sick.
Queen Bee's eyes lock with Wally's as he backs into the side of the cell on her command and she moves closer to him, their bodies touching. Before anything happens though, she turns to stare at Artemis. "The Light does not tolerate traitors."
Wally won't know what he's done until after Queen Bee releases her hold on him.
Artemis is forced to witness it all.
When it's over there's silence. Silence so loud it's deafening.
Artemis' throat is dry and her stomach is churning. She can't even imagine how he must feel. He's currently laying on the floor in nothing but his boxers. His pants are thrown over by his shirt and he hasn't moved to put either back on.
Angry red marks are present on his upper chest and his lips are swollen. His shoulders are marred with fingernail cuts and some are deep enough that they are still bleeding. Sweat's still existent on his body too and Artemis feels disgusted with herself for not being able to do anything. The guilt is like a swarm around her, like a fly buzzing and buzzing and buzzing.
After a few minutes of watching him breathe, in and out in and out, her gaze flickers up to his eyes. They aren't unclear anymore, they're back to their normal emerald green. They lack their usual brightness. She opens her mouth to say something but then closes it.
What do you say to someone who's just been . . .
She swallows, the lump in her throat not going away. The knot in her stomach feels like an anchor. Her body feels drained, emotionally and physically. Artemis can't find it in herself to talk. Wally chooses not to, or isn't able to, she doesn't know. Being tortured just to be tortured is worse than being tortured for information or something alike, Artemis thinks to herself after a while, and having someone you love being tortured right in front of you?
Having to watch that is worse than dying.
"Tigress," Black Manta drawls from the doorway, "it's nice to see you again."
He walks into the room flaked by four guards and comes to a stop in front of Artemis. She glares up at him, "Let him go you son of a bitch. Do all that you want to me but let him go." Black Manta stares at her and he doesn't have his mask on so she can see the smirk on his face and the emotions of hatred he fails to hide behind it. He crouches down on one knee in front of her and crudely grabs her cheek.
She can see Wally move in her peripheral vision.
"You made a fool out of me and my son. That is something I will not forget." His thumbnail digs into her cheek and she can feel it breaking through her skin but doesn't react. Another part of Artemis' body breathes a sigh of relief at the fact that she didn't Kaldur killed.
"Maybe it runs in the family," Artemis whispers and Black Manta's face screws into a look that could kill.
"Your boyfriend has already paid for your sins. Queen Bee did a wonderful job—"
"Don't you dare talk about hi—"
Black Manta squeezes her cheek harder and Artemis hisses at the pain. "Now it's your turn to suffer, Tigress. Maybe I'll be able to fracture your mind like how that Martian witch fractured my son's." His grip moves from her cheek to her elbow as the guards undo her chains from around the pole.
When she's unbound she tries to fight against Black Manta's grip but he's stronger than she is and he has her and the guards are holding onto her too. It all happens in a blur and she can hear Wally shouting but she can't see him as she's led out of the room and then taken into the same room she had rescued Wally from when she had first escaped. They drop her in a heap on the floor and Black Manta makes all of the guards leave the room before the real torture starts.
"Artemis. Artemis, wake up."
Her eyes snap open and she goes to move, to fight, but there's hands on her shoulders before she's able to. Artemis instead looks up and sees M'gann's face in front of her. Then she looks behind her and sees Zatanna staring at Artemis like she's unreal – like she thought the archer was gone for good. Artemis doesn't care if this is some dream her mind created. She doesn't care.
Because she's starved and lonely and scared and injured.
So she doesn't hold it back anymore. She cries. She falls forwards into M'gann's chest and sobs. Her body aches and her skin still stings from the electric and throbs from the cuts and her throat burns from the water she had choked on and –
"It's okay, Artemis. It's okay. We're here. We're right here okay?" M'gann's voice is soft and her arms wrap around Artemis carefully, like one wrong move and she'll shatter. Zatanna moves forwards and hugs her too, snug and solaced.
They don't know how long they stay like that but it's only when Artemis' sobs finally slow into sniffles do M'gann and Zatanna pull back. They keep their touch on her though, M'gann with a hand clasping her bicep and Zatanna holding one of Artemis' hands tight. M'gann notices Artemis' eyes continuous glancing over at the opened door and disrupts her anxious staring by speaking.
"It's okay Artemis. It's all taken care of. Jamie, Bart and Garfield are outside—"
"B-Blue Beetle? He's—"
"Jamie's okay, Artemis. We saved him from the Reach's control." Zatanna cuts in, smiling in reassurance. Artemis looks from M'gann to Zatanna, taking in their weary faces and the dark circles under their eyes. They look like they've done a lot more than just searched for Wally and her.
Wally.
"Wally. Wally, where is he? They – they separated us before—"
She tries to move but they both stop her and gently push her back down, Zatanna shushing her. "Hey. Hey, he's fine. Dick, Conner and Kaldur have him. Barbara and Tim are with them too." Artemis steadies herself with the information but then brings her attention back to her previous thought before Wally.
"How," she clears her throat, bringing volume to her voice, "how long have we been . . . here?" Zatanna and M'gann share uneasily looks with each other and seem to have a small conversation with each other before looking back at her.
"Artemis," M'gann starts but Artemis shakes her head.
"Guys, please."
"You guys were here for almost three weeks."
Artemis looks to be in disbelief, "We were . . . only here for three weeks? It seems like it's been so much longer . . . "
"You've been through a lot Artemis." Zatanna pauses to stand up and M'gann follows, the two of them helping Artemis up. "Let's get you home." When she's on her own two feet, she looks at them before pulling them both into another hug. M'gann and Zatanna don't let go.
Wally jumps when someone touches his shoulder and hits while his eyes are still closed, his fist successfully knocking into someone's jaw. He goes to hit again but his fist is caught this time and Wally forces his eyes open.
Conner's rubbing his chin and Dick's holding onto his hand, Kaldur on his other side. All of Wally's breath leaves his lungs and his heart jumps when he sees the face of his best friend. "Dick," he whispers, the man in question releasing his hand as it falls to his side.
Dick smiles, domino mask glinting in the sharp light of the room.
"Hey man." He answers, reaching forward and gripping his shoulder. "We missed you."
Wally beams against the pain and takes it upon himself to pull Dick into a tight hug, Dick's arms twisting around his torso. "What took you so long?" Wally mumbles into the material of his suit, Dick chuckling and patting his back gently.
"I'm sorry," he mumbles back, "they hid you guys really well. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for all of this, for Artemis, this is my fault I'm sorry, I'm sorry—"
The words seem to just accidentally tumble out of Dick's mouth and Wally pulls back, grabbing his best friend's hand and squeezing it. "It's okay. It's okay." His hold lingers for a moment, for that extra douse of comfort for the both of them, before letting go. Dick smiles and then Artemis resounds in Wally's mind.
"Artemis is she—"
"She's alright. The girls are with her." Kaldur says, approaching the two to help Wally stand up. The three of them notice his bare chest and say nothing as Wally leans on the bars for support. "I'm sorry I couldn't get to you guys sooner," Kaldur starts but Wally doesn't want to hear sorry anymore. They couldn't do anything. They had a world to save instead of them. The Reach was a bigger threat.
Conner walks over with Wally's dirty shirt from the ground and offers it to him, which Wally takes with a thanks as he pulls it over his body. Conner seems like he doesn't know what to say and Wally understands that too.
"You did what you had to do Kaldur. I'm not mad at you for that. I'm happy you got here when you got here because . . . I don't know how much more I could've taken."
Dick slings Wally's arm over his shoulder without asking and starts to lead him out, Kaldur and Conner falling into step behind them. When they get out into the hallway Wally fights off Dick's grip so that he can pull all three of them into a gratified hug, thankful they got to him. Thankful they saved him. Thankful they saved them.
When Artemis and Wally see each other again at the Bio-Ship, they don't have the reunion everyone thought they would have. Bart and Wally have a better reunion than they do. They stagger into each other's arms for an embrace and to help the other stumble onto the ship, but that's it. Dick and Barbara assess all of the injuries they can see in the back of the ship for the two and they don't look at each other, don't talk.
Dick and Barbara share looks and stay for the sake of making sure nothing else happens to the two and when they get to the Watchtower for medical attention Green Arrow and Flash rush onto the ship faster than anyone can stop them.
Oliver doesn't say anything and pulls Artemis into a hug, grasping tight. He leaves a kiss on the top of Artemis' head before helping her stand up and accompanying her out of the ship. "You okay?" He whispers into her ear as they head towards the medical bay and Artemis shakes her head. Oliver bristles, fists clenching at his side. "I'll kill them all for hurting you, Artemis, I swear—"
"Ollie, please. Don't."
Oliver says nothing but pulls her body closer to his as they walk.
Barry holds Wally just as tightly, pulling back and ruffling his hair. "Iris has been worried sick, kiddo. Your parents too." Wally smiles, holding on; trying to burrow himself further into Barry's stomach, not wanting to leave the hug, not wanting to lose the human contact. Barry makes an oomph sound and looks down at Wally, frowning slightly. He rubs his back and Wally doesn't care whose looking, doesn't care if he's acting like a child. He just wants to be held and never let go.
Barry seems to already know this and the frown melts off his face just as fast as it appeared. "It's alright, kiddo. You're safe now. I got you." Wally sniffles, and his eyes tear but nothing sneaks out.
"I know," he mumbles, gripping the back of his shirt like there's not going to be a tomorrow, "I know."
A week passes.
Artemis and Wally recover from their physical wounds.
Everyone takes turns visiting them and Dick doesn't leave neither's side. He alternates between their separate rooms every night and sleeps there with them even with both of them telling him to go home and sleep, Dick and that crappy plastic chair must be killing your back, dude. He ignores them though, and persists with his 'sleepovers'.
They're told of everything they've missed, including the Reach being taken down as well as Barry and Bart being kickass speedsters and taking down an energy vortex in the Arctic.
Kaldur spends a lot of time with Artemis. He hovers over her like an older brother trying to amend for his past mistakes. She tells him over and over again that it isn't his fault and he slowly starts to believe her, but she doesn't miss the guilt he carries on his back as soon as he leaves.
Bart and Jamie head to Wally's room to joke and clown around and Artemis can hear him laugh his beautiful laugh through the wall sometimes; and that makes her smile. All the girls visit Artemis at times and they talk about boys and junk food and guilty pleasures to keep her mind off the bad things which causes her to laugh and her sarcasm to get so extravagant and so deadpan; Wally hears it through the wall and chuckles to himself when he hears it.
("You're annoying," she had said to him a morning that feels like forever ago.
"But you love me anyway," he had answered as he pulled her into a kiss.)
Artemis appears in the doorway late one night, interrupting Dick and Wally's hushed conversation about the former sneaking in some of Alfred's amazing stir-fry. Wally looks up at her and meets her eyes across the room, while Dick stands up from his plastic chair and shuffles towards the door.
"I'm gonna head home and get washed." He states, nodding to them both before smiling and exiting. Artemis moves into the room and comes to a stop at Wally's bedside, seemingly wavering before reaching out and toying with his fingers.
"Hey," he says quietly, closing his hand around hers.
"Hey," she whispers, and they fall into a heavy silence.
Wally pulls at her hand after a minute, signaling to her to lay down with him. She does so, climbing into the cot and Wally readjusts his body so they both fit. Her head comes to rest on his chest, his arm slung around her lower torso, their hands intertwined. They don't know what to say to each other, so when Artemis feels the tear slip down her cheek she doesn't know why. Her vision turns blurry with tears and she hears Wally sniff from behind her, trying to hold his own tears in.
She feels his chest shudder and then hears a soft sob, and then another. And another. Her crying turns loud too, and within seconds they are both crying those heavy, wet tears that make your nose run and make your eyes burn. They cling to each other and cry until they can't cry anymore. Artemis wipes her nose on the sleeve of her hospital gown and Wally does the same.
When Artemis feels it's safe for her to speak without losing her composure again, her hand unknowingly moves from holding Wally's hand to clutching his gown like a lifeline.
"I don't know . . . what to say." Wally kisses her hair, but says nothing. "I don't know how you feel . . . but listen to me, Wally, when I say that you are the most amazing person in the world and you shouldn't feel vile or anything like that because you had no choice in the matter. What Queen Bee did was wrong and disgusting but you . . . you're amazing and I don't think any different of you okay? Wally West I still love you with all my heart and more."
His hand moves towards hers and his thumb starts to rub circles over the back of her hand, like just having her there is soothing him enough. When he finally speaks, his voice is hoarse but his.
"What Black Manta did, what those guards did to you, torturing you over and over – that wasn't okay. That isn't okay. And I don't want you feeling guilty or like it's your fault. We both knew the risks of you going undercover. None of this is your fault, alright? What . . . what happened to me isn't your fault either. And God help me Artemis Crock, you are the woman I love and if you don't keep your chin up I'm gonna get Brucely to attack you."
She chuckles and it's watery, but hearing her makes Wally laugh too. Artemis lifts her head so she can see his face and he takes the opening to kiss her, to really kiss her. It's full of desperate need and longing, but its desire too. When they pull away from each other there's smiles on both of their faces and they know.
They just know it'll be okay and he will heal and she will heal and things will be okay.
Dick returns to Wally's room a few hours later with a bowl of Alfred's stir-fry in one hand and Artemis' favorite type of hoagie in the other. He finds the two asleep in each other's arms, Wally snoring away, and sets the container and paper bag inside the mini-fridge in the corner of the room.
Then he makes his way over to the bed and pulls the blanket resting at the end of the bed overtop the two, watching their faces for a moment to make sure he didn't disturb them any before rummaging around the room to find a pen and a piece of paper. He finds what he's looking for and leaves a note on the stand to the right of the bed before heading towards to the door.
Dick smiles to himself as he leaves, but gains a much more serious face by the time he meets up with Zatanna, M'gann, Conner and Kaldur by the zeta beam. "Everyone ready?" He asks, looking down at his utility belt and making sure everything's in place. The team replies with resolute looks and determined responses.
"Are they okay?" Conner questions, Dick looking up and nodding.
"Yeah. They're okay. They're both asleep in Wally's room."
M'gann, Connor and Kaldur take their leave through the zeta beam but Zatanna and Dick linger behind for a moment. She looks over at him as he secures his escrima sticks at his sides. "Good to go, Boy Wonder?"
He turns and looks at her, expression full of purpose. "Of course. Let's go get this son of a bitch."
They depart the Watchtower together and as the zeta beam reads out their designations, no one hears. As the five of them go after Lex Luthor for all that he's done, to the world and to their friends, no one even knows they're gone.
Artemis and Wally wake up the next morning to the faint smell of roasted beef and tangy tomato. Artemis sees the note on the stand before Wally does and grabs it, nudging Wally in the arm so that he reads it with her.
Stir-fry and hoagie await you in the fridge.
Batman has sent a few of us on a mission, so don't freak out.
Don't have too much fun while I'm gone.
Wally uses his speed for the first time since being captured to grab their food and get back to the bed, and Artemis laughs but isn't surprised. They eat and talk about nothings, Wally sneaking kisses in here and there while Artemis scolds him.
Neither have any idea that their five friends may not ever be coming back.