Chapter Four: Phoning Home
After finding a way down to the floor, the two miniturized heroes approach the now oversized cell phone. With Arty's insistence-more like blackmailing-, Wally helps her drag the large black object back to, what they have come accustomed to calling, the 'Doll House', and they lean it up against an exterior wall.
They sigh in relief when the task is over. After catching their breath, Artemis walks over to sit in front of the screen and taps it to activate the phone. She types in her mother's number and pauses. She hesitates to press the green call icon. Wally walks over and sits next to her. He wedges his hand under hers, as a way of comforting her. He says that she can do this. Without any further hesitation, Artemis presses call and selects the video chat option. They wait as the phone dials.
Her mother picks up immediately.
"Hello," she starts, "Artemis is that you?"
"Hi mom," Artemis states uneasily. "I'm just calling to see if you are okay, and ummm to let you know that I'm alright, for the most part."
"Of course I'm fine. Batman has one of his associates looking after me. A fine young man called Luke Fox. He's taking care of me for the time being."
It is then that Artemis's mother notices Wally sitting next to her daughter.
"Speaking of fine young men," Paula states slyly, "who is this fine young fellow?"
Wally smiles while they both try to hide their blushing faces.
"Mom, this is Wally," Artemis states, uncovering her face from her hands. "He got hit, too."
"Yeah, I heard. Can you give me a minute alone to talk to him?"
"Ummm...sure," she says as she gets up and walks a few steps away.
Once she is no longer in sight, Paula becomes extremely strict and gives Wally a piece of her mind.
"Okay Wallace, listen here and listen good. I need you to promise me that you'll never let my daughter come to harm. If I ever...ever find out that you are the cause of that harm-no matter the reason-, I and the rest of my family will ensure that the rest of your short life will be filled with so much pain that you will beg for a death that will never come. Do we understand each other?"
"Y-Yes, ma'am," Wally states uneasily. He shifts in his seat.
"Good. Now bring my daughter back in, there's something I need to tell her."
Wally speeds off and finds Artemis leaning against a corner of the miniturized facility. She grabs him by the collar and pulls him around to face her.
"What did she tell you?" she demands.
"Nothing!Shejustthreatenemeaboutwhatwouldhappenifanythingbadhappenedtoyou!" Wally exclaims quickly.
"Oh...okay," Artemis states as she releases her grip on the frightened speedster. "Does she..."
"Yeah, she wants to tell you something," Wally interjects.
"Don't ever interrupt me!" she says as she shoves past him, pushing him to the ground.
He gets up and starts walking toward the phone. Halfway there, he can barely hear the conversation, but his heart skips a beat when he sees Artemis get up and shove past him.
Was she crying? Wally thinks, as he runs toward the screen. He hears her mother shouting for her to come back. He asks what's wrong.
Paula looks at him in the eye and says, "There is something you need to know. Something Batman and Atom didn't tell you."
Wally looks at the screen curiously.
"That beam was meant just for her. The machine's settings were adjusted for her exact height and weight. It was meant to make her go beyond the subatomic scale. There would have been no air, no anything there. When you jumped in front of the beam, the machine overloaded trying to compensate, and it exploded. She was...It was..."
Paula tries to continue, but can't due to the tears running down her face.
But Wally finishes for her. "She was supposed to die. It was meant to kill her."
Paula nods yes, in response.
"Why?" the speedster implores.
"As a sick joke by her father. To show her how insignificant she is to the world."
"Her father?" He asks slightly confused. He reflects on the previous mission, then says, "Is he..."
"Sportsmaster? Yes. And her sister is Chesire," she says to a now shocked Wally. "But she isn't like them, and never will be. He didn't understand that. He probably just wanted to teach her a lesson. Please don't hold this against her. She has worked so hard to-"
"Ma'am. Ms. ummm..." Wally starts.
"Nguyen. Paula Nguyen."
"Ms. Nguyen, I promise you that I will never let him hurt her ever again. I will not hold any of this against her. She is the strongest person I know. She will never turn out like them. Even if I have to die trying to save her."
"Now that's a good boy," Paula says confidently. "Now, go find my daughter and tell her that everything will be okay."
"Yes, ma'am," Wally says as the call ends.
He then speeds off to find Artemis, to give her a sense of comfort.
