A/N: There seems to be some (A LOT of) confusion over the last chapter which took place after Wally's birthday celebration (She disappeared about a week after the party. Then on Artemis's birthday they retrieved her). Just to clarify, Artemis's mother was kidnapped by the Shadows as leverage over Artemis, who was then forced to do their bidding so they wouldn't kill Paula Crock. At the end of the chapter, Batman was escorting Artemis to the Watchtower to further question the archer on the evidence they gathered at the warehouse plus anything extra Artemis learned while she was working for the Shadows. I may go back and write an Artemis/Batman oneshot expounding upon what happened.

Now without any further ado, here's chapter 7. There's quite a bit of angst, just to warn you. Like Wizard Angst from Potter Puppet Pals. Only no one bangs their head against a wall :.(

Disclaimer: Greg and Brandon would probably smite me where I stand if they ever found out about this story…


Chills Run Down My Spine as our Fingers Entwine

Artemis wasn't as fast a Kid Flash. No one was. Unfortunately, with the lack of super speed also came the inability for rapid healing.

"I hate guns," Kid Flash muttered, keeping Artemis's head elevated up on his lap while applying pressure to the gauze bandage on her abdomen. He also added the Shadows to his mental list of things that he really, really hated. They sure held a huge grudge when someone only loosely affiliated with them (and not by choice, mind you) decided that mass genocide and world domination wasn't their cup of tea.

Kaldur finished wrapping Artemis's shoulder wound with gauze and cast binding and went to tend to Robin's arm up in the front of the ship. Artemis wanted to call Aqualad back to bandage the gash running down Kid Flash's leg, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was spastic coughing and blood. She clutched her abdomen in pain, closing her eyes.

Kid Flash looked on with worry. "Can't this thing go any faster?" he yelled down the hall. Megan, looking a little worse for the wear, replied, "I can't go any faster without causing turbulence, and I don't want to rattle Artemis around. We should arrive in less than ten minutes."

"I contacted Batman," Robin informed them. "He has several medic league members on hand for our arrival." He glanced at his best friend who looked back gratefully.

It was the longest ten minutes of Kid Flash's life.


Artemis's focus was starting to dim. She was surrounded by warmth, but somehow an icy chill had managed to seep into the core of her bones. There were bright yellow and red patches fading in and out of her vision along with two green spots. That meant—

"Baywatch?" she mumbled. The green spots briefly came into focus as she looked into Kid Flash's eyes. She wanted to say something, anything, but the sharp stabbing pain in her abdomen was slowly sucking the energy away from her. Artemis clutched her stomach harder. Another warm hand placed itself on top of hers.

"Hang on, Babe. We're almost there," came Kid Flash's voice. She knew he was trying to get her riled up with that horrible pet name, hoping it would bring out the fight in her. And she was a fighter no doubt, but she was just too tired to fight anymore.

"Kid Flash?" Artemis tried again, attempting to lift one hand away from her stomach and to his cheek.

Kid Flash leaned into the palm that cupped his face. Slowly, her fingers trailed to the edge of his mask below his eyes, and she pulled upward. He allowed her to remove the cowl, his goggles clanging to the floor. The sound seemed to echo forlornly all the way through the silence to the front end of the ship where their teammates sat. Everything was suddenly more intense, but Artemis didn't want her last memory of Wally to be of his half-covered face.

"Kid," Artemis said more firmly, brushing a few sweat-soaked strands of hair back from his forehead. "I just want you to know—everyone to know—that I was honored to be a part of this team, and to have you all as my friends."

"Don't talk like you're going to die!" Wally demanded, his voice sharper than he intended. "You're going to pull through this! We'll get back to Mount Justice, and they'll fix you up, and you'll be okay-"

"Kid," Artemis interrupted, pulling him by the chin closer to her, "if I had to do it all over, knowing how this was going to turn out, I'd do it again." She cupped his cheek again, brushing aside a tear he didn't know had formed. She coughed a bit, more blood coming out.

"Artemis, don't—"

"I don't regret one damn minute. Not the screwed up missions, Megan's cooking experiments, Superboy destroying half my workout equipment, Aqualad flooding the living room, Robin hacking into my music, or arguing with you. Not. One. Damn. Minute."

"Landing sequence initiating," came Megan's voice from the front of the ship.

"Hold on, Artemis! We're landing; you'll be fine," Kid Flash choked out. He didn't realize he was so close to crying. "You can't stop fighting now!"

"Wally," her voice was just a whisper now. "I know how much we both love yogurt—" Wally let out a strangled laugh. Artemis smiled, "but, in case I don't get another chance to say it—"

"NO!" Kid Flash shouted, clinging to Artemis's hand on his face like it was his last lifeline, not hers. "Don't talk like this! Come on, Artemis! Stay with me! I can't do this!"

Everything was swirling out of focus. "Can't do what?" she mumbled, her hold on consciousness slipping. There was shouting at the front of the aircraft and voices from outside barking orders.

"Life," came his quiet response. "I need you, Beautiful. We were supposed to grow up, argue, fall in love, and be together forever. You're my spitfire"

Artemis smiled, blinking back tears of her own. "And you're mine, Wally. I love you."

Artemis was vaguely aware of Wally shouting at her to stay awake, but unconsciousness seemed much less painful at the moment. His voice was joined by several others, and suddenly, Artemis found herself being jostled and carried out of the ship. The movement caused another shock of pain to shoot through the wound in her stomach. Someone was messing with her shoulder, pricking that as well. Her breathing became slower, as did her heart rate. Gradually, the pain disappeared, and Artemis could feel no more. She didn't know if it had been hours, days, or weeks, but the dark, black surrounding her suddenly transformed into a bright, warm light.

"Am I dead?" Artemis asked no one in particular, her voice echoing around her.

"No, but you're giving it your best shot," came a voice from behind her. Artemis turned sharply to face the source.

"Kent Nelson?" she asked incredulously.

"In the helmet," came his reply.

"The helmet?"

"Mmmhmm. Dr. Fate's helmet."

"I'm inside Dr. Fate's helmet?" Artemis was not impressed. "How the hell did I get into the helmet?"

"My guess? Someone put on the helmet near you, and in your weakened state, you got sucked into it as well," came Nelson's response. "Let's go find out."

With nothing better to do in the vast expanse of nothing, Artemis decided to follow the old guy. They hadn't been walking for long when Artemis could hear raised voices. They sounded like—

"Wally?" Artemis whispered, looking at the speedster arguing with a disembodied golden helmet. "Can he see us?" she asked Kent Nelson.

"Only if you want him to," Nelson told her.

"Let's not interrupt them just yet," Artemis decided.


"COME ON!" Kid Flash yelled at Nabu. "Can't you just use me and heal her with your 'mystic powers'?"

"My powers are to prevent chaos from overcoming order, not for insignificant healings every time someone gets hurt."

"Look! Just because you don't feel pain doesn't mean everyone else doesn't! And she isn't some insignificant person! Without her, there'd be even more chaos then there is now!" KF shot back.

"You do not even believe in the mystic arts," Nabu pointed out. "How do you expect to use my powers to heal someone when you don't believe in magic?"

"I…" Kid Flash faltered. "I may not believe in the mystic arts," he said quietly, "but love is the closest thing I know to magic, and that is something I can believe in."

"Love embodies both order and chaos," Nabu replied, almost to himself. "Your reasons are adequate for this request. However, to maintain balance in giving you something, I require something in return. You have already promised me that you would find someone to become Dr. Fate. Yet here I remain without a host."

Kid Flashed sighed, but he knew the sooner he appeased Dr. Fate, the sooner he could heal Artemis. "Nabu, I grant you the use of my body as Dr. Fate from now until I find a suitable replacement."

"You would leave your team indefinitely to accomplish this task?" Nabu inquired.

"Yes." No hesitation. Just pure determination.

"The bargain is accepted."

"NO!" both Nabu and Kid Flash turned toward the voice only to find Artemis running towards him. Kent Nelson was behind her walking at a leisurely gate.

"Artemis?" Kid Flash asked in disbelief as she glomped him in a hug. "Is it really you, or am I just imagining this?"

She cuffed him on the back of his head. "IDIOT! What are you thinking?" she demanded.

Kid Flash just grinned. "Oh, you are definitely Artemis. OW!" he rubbed his head as she hit him again.

"You can't go making deals with mystical armor just because I have a few scratches!" Artemis yelled at him, hands on her hips.

"You're kidding right? You were practically D.O.A. when we got you to Mount Justice ten minutes ago!"

"I've only been out ten minutes?"


"What's D.O.A.?" Nabu asked Nelson, who was torn between amusement at the bickering teens and nostalgia for his wife.

"It means 'dead on arrival.' So, are you going to heal the girl now?"

"I already did," Nabu said. "I did it the moment after the boy put on the helmet."

"You knew what he would ask for?" Nelson asked surprised.

"Indeed. And I knew what price he would be wiling to pay."

The two were quiet for a moment, watching Artemis jab her finger into Wally's chest and him looking indignant.

"Do you know how long it will take him to find the next Dr. Fate?" Kent Nelson questioned.

"If chaos does not stir up things too badly, he should find my new host within a year."

"One year is a long time," Nelson sighed sadly, looking at his pocketwatch. "At least, it is if you're separated from your loved ones."


"Artemis! The deal is done! And I'm not backing out just so you can go and die on me," Wally told her in the sternest voice he could muster.

Artemis sighed, and leaned her forehead onto his shoulder. "You really shouldn't have done this."

"Remember that one conversation we had? You told me I'd know what to do when the time came," Wally whispered, bringing his arms around her waist. "And you were right. For once." Artemis snorted. "Besides, it's what ninja boyfriends do."

Artemis smiled into his shirt, reveling in the presence of the boy who had just risked everything for her. Kid Flash held her tighter, not believing that she had almost been taken from him forever.

"How long will you be gone?" Artemis's small voice broke the tender moment.

"I don't know," came Kid Flash's honest reply. "But the sooner I start, the sooner I can come back to the team..." He lifted her chin, looking her in the eyes. "To you."

"Promise me I'll see you again," Artemis demanded, blinking back tears. "Promise me this isn't goodbye."

Wally brushed aside the tears that leaked out from the corners of her eyes. Then, tilting her head up, kissed her. It was a deep, slow kiss that sent Artemis's brain reeling and her toes curling. Eventually, Wally pulled away, grazing Artemis's lower lip with his teeth before planting one last small kiss at the corner of her mouth.

"I promise," Wally whispered before he and all Artemis's surroundings faded into a bright light.

Artemis blinked her blue-gray eyes open and was greeted by the worried eyes of her team and several members of the Justice League gathered around her hospital bed. The sharp pain in her stomach and arm now a small, pulsing throb. She turned toward Megan.

"Is he…?" her unasked question hung in the heavy silence.

Megan looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "He left," the martian told Artemis sympathetically.


A/N: Is it just me, or have there been A LOT of near-death Spitfire stories being posted as of late?

Can I just say how happy I am to FINALLY be able to post this? It's been pretty much done since "Bad Reputation" was posted. The next chapter is in various stages of planning, so that kiss will just have to last you all for awhile... Or I could have a sudden bout of inspiration and just pound it all out. I don't know. The ending of the story has been written, if that's any consolation. Only two more chapters to go…