Hello. Welcome back.
Artemis laid in bed with eyes wide awake. It had been three days since she had run into Wally in the hallway. She was once more replaying those moments, lying on top of him while he looked at her with those green eyes. Artemis sighed. "What is wrong with me?" When she first met Wally, she would have never guessed that he would ever be more to her than a really annoying teammate. Then he became her annoying friend. Now, though...she had no idea. Artemis had been avoiding Wally as much as she could ever since, and her teammates had noticed.
"Artemis? May I come in?" Kaldur's rich voice floated into her room at the mountain. Artemis almost never stayed at home anymore as the mountain now felt more homey than anywhere else.
"Yeah, come in." The tall, tatooed Atlantean walked in hesitantly. Though Kaldur was comfortable around Artemis, being in her (somewhat messy) room was a new experience for him. "What's up?"
"I wish to speak to you about Wally." Kaldur was always one for going straight to the point. "I know that...usually the older brother, or the father, is supposed to do this, but you are family to me." Artemis didn't whether she should laugh at his discomfort or die of embarassment.
"Look, this isn't necessary. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." Then she had a thought. "How long has Robin been bothering you to talk to me?" She had never seen that shade of red on his chocolate complexion.
"For two days. He is quite persistant."
"Fair enough." They looked around awkwardly. "You know, my dad was so busy teaching me the best ways to kill a man that he never actually...talked to me about boys."
"This is probably not my business, but you seem to be avoiding Wally." He sat on the bed with her. "Why? Has he angered you?" Artemis sighed and decided to open up to the first boy she had ever trusted.
"No, he hasn't angered me. Lately. I just...Something's different between us." She mentally replayed the hallway scene again.
"What are you thinking about?" His deep voice made him sound more than his teenage years, and Artemis could almost imagine that she was having this conversation with someone much older.
"Remember a few days ago? Movie night? Yeah, well right before that, I was going to my room, and I bumped into Wally in the hallway. We..." She onsidered how to say the next few words. Kaldur raised an eyebrow but remained silent. "We almost...kissed. There, I said it. I almost kissed Baywatch." Kaldur sat quietly. "Um, this is the part where you give me advice. Or something."
"Oh." Artemis blushed. "Do you...?" He gestured hopelessly, but Artemis thought she knew what he meant.
"No! I mean, maybe." She sighed. "I think so. But, I mean, how could this have happened? I thought he was so annoying before. I mean, I still think he's annoying, but now there's something else."
"Why do you think something has changed?" Kaldur felt slightly less awkward as they continued. Artemis thought for a moment.
"Because...Because even though I was horrible to him, he still came for me when I needed him. He helped me see that maybe I could something more than what my father trained me to be by showing me what a hero is. And...He looked at me like I was the most beautiful girl in the world even when I was wearing sweatpants and had wet hair." She blushed at the memories.
"If I have the terminology correct, I believe that you 'like-like' him." Artemis laughed, breaking the remaining tension.
"I can't believe you just said that!" She laughed even harder at his confused face. "You 'like-like' someone when you're in first grade. But sure, I guess that works." She was suddenly serious. "What should I do? I'm no good at relationships. And what if...what if I disappoint him?" Kaldur put a hand on her shoulder.
"If he cares for you the way I think he does, there is no way that you will ever disappoint him. It is up to you what happens next." He stood to leave, and Artemis also stood.
"But my head keeps telling me that we're complete opposites."
"Then perhaps you should try listening to your heart." He smiled and hugged her. She stepped back to allow him to leave.
"Just so you know, I think you would be a great brother."
Batman stood in the control room. "Your mission is simple. We intercepted a few vigilantes and bugged them. They should lead us back to Sportsmaster. Aqualad, you and your team are to do a recon mission. And for once, please try not to make it anything more. In and out. Don't move in, just observe the routines."
"Sweet! Stakeout!" Robin and Kid Flash high-fived.
"Robin, I am serious. If you even think about getting closer than you absolutely have to-"
"Do not worry. I will make sure everything goes smoothly." Kaldur stepped forward. "We will maintain our distance after the last two missions."
"Good. Move out in one hour."
"Ok, everyone split into teams. Superboy, you and Wolf go here." He pointed to a place on the holographic map Robin had pulled up as he named each team. "M'gann and I will go here, Robin you go here, and Artemis, you stay with Wally."
"Great. I get Baywatch."
"Hey, don't complain. You might need me."
"A forrest? Seriously? How cliche can you be?" Robin gestured around. "I mean, technically it's an abondoned logging site a few miles that way, but still..."
"Everyone, to your places. Good luck. And DON'T make any moves that may result in even the possibility of you being discovered." Kaldur gave Robin a pointed look, then Kid Flash. M'gann flew off with Aqualad, Superboy and Wolf took off in the other direction, and Robin had already disappeared.
"Always with the ninja thing." Artemis shook her head. "Ok, let's go." They started walking towards their destination.
"You're so slow! Can't we go any faster?" Kid Flash gestured in an anooyed fashion.
"Hello! Not equipped with super speed, here."
"Well, nobody's perfect. Except me, that is." He grinned as Artemis rolled her eyes. "Come on! Let's get there sooner!"
"Fine! Only to shut you up." She allowed Kid Flash to scoop her up in his arms and start running. He was holding Artemis so close she could feel his heartbeat as he ran as fast as he safely could. "Um, about the other night..."
"Hey, don't worry about it. It was just a moment, right?" He kept his eyes straight ahead as they arrived at their stakeout location. They were close enough to see the compound without being in range of the security systems and they were in the blindspot of the cameras. He lightly set her down.
Artemis touched his face lightly and his brilliant green eyes lit up. "Just because it only lasted a moment doesn't mean it didn't count for something."
"Artemis, ever since I found you in that alley, I-" He was cut off by the arrival of a masked man.
"How sweet. My little girl found a boy. But you didn't ask my permission young man." Sportsmaster stepped forward.
"Sportsmaster! How did you know we were here?" Artemis drew her bow.
"Now, now, you call me father! But I can sense my own daughter. And that living ship you ride around in, of course. My highly trained mind can't be fooled by a simple camoflauge job." He held out a hand. "Now I've been more than patient. You belong at my side, not pretending to be a hero."
"She is a hero!" Kid Flash stepped in front of her.
"Ha! She's my daughter. She's just like me. I trained her, raised her, to be an assassin. You're kidding yourself if you think you can be anything else, Artemis. Now come!" He waited expectantly. Kid Flash took her hand and squeezed it reasuringly.
"No! Even if I am like you, people change! It's my life, and I choose to live it however I want!" She glared at her father. Sportsmaster looked as his daughter, then their clasped hands.
"I see." Suddenly he threw a knife with deadly accuracy. This time though, it didn't hit its target.
Artemis gasped as the knife buried itself in her stomach. Kid Flash stood speechless for less than a second. She had thrown herself in front of him so fast he hadn't had time to stop her. "Artemis!" He caught her and sat down gently with her.
"I see she has made her choice. Pity." He disappeared into the woods.
"Artemis! Artemis, stay with me! Everyone! Please help! Sportsmaster found us! Artemis is hurt and she's bleeding really bad!"
"Hold on, K.F.! I'm coming!" Robin's voice entered his head.
"M'gann and I will be there shortly! Keep her conscious!" Kaldur's voice chimed in.
"Me and Wolf are almost there!"
"Hurry guys! M'gann, send the bio-ship!" Kid Flash was starting to panic, but he stopped himself.
"Wally?" Artemis's voice was weak. Kid Flash held her hand and tried to staunch the blood flow with his other hand. He didn't dare take out the knife in case he caused more damage.
"Yeah Artemis?"
"I'm s-sorry for h-hitting you all those times." A thin trickle of blood ran down from her mouth. Kid Flash tried to laugh.
"I probably deserved most of them." Artemis's eyes started to close. "Artemis! Stay awake! You have to stay awake!" Her eyes snapped open.
"But...tired...hurts..." She sighed. "Want to sleep."
"No! Don't you dare! You stay with me! I didn't come back from the dead to have you give up on me!" He felt tears pricking his eyes.
"Stupid...weren't dead...just in...a coma. Idiot." She smiled weakly. Kid Flash was covered in her blood when the team came to their location and the bio-ship landed. "Oh...hey...guys."
"Artemis!" M'gann ran over. "You need medical attention!"
"Let me carry her, Wally. She's light to me." Superboy held out his arms. Kid Flash didn't want to let her go, but he knew that Superboy was right. The bio-ship had created a rough medical center for Artemis according to M'gann's mental commands. Kid Flash held her hand the whole way back to the cave and kept her awake. No one talked other than Kaldur calling Black Canary to tell her to get someone ready to help Artemis. Black Canary told them to go to a nearby hospital where a crash team was waiting.
"Stay awake! Stay with me!" Kid Flash avoided looking at the knife sticking out of Artemis's stomach. "I can't...I can't imagine living without you!" Artemis weakly squeezed his hand. When they arrived at the hospital, Artemis was put on a stretcher and wheeled away. Wally watched her go and whispered "Come back to me." as the only girl he had ever loved was brought into surgery.
Don't hate me for the cliffhangers, please. But do review me! Lots of reviews are nice.
