OM MY DEAR GOD! It's been nearly a month since I updated? I'm so sorry! For those of you still out there and waiting, bless you for being so loyal to me in all my 'stop updating cuz I'm depressed' glory... I'm so sorry! But this chapter.. it was just so hard to get out and.. I still don't like it.. and I have a feeling I'm going to get so flamed for this... and into another depression I go... T_T

Chapter44

Numb. She'd become numb. She didn't notice the tears that streamed down her green cheeks. The steady beep and drone of the machinery had long ago faded into the background. The burn of the sterilizers no longer tickled her nose, she'd grown so accustomed to it in the time she'd been sitting there. How had it ended this way? How it it have spiraled so badly out of control?

Of course there was no way of them knowing it was a trap. The threats had seemed legit. It was their duty to protect civilians, especially ones at high risk such as the political figure. The attempts had been getting worse on the ambassador. The close calls had called the attention of the league which had then passed it down to the team.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew it had been impossible for any of them to know it was all to lure out the team. Seems the feathers they ruffled in their short 10 months, really less, as a team had begun to play hardball.

Who could have expected an enemy to know them so intimately, to know each weakness?

Artemis had been attacked first. The blonde girl couldn't explain what it was that had saved her life, how she'd somehow dodged the dangerously accurate bullet. It was a honed instinct that had kept the archer in the land of the living that night. She'd called for backup at the first shot. She'd scoured the skyline, not finding the sniper that had tried to take her out, not until said assassin came flying at her.

Kaldur and Sparrow had been left to watch guard over the ambassador as the rest of the team converged on Artemis position. By the time they'd arrived, Artemis was in bad shape.

The archer had been in one hell of a fight. This villain was nothing like she'd fought before. He was strong, but agile. He was well trained, it had been evident in his moves. And His blows were designed to kill. No, she really didn't know how she'd survived. He was stocked with weapons, guns, amo, knives and swords. It would appear, he didn't want to risk taking the whole team on though. As everyone approached, even though he had her on the ropes, he disappeared into the night.

Artemis fought off the teams concerns after Robin had torn a strip from his cape to wrap the large bleeding gash on her arm. It really needed stitches but they were still in the middle of a mission here. She knew it would hinder her. It'd be much more difficult to pull back her bow string, if at all possible. She knew this, they knew this, it was all over their faces but she wouldn't be babied.

'Guys I could use help here!' came Sparrow frantic voice through the mental link.

"A distraction!" Robin growled out as the team once more flew to the room where they'd left their leader and young bird to guard the target of the assassination.

~o~

Sparrow paused, shoulders tense as the familiar chill ran up her spine. They were being watched. Her sudden stop, mid step, had caught the attention of Aqualad. The two shared a gaze, communicating silently to one another. With a slight movement of hand Sparrow signaled to cover the ambassador. There was a slight raise of an eyebrow from Kaldur but he made to move to the mans side none the less. Kaldur whispered in the mans ear. "I believe we should move-" He began. The man began to stand, freezing as the attention of the heroes was drawn behind Sparrow where an tall, intimidating figure stood. Instinctively Kaldurs hands went for his water-bearers, Sparrows hands sliding her staff from the holster on her thigh, extending it to full length.

Sparrows heart began pounding in her chest at the image of the enemy, the duel colored mask, featureless on one dark side. The name caught in her throat. "Slade... " Trying to swallow around the lump forming in her throat she sent out the s.o.s. to the others

'you know him?' Came Kaldurs demand as he blocked the view of the ambassador from the new enemy.

"Well." Came Sparrows raspy answer. They weren't ready for Slade.. Dick wasn't ready for Slade...

"Who'd have thought it'd take my services to take out a bunch of kids." Came Slades amused voice. Sparrow glowered. 'Call in the league' Sparrow called to Megan. Slade was slippery, they'd need experience and strength on this one. In her heart she was calling for Bruce. She was not ready for this, especially with such a green team.

'Any idea-' An explosion rocked the small room, accompanied by the scream Kaldur let out as the small device on his back exploded just seconds after the 'ambassador' had stuck it to him and ducked for cover. The flames that burst from the explosive burned at Kaldurs skin, sending the Atlantian to the ground in excruciating pain.

"Aqualad!" Sparrow cried, turning to see the boy go limp on the ground. The imposter ambassador was quickly approaching the prone figure. She was quick to slide across the floor to their leaders rescue, kicking out the mans legs from below him. The blade fell from his hands, slicing at her uniform, leaving a very thin line across her upper arm. Her heart pounding in her ears she had barely a second to spin, blocking the downward slice of a sword with her staff. Her arms shook under the pressure as she looked up to the singular eye. 'Help...' She squeaked out mentally.

Her plea was answered as an explosive tipped arrow landed near Slades feet, giving the assassin enough reason to pull back with only a breath for Sparrow to shield both Kaldur and herself from it's detonation. "Remember me!" Came Artemis' angered voice as she notched another arrow, the others gathering around her.

With a mighty roar Conner lunged at the man. He flew through the air, fists raised and poised to knocked the man through the far end of the building. Yet, strangly enough, the closer he got to the man, the weaker he felt. A short distance from the heavily armed man her fell to the ground, vision swimming and stomach churning. His chest was on fire but his skin was pricked in goosebumps. It was hard just to breath.

The others paused in their advance at seeing Superboy on his knees before the enemy. They stared in awe as the small glowing green rock was pulled from one of the many pouches strapped across the mans chest. It seemed to be attached to some sort of metal, a collar they realized far too late as it closed around Conners neck. The clone reached up weakly, gasping in puffs of air. He reached for his gun...

This arrow was much closer, aimed directly for the mans chest. A risky move to take on an exploding trick arrow. Had Slade not been armored the way Sparrow knew him to be, it'd have risked mortal injury. The man was blown back and KF and Artemis closed in against him

"M, I need you to get that collar off of Supey! Go!" Came Robins command as he headed into the fray. Throwing a birdarang he dodged a kick, "Sparrow! Get Agualad to a safe distance!"

Sparrow breath was harsh in those desperate seconds where she debated with herself. The team wasn't ready for him! She shouldn't leave them! But Kaldur would be in danger until he awoke if he was left laying their.'Damn it!' She cursed to herself. 'Where's Bruce!' Heart still pounding against her ribs she made the decision to drag Kal to safety, then return to fight till the league came,

But her throat closed as she looked to Slade, his guns raised, pointed to KF. But his target wasn't KF. Slade already knew them, knew their strengths, their weaknesses. She knew he did, therfore knew he was expecting Wally to move. He was counting on it. His weapons were aimed at M'gann and Conner who were crouched on the ground a short distance from Wally.

The shot was fired, Wally dodged... There wasn't time for the cry to leave her mouth before her legs were moving..

Megan used her strength to break the collar around Conners neck, pulling the painful weapon away from his skin. Conner was still breathing heavy, even after she tossed the offending collar some distance to the other side of the building. Her hands flew to Superboys face, lifting it gently to look into her eyes. Through them she poured all her concern to which Superboy shook his head, groaning before nodding to her.

She heard the gun shot, back stiffening as she turned, the world moving in slow motion as she watched Wally speed away, the bullets having already passed him and less than two feet from her. Fear filled her as she tried to make her body move. Her vision became black.

The full speed of the world came rushing back, even faster than normal as she was thrown back into Conner who crumbled, being thrown back some himself in his weakened condition, a heavy, wet weight on top of her. Looking down she could see the blood pooling around the small bird that lay motionless in her arms, smoking holes burned into the kevlar reinforced suit in her upper torso. "Sparrow!" She called, short of breath, the stench of blood making her sick.

"Nooooo!"

She heard Robin scream, but it seemed so distant. From somewhere above she heard glass shattering and the flutter of a cape and the rage of a fight but it was all muddled as the life giving liquid oozed through her shaking fingers. The chest beneath her huffed as it struggled to drag in gargled breaths.

~o~

She didn't know how she ended up here, standing at her bedside. It was like everything that happened was just some whirl wind, having only lasted seconds in what she knew had to be hours.

She remembered Robin fighting against Wally and Conner when they got Sparrow back to the emergency med bay at the mountain. She remembered him turning to punch the wall, leaving a crater into the solid wall, doing so again and again until he was leaving blood behind, falling to his knees.

She remembered the defeated look in Artemis eyes as she look over to the Martian. She could remember the calloused fingers of the archer landing on her shoulder and the whispered words urging her away from the room.

But she didn't move. She couldn't. Her whole body was numb and cold. All except the blood still staining her green hands which burned at her life acid.

And yet somehow, as she looked to the younger girl laying motionless on the bed attached to so many machines, her mind was reeling, trying to find just one answer.

Why?

Why did she take the bullets for her? She could have become intangible. She could have pushed the bullet away with a psycic blow... If only she hadn't been frozen..

But why? After all the things Megan had said..all she's thought of the young girl. Why? Wouldn't it have been easier with Megan out of the way?

Why...?

The tears had begun anew, her eyes already red and puffed. She gave no more than a hitched breath when a familiar hand landed on her shoulder. Silence reigned for a few moments more before the familiar probe tickled her mind. 'Because she was your friends M'gann' Came J'onns calming voice. 'She protected you, because she cares.' M'gann let out a choked sob, knowing that her 'uncle' knew everything that had happened, everything they'd said to each other, all the betrayal she'd felt, the look on Sparrows face at being accused of doing such horrible things. She had let it all pour into the older Martian and yet, all she could feel was the reassurances of her uncle that everything would be okay, that Sparrow had done it knowing Megann would do the same for her. Still. It lingered.

Why?