HELLO! I'm not in any way proud of myself. 5 months without updating, I am an awful human being. I'm not getting any better at this updating business. L I know you're probably bored of all my excuses so I won't say anything unless you really want me to. AND I'M REALLLLLLY SORRRRRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER ESPECIALY WITH THAT CLIFF HANGER BUT I'M HERE NOW SO YAY! Anyway, I left you on a bit of a cliff hanger, didn't I? Ooooooohhhhh I wonder what's going to happen? Actually, I don't wonder because I wrote it and I know what happens, but you do wonder! This is going to be an interesting and a shippy chapter! The result of the voting is in and the result is...
Millie is staying! Yay! I'm being honest, I kind of wanted her to stay, and I'm glad you guys agree! Anyway, on with the story...
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Young Justice in any way shape or form (yet).
Dick's P.O.V.
We got out of the park as quick as possible, I don't know if the Sports Master recognised us or even looked at us for that matter but I didn't want to risk anything, he got our secret identities a while ago, and we've never really been able to get rid of that information from his databases. He hasn't been a problem until now, and we've got everyone on high alert, just in case anyone we care about is in danger.
"I don't get it," Millie, who was still really confused (kind of obviously because of what she just said), "Why are we running from some guy if you don't do drugs?" Wally stopped in his tracks with Millie stopping alongside him since he had been holding onto her arm.
"Look. Our friend is in the hospital at the moment, in a coma, and the person we're running from is her dad. Long story short: He abandoned her and left her alone when her mum was... ill, so she was left to fend for herself, then a few years back, he came back and tried to kidnap her and a few of her friends- including us- but he failed and ran away from the police. Now he's back and we kind of don't want to be seen. Got it?" Millie stood there with an open mouth, processing what Wally had just told her. She then nodded and we carried on running, well, it was more like speed walking since we were getting further and further away from the park. Once we were outside Wayne Manor we stopped.
"Shouldn't we call the police?" Millie said, panting slightly.
"Yes, you're right, I'll go and do that- Wally, take her inside, get her a drink- you know where the kitchen is."
"Take me inside where? Unless we're going into Wayne Manor, there's nowhere to go."
"Oh yeah, did I forget to mention he's Bruce Wayne's ward?" Wally said, grinning.
"WHAT? No way! Are you serious? No! Really? You're Bruce Wayne's ward?" I smiled and nodded, then I walked up to the gate, entered the password and had a facial recognition scan and a retina scan and a thumb print scan and a voice recognition thing and a four digit number. I told you, Bruce really amped up the security after the Joker's last attack. Wally did the same, and then when it came to Millie she just sort of stood there staring.
"Yeah, I don't think I'm registered with any of that."
"Oh yeah, sorry, Bruce is kind of protective and paranoid."
"Yeah, I can tell... But to be honest, I'd do the same if I had that amount of money."
"Override syste New Data Entry, name: Millie...?"
"Philips."
"Name: Millie Philips."
"Please enter password." The machine said. Wally laughed; he always finds it funny when it talks, only because it's Alfred's voice, but more robot-y.
"Now type in a password-" I stopped, my phone rang, it was Bruce, "Sorry, I've got to get this." I moved out of earshot and braced myself for what was coming up next- I'm pretty sure he's annoyed about me eating all of the cookie dough ice-cream- hey it's a tough time what with Artemis and everything, you can't blame me.
"Someone is entering new data at the Manor, Millie Philips? Do you recognise the name?" Phew.
"Uh, yeah, I'm with her right now, she's a friend and it's kind of urgent."
"A good friend?"
"Well we only just met, but she's cool."
"You only just met and you're letting her in just because she's 'cool'? What about background checks? She could be working with anyone- she could be working for the Joker- or the Sports Master- AND YOU'RE JUST LETTING HER IN BECAUSE SHE'S 'COOL'?"
"No- Bruce. No. I've done background checks and she's clean," Not a lie, I first did them when Wally mentioned her to me and I knew her last name, it's just they usually find it creepy when I mention something they haven't told me, " The only problem is that she once got a D on a Maths test. Seriously. She's fine. Oh and about the Sports Master actually- now that you've mentioned it- funny story-"
"How can it be funny if it's got the Sports Master involved?"
"Right. Not so funny, but still it's a story. So I was in the park, with Wally and this girl, and then, all of a sudden- BAM! I saw the Sports Master and I was like 'shit' and-"
"Language."
"Sorry, and so I was like 'we've got to go', so we went and then we ended up at the Manor and I said to Wally that he needed to go and get the girl a drink because she was kind of shocked and then I was going to call you but her details weren't in the database yet, so she had to add them in and then you called me and you know the rest."
"Did he see you?"
"No. Well, I don't think so, I wasn't really looking just in case he saw my face but I don't think so. Oh and I think he's after Artemis, because, you know, she can't really defend herself at the moment."
"Ok, we'll put out tabs on him and I want all of you to take shifts looking after Artemis and Paula, just in case. As for the girl..."
"Millie."
"As for Millie, get her registered and then let her in, we'll keep an eye on her once she's gone to make sure she's safe."
"Ok. But what about Artemis' secret identity?"
"We'll have to risk it, it is life or death and I'm pretty sure she'd choose life."
"Ok."
"Oh and Richard?"
"Yeah?"
"You'll pay for eating all of that cookie dough." And then he hung up. Well, that didn't go as bad as I thought it would, but I'm going to have to watch my back for a while, Bruce can be pretty dangerous when I've eaten all the ice-cream.
I walked back over to the other two, just to find that they had finished registering Millie.
"How did you do that?"
"You're not the only one that knows how to do it, I've done it before too, remember?"
"Yeah, okay, stop trying to show off."
"I am not trying to show off!"
"Yeah right." Millie said, raising her eyebrows. She looked at the house and her expression changed into one of awe.
"I actually can't believe I'm going into Bruce Wayne's house! Wait. This is kind of weird, I barely know you guys and now I'm going to your house? I need to be more careful. Oh well, I know you guys are cool."
"How?" Wally asked.
"Well, for one, I know this is Bruce Wayne's house, and he adopts children and funds schools and gives scholarships to people who can't afford it, so I doubt he's trying to kidnap me. And two, no one could fake being such a bad flirter all the time." She smiled and I laughed, Wally stopped, looking mightily offended.
When we got to the door, we went through all of the security again and then Alfred opened it.
"Hello Richard, Wally. And who's this? Your girlfriend?" Alfred asked Wally who replied with,
"I wish."
"Ha ha. I'm Millie, nice to meet you!"
"The pleasure is all mine. Shall I take your bag and your coat?"
"Oh, no thank you, I'm alright." She moved forward and when Alfred had his back turned she mouthed, 'you have a butler!?' with a shocked look on her face. Wally and I laughed and we went into the kitchen.
"This place is amazing!" she said.
"You get used to it." Wally said. They smiled at each other and she rolled her eyes when he winked.
"I'll leave you two alone and call the police about it." I said and walked out to Millie saying: 'Please don't leave me alone with him!'
I went to the Bat Cave and got dressed into my Robin clothes, I then called Mount Justice and Connor and Megan answered.
"Oh, hey Rob! What's wrong? Is Artemis okay?" Megan said, looking concerned.
"Well, she's fine as far as I know, but she could be in danger."
"Why?" Connor asked, mirroring Megan's face.
"Could you just get everyone else, they need to hear this too."
"Of course." They went off screen for a bit and then came back with everyone else.
"What's wrong?" Black Canary asked. So I told them about the Sports Master, Millie and what Bruce told me about Artemis and Paula.
"Wow, okay. Um... Red and Kaldur, you see if you can find Sports Master and keep an eye on him. Megan and Connor, you keep an eye on Paula and I will look after Artemis, we'll swap every hour." Black Canary said.
"Actually, Canary, could Wally and I go to Artemis? It's just that we're closer to the hospital and someone needs to look after the Cave."
"Of course."
"It's because he wants to be close to her." Megan whispered.
"I can still hear you."
"But it's true." Maybe just a bit.
"No it's not, now let's go." I hung up and put my head in my hands. This is stressful. I went back to the kitchen and saw Millie and Wally talking and laughing together. They seem to be getting along very nicely.
"So, lovebirds, I've got to go, I answered all of the police's questions just now and you can go if you want to. Maybe you could walk her home Wally?"
"Maybe, if that's alright with you?" He asked her, she nodded and smiled, looking a little bit flushed. Aww.
"But, quickly, can I have a word?"
"Yeah." I took him outside the room and told him about our plan to help Artemis.
"Okay, you sure you don't need any help, I can always tell her something came up?"
"Woah! You're offering to stand up a girl to help Artemis?"
"It's not standing up if it's actually true, and if you ever tell her about this I'll kill you."
"Yeah yeah, okay, but, honestly, it's fine, I'll live."
"Okay, but go as Robin, with your tech, just in case."
"Sure. Have fun with Millie!"
"Oh, I will!" He laughed and they walked out together, just like a couple.
As soon as I was ready, I left with a sprint, climbing over rooftops and catching lifts on the undersides of lorries, just so I could get there quickly. I know my feelings for Artemis are getting stronger the longer she's away, and it's annoying, I don't particularly want these feeling for her, because it might get in the way of our friendship, but it hurts knowing that she could possibly die and I never got to tell her, even if I didn't realise I had those feelings before. I want to be able to tell her, but I don't want to jeopardise anything and even if I did want to tell her, I can't because she's in a coma, and even if she wasn't in a coma, she probably wouldn't reciprocate any of my feelings. So there are at least three reasons I shouldn't (or can't) tell her. But I still want to.
I got to the hospital about an hour and a half since we last saw the Sports Master, and I know that just half an hour would have been enough for him to get her, but I hope, I really hope, that he hasn't got to her yet. I just turned the last corner before Artemis' window, when I saw someone climbing in through the window, I guess it's bad that my first thought was: 'Hey that's my job' but then my second thought was to run up silently behind them and grab them and throw them onto the ground. But when I did that, I realised it wasn't a 45 year old man at all, they were too small for that, and they couldn't have been a woman, because they were too small for even that, so I've come to the conclusion that it was a teenage girl.
"Artemis?" I said, but that was wrong, I had seen her in the room when I got this person out of the window. I hesitated, and then decided to take off their mask, but that hesitation was just enough for them to attack by throwing me off of them and kicking me in the face, I felt my nose start bleeding and my lip split open, but I got up and ran after them, throwing a net grenade after her. It landed and the net flew out, capturing her in the process. I ran up to the tangled body and turned it over, the mask had been covering her whole face but it had risen up during the chaos to reveal a mouth full of wonky teeth.
"Please don't kill me!" The mouth said, spitting on me in the process.
"What? I'm not going to kill you."
"Oh thank God!" 5 globs of spit are now just sitting on my face.
"Why were you climbing through that window?"
"What? Me?"
"Who else would I be asking?"
"Right yes um... Why was I climbing through the window? Well, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for that." I really have to resist the temptation to wipe my face now.
"Well, I'd like to hear it."
"Well-" She then tried to head butt me and run away but she missed and she just sort of fell sideways. I then had had enough, I pulled her mask off, wiping all the spit off of my face at the same time, I looked back down and my mouth opened in amazement/disgust. It was Hannah Minestrone. I just about restrained myself from shouting her name in disbelief, when I heard her crying.
"I-I-I-I'm s-s-sorry!" I didn't know what to do I had never really had to handle a crying criminal before, so I just sort of stared at her.
"I-I-I was just jealous because my b-b-boyfriend was saying that they were together and s-so I thought i-if he thought she was dead th-then he would love me-e-e!" She whined the last part.
"Boyfriend?"
"Well, he doesn't know it yet." Yeah, you think?
"You were the one that messed up the machine?" She nodded, sobbing too hard to speak. I was getting mad. Really mad.
"You made all of her family, all of her friends, believe that she was dead? Just so you could get a guy to like you? Well, let me tell you, after this, he is never going to speak to you or even look at you ever again. You have ruined everything. You do realise, her mother still believes she is dead? Her mother is still mourning the loss of her daughter! And it is all your fault! You have ruined the chance of her mother ever believing her daughter is well and safe ever again. You have destroyed her life! What is wrong with you? All this for a guy that you like? You are just a pathetic, selfish bitch that doesn't deserve anyone's love." I said all of this with a straight face, but with anger pouring into every word.
"Give me one reason that I shouldn't shove you into Belle Reve right now."
"I-I-I-"She stuttered, but was cut off by a smash of glass and a scream. 'Artemis' I thought before leaving Hannah on the ground and sprinting towards her room. I saw a tray on the floor with a broken vase and flowers, with a nurse standing just behind it with her arms up, tears rolling down her cheeks. She was staring at something standing over Artemis, she was staring at someone.
The Sports Master.
He was standing over her with a small pistol pointed at the nurse, and a machete in his other hand. He gently used the machete to move a piece of Artemis' hair out of her face without cutting her. I crouched down behind the window slowly, but still gave myself a view of what was going on, I needed to wait for the right moment to attack.
"Beautiful, isn't she? She gets that from her mother, you know. But her eyes, those she gets from me." He moved the machete with the same gentle motion down her jaw, and then flicked it up when it came to the point of her chin.
"It's a shame she fights against me, she was always my favourite daughter, the other one was just too... too much like her mother." He put the blade down on the bed and turned to the nurse, still pointing the pistol at her head.
"Tell me, do you have any children... Helen?" He gestured to her name badge. Helen nodded, sobbing silently.
"Well, if you want to see them again, as I'm sure you do, I'd listen to my instructions very carefully." She nodded again, awaiting his instructions. But they never came. I had taken the opportunity to jump through the window and tackle him to the ground, ripping the pistol from him in the process.
"Run!" I shouted to the nurse and she ran out, just as he stood up, with me still on his back, and rammed me into the wall. I started strangling him as I unwrapped my legs and shoved my feet into his back, right through the window. I managed to do a back flip off of him, right before I went through the window too. I rushed to Artemis' side to check that she was still breathing. She was.
"Right Artemis, I need to get you out of here, unconscious or not, but conscious is preferable, so please wake up." Just before I could start removing all of the wires and tubes, the Sports Master came back in and punched me in the jaw; I could already feel the bruise starting to form. I was knocked to the ground by the force and I scrambled to my feet just about quick enough to dodge a foot that was aimed at my ribs I used this to grab his leg and twist it around and propel him out of the window again.
"Conscious is definitely going to help this situation Artemis, so I am begging you, please get up." I said this while pulling various tubes and wires out of her. I was whispering close to her ear, but I don't exactly know why, maybe she can hear better like that? I don't know. Anyway, I was done with the tubes, now all I need is Artemis to wake up. Outside, I heard Sports Master groaning as he was getting up. I whispered even more urgently to her now, needing, wanting her to wake up.
"Right, okay Artemis-" I whispered the rest in her ear, and by some amazing miracle, she heard me and I saw her eyes open right as I was hit over the head and blacked out.
ME: YAY! Done! I did an extra long chapter just because I felt really bad for leaving you waiting for ages and ages but there we go!
WALLY: Huh... so Arty is awake, Robin is unconscious, I have a girlfriend and Bruce has a thing for cookie dough ice cream. This is just getting weirder and weirder.
ME: Millie isn't your girlfriend yet! And I just decided that Bruce was the type of guy that would like cookie dough. So what?
WALLY: So nothing, it's just a little odd, that's all. And what do you mean she's not my girlfriend?
ME: Not your girlfriend yet, I said yet.
WALLY: So when will she be?
ME: STOP ASKING QUESTIONS AND WAIT! You need to be patient! (Not you lovely readers though, I love you guys)
WALLY:*Sulks in corner*
ME: Thanks for reading and please review! Lots of Love
~Anonymouswriter713
WALLY:*Still sulking*