This is the longest chapter so far- I didn't really know how to leave it, and I wasn't sure about another unhappy chapter ending but wellllllll you'll see.

Time stretched into a haze of dreams and cold reality, then shrank back into the present. He didn't know how long it had been, or whether he had been conscious or not, but the steel door opened and there she was, something like a gasp falling from her mouth and she was by his side, unlocking the handcuffs and propping him up against the wall. Wally looked pointedly away from her, willing his breathing to slow down and smooth out, his limbs to stop shaking even though the electric charge had long passed.

"You took your time." He muttered, with bitterness to rival the sour tang of blood between his teeth. Archer girl was silent, but Wally wasn't done yet.

"I get that we aren't exactly close or anything, but it would've been nice to know- no, I think I deserved to know, because I've been putting up with a hell of a lot of-"

"Shut up." She was still crouched next to him, fight or flight instincts at war on the battleground of her features.

Wally persisted. His nerves were taut and his body was exhausted and he just wanted someone else to feel like he did.

"Y'know, I thought you were okay, I thought you might be different, I guess- I thought you were at least a little bit good, but I was wrong-"

"I said shut up."

Archer girl was bordering on snarling, but Wally continued, unperturbed. He wanted to enjoy this.

"And it makes me wonder what else you've lied about, what if-"

"I never lied!"

"Sorry, baby girl." The girl's eyes widened. Somehow, the smirk didn't fit right on his face, but the speedster wore it nonetheless. "But you didn't exactly tell the truth."

Something deeper than silence fell upon the cell, and Wally took a moment to record the transition of expressions on Archer girl's face. Shock. Disgust. Loathing. Fury. She drew an arm back like the string of her bow, and he braced himself for the attack. But it never came.

Instead, the fist was loosened and the girl stumbled away, her fingers making nests in her hair, her mouth making noises of frustration.

She cursed, then finally, turned back to the speedster, her eyes ablaze. Her hands found the material at his neck and pulled him up, back against the wall, feet only brushing the ground. When she spoke, her voice was a growl from the back of her throat and her nose was a hair's width from his.

"I don't have to tell you any of this, okay? I never had to tell you anything in the first place but you know what? I did, I stitched your bloody shoulder and I told you about your stupid friends, so if anyone deserves anything, then it's me and I deserve your respect. And I don't have to tell you this either, but I will, if only to stop you feeling like such a goddamn martyr and acting like you're better than me, and that that somehow gives you the right to take me on a freaking guilt trip- because you don't, and you aren't, and you sure as hell never will be."

Wally didn't say anything. After the girl finished glaring, she released him and the speedster collapsed to the floor, gasping. From the ground, Wally watched the blonde girl sigh, sit down in front of him, and begin to talk.

"You wanted the truth? Fine. My Dad, as you so aptly guessed, is Sportsmaster. My mother is- was, Huntress. My sister is Cheshire. Great family, huh? I didn't stand a freaking chance. Dad trained me and my sister up to be like him, made us do these assignments. I'll leave what we had to do to your imagination. About a month ago, I was sent out to 'eliminate' some guy. Nice way to say kill. A politician, I guess, it didn't really matter. I did everything right: I broke in one night, disabled security, found him sleeping. I could've just done it. Just like that. One arrow, straight through the heart. Over. But I freaked out, the guy woke up, I barely managed to get out alive. Dad was furious, and I wasn't allowed another assignment until I proved myself... Which is why I'm stuck watching you."

It took a while for Wally to process the information. Her honesty had taken him aback, and he wasn't quite sure how to respond. Eventually, one word settled on his tongue.

"Okay."

A crease formed between archer girl's eyebrows, and Wally noticed the bruise on her jaw was darker than before.

"Wait, what?" She asked.

"It's okay. Um, thanks. For telling me."

They shared something of a smile.

"Yeah, well, you won't be thanking me in a minute." Archer girl turned to pick up a small box from the corner of the cell, and Wally stiffened.

"...Why not?" He asked, suspicious.

"I need to take the stitches out your shoulder." The girl returned with the box- a first aid kit, from which she took a pair of tweezers and some surgical scissors. "And I can't do that until you take the top part off that stupid outfit of yours."

Seeing Wally hesitate, the blonde continued. "Or I can do it, I mean, I had to have you shirtless when you needed stitching up in the first place. Nothing I haven't seen before."

The speedster's face suddenly matched his hair, and he dropped his head to mumble "fine", before unzipping his costume and peeling it off his arms and chest, the material collecting at his waist. Inky blue and purple splotches on his ribs caught his eye, and he crossed his arms before the blonde saw. Archer girl leaned over as she pulled away the bandages, and Wally hissed when cool air hit the cut on his shoulder.

"Wuss." She murmured in response, but softened when she saw his eyes cloud with pain. "I'd give you something to stop it hurting, but there's nothing in the box. Also, I can hardly go up and ask Rha's if he's got a spare paracetamol 'cause Kid Flash has a boo-boo."

"It is so not a boo-boo." Wally replied tersely.

"You bet it is."

"How many stitches?"

"...Twelve."

"That's no boo-boo, that's a serious injury."

"I'll agree if you stop saying boo-boo."

"Hey, you started it."

"And I'll finish it too if you don't shut up."

Wally shut up pretty quickly after that. He fixed his stare on a particularly interesting wall-stain as archer girl cut the stitches, then began to pull them out, one by one. He especially tried to ignore how close their faces were, and how warm her breath was on his skin. Stop it, Wall-man, she's the enemy. It's her fault you're still here, you still have the bruises from when she kicked you, her dad was torturing you a few hours ago, she's a Shadow, she's a killer, she's- gently rubbing your shoulder with her thumb as she pulls the stitches out, she's got her eyes half closed and the lashes almost meet, she smells like... Engine oil and chocolate, dangerous and-

Wally blinked himself out of his trance, shaking his head a little and in turn moving his shoulder just as archer girl took hold of a stitch with the tweezers. The pain made him groan a little, his fingers digging furrows in his arms.

"Please tell me you're almost done." He said through clenched teeth.

"About halfway." Was the answer. Wally closed his eyes and prayed they'd take him somewhere else. The pain only amplified, the stitches pulling at his flesh and dragging up the skin. Cold steel tickled his scabbed wound, making his muscles contract and stretch the cut wider, like a mouth trying to open.

"Artemis."

The speedster opened his eyes, and archer girl's grey pupils gazed back.

"What?"

"That's my name. Artemis."

Wally smiled at her. "I like it." He said. "It suits you." Archer girl- Artemis smiled back, then frowned and jerked her hand away from his shoulder as one final stitch was ripped free. He gasped, his breathing coarse for a few seconds, but then the pain subsided and he reached up tentatively, his fingers mapping the raised skin, the tender tautness of it. The speedster looked to Artemis, about to acknowledge her for her help, only to see her gaze lowered to his chest. Carefully, the blonde reached out, her hand brushing his bruised ribs. She frowned, then seemed to feel Wally's eyes on her, and snatched her hand away, turning back to the box and taking out another roll of bandage.

"I don't want it getting infected, the bandage is just for protection." Artemis explained, her voice a little brusque as she wrapped the bandage around his shoulder. "That's why I took the stitches out early, I didn't want to risk it... I also didn't know how fast you heal, I was told that super speed can accelerate healing..."

"Only if I've got enough spare energy." Wally explained. "And I only have spare energy if I've eaten enough. Which I haven't." As if to reinforce his point, the speedster's stomach grumbled a loud complaint.

Artemis was silent, but Wally could almost hear her thoughts as they flickered behind her eyes.

"Wait here." She tied off the bandage and was at the door in a heartbeat.

"I don't really have much choice- where are you going?"

"Just wait!"

The blonde girl disappeared from the cell, and Wally called out just as the door closed:

"I'm here all day!"

Minutes crept by, and Wally pulled his costume back on. He thought about pulling the cowl over his face, but ended up leaving it crumpled at the nape of his neck. No use in wearing it now, he had nothing left to hide. As it often did, his mind turned to the team. It had been days, maybe a week now. The rescue missions he had undertaken: finding those missing people had taken hours at the most, and they were just people. He was kid flash, young hero, loved protege, admired and respected throughout the league and Central City. So why hadn't they found him yet?

He was interrupted when the door opened again to reveal a shifty looking Artemis, a bundle of blankets in her arms. She glanced out the door before closing it, her cheeks flushed, and moved towards him, where Wally caught the scent of- dear god, was that stuffed crust? Mozzarella, tomato sauce, double pepperoni... His nose's suspicions were confirmed when Artemis put the bundle down and unwrapped the blanket, revealing three pizza boxes. A waterfall of saliva pooled in Wally's mouth and he looked at the boxes like they were a breath of air and he was a drowning man.

"Are they... Is that...?"

Artemis just sat and held out a box. Wally took it without any further questions, ripping the cardboard as he prised it open, and began to devour the gorgeous, heavenly, wondrous pizza before she changed her mind and took it away.

Half interested, half disgusted, Artemis watched Wally stack two slices of meat feast and eat them like a sandwich, his eyes rolling back in apparent ecstasy.

"I didn't know what toppings you liked, so I just got a bunch of different ones..." She tried to say, but was interrupted by Wally moaning between mouthfuls. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to order pizza here?"

"Yhoo ordha eeht?" He asked, mid-mouthful.

"Yeah, I wasn't going to go out myself, I just called, and now there are, apart from Shadows, an exclusive group of two people who have seen this base."

"Da peesha guy?"

"You and him. And lemme tell you, he looked terrified."

"Whay?"

"It's like, two in the morning. Dark. Some random girl is waiting on an abandoned street corner for three large boxes of pizza. Anyone would have their suspicions."

"Choo een a moonen?"

"Yup, no better time for a two-hours-past-midnight feast."

"Wha abouh da Shaa-howsh?"

"Oh, the others don't know. Dad would blow a fuse if he found out, but I don't think anyone checks the budget account closely enough to notice a few pizzas being bought on Shadow money. The blankets helped me sneak it past the guards."

"Hank hoo."

"It's okay. Think of it as... getting even. After what my dad did to you; I guess I owed you something. Three pizzas in return for two hours of- whatever. Anyway, we're even now. You don't get to punch me in the face, I won't use that stupid remote on you anymore. Deal?"

Wally's mouth froze, the last piece of crust having just passed his lips. He chewed, thoughtful, for a few seconds, and this time, spoke after he had swallowed.

"Artemis. You don't have to do this." She started to speak, but he interrupted. "No, not this-" gesturing to the pizza, he continued- "But this: making excuses for your dad, making up for what he does. You don't have to do that, Artemis, and you don't have to feel like you should. I... You're not a bad person, and you don't deserve this-"

"Shut up."

"-and you can have better: a normal life, away from here. The League can help you, Artemis, they don't hold grudges and they help people who need helping, people like you-"

"Stop it, just stop."

"-when they come, I can tell them, you can come with us, you can have a future- you said so yourself, you said-"

"I SAID SHUT. UP." Artemis exploded, standing over him, bow in hand, eyes ablaze. Wally found himself shrinking into the wall.

"I was just-"

"They're not coming, okay? Your stupid team, your stupid Justice League- they're not coming for you! It's been over a week, don't you think they would have been here by now?" Her voice suddenly softened, maybe from his expression, or maybe from her words. "Just give up. It's easier, I promise. It'll hurt less if you just tell them what you know and get it over with. But you're right about me, West. I'm not a bad person, I'm a freaking awful one. I'm a murderer and a liar and a thief, and redemption isn't an option for me so just shut up and eat your pizza and let me not care about you, because I don't want to."

Wally felt her words sink into him like a knife to the gut. He felt cold, alone, and her words wrapped around his throat like a noose. They're not coming they're not coming they're not coming. The words didn't stop him from finishing the remaining two pizzas, but when she led him to the toilet, minutes later, their grip around his neck tightened and he vomited in the sink, hands clammy and shaking as they struggled to hold him up. He walked out, almost certain that Artemis knew what had happened, but she gave away no clues, her face stone. Before she left the cell, having re-shakled his ankle and collected discarded pizza boxes, she nudged the blankets towards him with her foot.

"Might as well keep them." She mumbled, then left.

Their warmth did little to fill the hollowness inside Wally as he curled up on the mattress, cocooned in the blankets. His friends weren't coming, the stained walls told him. The League doesn't care, chimed the pipes. He was alone. Desperately, painfully alone, and as Wally contemplated this, felt the awful gaping weight of his aloneness, a silent tear slipped down his cheek.

Thank you to all the lovely people who left reviews! You made my day.