Seeing as the last couple chapters were rather dark and gloomy, I tried to make this one a little more lighthearted. Not sunshine-and-rainbows, but an optimistic sort of angsty hurting, y'know?
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There was a border between him and Artemis in the following days. A wall. She was there when he woke, and still sitting in the corner when he fell asleep, but her presence, her being, was missing. She didn't speak. She didn't even look at him. His food came with nothing but reproachful silence, and though he swore the portion of grey mush was bigger, less lukewarm and more hot, the evidence of her caring was overturned by Artemis' dull-eyed gaze, her placid expression. Conversation, Wally soon concluded, was not a wise choice, and his boredom swelled as the hours of nothing stacked up like the arrows the blonde girl had resumed sharpening. Events took a turn for the worse when the armed men burst through the door again, dread filling Wally like it was poison in his veins.
They took him to the questioning room, Sportsmaster already there, but Wally hardly felt like cracking a joke or firing a lame insult. He just stood, hands cuffed behind his back, head hanging. Resigned.
Artemis hadn't followed him, but an armed guard escorted her in a minute later. Still, she wouldn't look at Wally, but she wouldn't look at Sportsmaster either.
"I need the remote, baby girl. Where is it?"
Artemis swallowed. Her eyes flicked to Wally, only for a second, before she licked her lips and replied.
"I... I lost it."
Nobody breathed. The man in the hockey mask advanced in her, taking slow, easy strides forward until their noses were inches apart. Wally didn't even see his arm move, but all of a sudden, Artemis was on the floor, gasping. A guard, seeing Wally move to help, pressed the barrel of a gun against his throat. He could only watch as Artemis got to her feet, only to be struck down a second time. She had the remote, he was sure, she had taken it out her pocket when she restrung her bow, he had seen her pocket it again, seconds later. What was she doing?
"Useless." Sportsmaster muttered, watching his daughter find her feet and stand, shaking. "Get out of my sight."
In seconds, Artemis was gone, but Wally was sure she glanced at him, for a heartbeat, before she left. Now he felt truly alone, a lead weight of dread in his throat but he refused to follow Artemis' advice: 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. No. He was better than this. He was Kid Flash, he was a hero, he was not going to give up, not going to give in. Not now, not ever.
When the first question came, he just grinned and shook his head. An uppercut to the jaw was his only reward. On the second, he staggered sideways from the force of a right hook, and after the third, he was face down on the ground, blood streaming from his mouth like it was trying to escape the ringing in his ears. Not giving in. Hindered somewhat by the handcuffs, he stood up again. And was knocked down. Not giving in. The mouth blood was joined by an impressive flow from his nose. Not giving in. His ribs ignited, one, two, three, four times. Not giving in. He was picked up and thrown against a wall. Not giving in, he thought, his face leaving a red smear on the concrete. Not giving in.
"I'm going to make this nice and easy for you, kid." Sportsmaster had him up against the wall, hands around his throat. "Your mentor's name, and I won't strangle you right here and now."
Wally didn't quite manage a smile, but he looked right into the villain's eyes as he swore, then spat a spray of red in his face. He was on the floor a second later, head pulsing, when a foot landed on his shoulder and pressed against it, pushing it in a direction shoulders are not supposed to go. The intensity of his own scream masked the sickening pop, but did nothing to hide the raw, throbbing agony, and when Sportsmaster picked him up again, his screams only increased in volume. Not giving in. Not giving in. Not giving in. His face was wet with tears or blood or both, but he had made his mind up, his stubborn, speedster mind, and he was not going to let a single word slip.
In a way, it was a relief when his head smacked against a wall hard enough to knock him out, cold.
-o-
Ouch, was Wally's waking thought, a low groan following in quick succession. Someone was playing a samba drum inside his head, and someone else was having a great time with a pneumatic drill and his shoulder. Yaaaay.
Opening his eyes was like lifting heavy shutters from his corneas, a blurred image of Artemis crouched over him coming into focus. She was strapping his fingers together- broken, he realised- and she hadn't yet noticed he was awake. Wally felt his mouth twist into a diluted version of a smile.
"You're not good at this whole evil thing, are you?"
"I liked you better unconscious." Artemis replied, not even looking up.
"You liked me better shirtless."
The blonde girl's eyes narrowed, and Wally yelped as Artemis tightened the binding on his fingers. She finished and dropped his hand, her gaze settling on his face.
"Okay, I've set your busted nose and taped your fingers- your head bled for a while but it should be fine, stuck a bandage on it, you've got a split lip and a whole load of grazes and I haven't even looked at your ribs, but I think you'll be okay."
Wally whistled. "Think so, huh?" He cracked a grin, straining his neck so he could see her better. "But I'm still pretty, right?"
Artemis made a face.
"You're a mess. But I guess you already were."
Seeing his outstretched hand, she took it and tried to pull him up, but Wally's shoulder gave in and he cried out, a roar of pain echoing through his arm. He curled over, protective, his breathing harsh. Artemis reached out to touch his shoulder, but he shrank away.
"Let me see." Wally shook his head. "Just hold still, I'm not going to touch it-" Artemis' fingers ghosted the swollen shoulder, a tiny breath flying from her when she saw the awkward angle.
"Dislocated." She muttered. "Dammit."
Ignoring his protests, Artemis took the injured arm in her hands, gently moving it so it was parallel to the ground, bent at the elbow. Her eyes locked with his.
"Do you trust me?" She asked.
"Uh... Yeah?"
"Wrong answer."
In one swift motion, Artemis rotated the arm backwards and Wally hissed as he felt the bone roll back into place, a wave of throbbing ache washing over him before dissipating. After catching his breath and somewhat recovering, he moved the arm experimentally. It was fine.
He looked at Artemis, a slyness slipping across his face.
"You owe me more pizza." He said.
The blonde made something like a snorting noise, then turned to dig around in a gym bag on the floor beside her. She produced an armful of clothes and promptly threw them at him.
"You'd better change first."
Wally opened his mouth to protest, but stopped when he looked down at his costume, torn and bloodstained and probably never wearable again. Artemis stood and offered him a hand.
"C'mon, you can clean up in the bathroom."
She led him, uninjured arm draped over her shoulder, to the grimy room at the end of the corridor. There he changed into black clothes that were slightly too large- or maybe he was just smaller, thinner, hanging from his bones like his skin was just draped over them. At first, he tried to avoid looking in the mirror as he washed the crusted blood off his face, but after a glimpse of a wiry arm, matted hair, his eyes found themselves and just couldn't stop staring.
This Wally was pale, haggard; his nose was bent at the bridge and his skin was chafed around the inhibitor collar. He felt like some sort of sick canvas: watercolour bruises and grazes painted roughly onto his skin, the creation of a deranged artist in a hockey mask. As if to prove that this was, indeed, his reflection, the speedster lifted a shaking hand and pressed it against the glass. The other Wally, the broken, tired Wally, did the same.
No. Not broken. Not yet.
His attention was snatched by the whine of the door being pushed open, Artemis looking in.
"You done here?" She asked, her voice soft. Wally glanced back at his reflection, then nodded.
Artemis took him back to the cell as they had left, his arm over her shoulder, his weight leaning into her. He noted that she didn't reshackle his ankle after he flopped back onto the mattress, but retreated to her corner and picked up an arrow, examining it. He watched her for a minute.
"Uh," he started, Artemis looking up as he gestured to the chain set into the wall, "Aren't you gonna, uh..."
She paused, then shook her head. "No."
Wally stared at the chain for a few seconds, his mind fumbling with information. Eventually, he spoke again.
"Why did you lie to him?"
"What?" Was the reply, but Artemis knew what he meant, he could tell by the waver in her voice.
"About the remote. You haven't lost it, have you?"
Artemis looked guilty.
"Oh, come on," Wally persisted, "Why did you lie?"
"I thought I could help you." Artemis' eyes cut to her feet, were they remained.
"I don't think help is the word for it." He held up his broken fingers as an example, and started to laugh. The laughter died in the distance between them when he saw Artemis, appalled. "Sorry." He muttered.
Soon, Wally grew tired of watching Artemis sort through her arrows, and had the feeling she felt the same.
"You've been working on the same arrows for however many days now." He said. "C'mon, there must be something interesting to do. Something you won't get in trouble for."
"Like what?" Asked Artemis, one eyebrow raised.
In the end, the pack of cards Artemis managed to take from the guards only lasted a few rounds of poker before they realised that the two of them weren't very good, and missing the diamond cards from three to seven also impacted the quality of their game. Artemis left the cell for a long hour, returning with armfuls of Chinese takeaway and one battered Monopoly box.
"This is the only board game I could find-" she started, setting up the board as Wally snapped apart a pair of chopsticks, then, after a brief struggle, abandoned them and shoveled noodles into his mouth with his hands. "I'm sure I saw Psimon and the Brain having a face-off over Battleships, but where they hid it I haven't a clue."
Wally mumbled something through a mouthful of egg fried rice, and Artemis pretended to understand him, shuffling the chance cards and community chest cards into different piles. It was obvious that many of the pieces had been lost over the years- three hotels had survived, all red, and the money was mostly made up of ripped ones, fives and twenties, several Latvian notes having slipped in between them.
Artemis cursed. "Vertigo..."
But the real problem arose when they saw that there was only one counter in the box, a tiny silver shoe. There was a small scuffle, Wally the victor.
"Aha!" He cried.
"No fair," Artemis complained, "I got the box out so I get the shoe."
Wally frowned. "But the shoe best represents me, so I get to keep it. You can have..." He scanned the room, then dove into the corner and came out holding up a rusty nail. "This."
The blonde wrinkled her nose. "No way, I want the shoe."
"Well, if you can find something else to use as a counter, then you can use that. But I get the shoe."
Artemis was quiet for a moment, and Wally feared she would pack up the game, take away the food and leave in a strop. But she didn't, and dug in her green bag instead, pulling out: an arrowhead.
"I'm using this." She said smugly. "Also, it represents me."
They placed their respective counters on Go, and Artemis rolled a pair of mismatched dice. The game began.
"Okay, I'm buying Old Kent Road."
"Take it, it sucks anyway."
"Two sixes!"
"No way, you totally cheated."
"The dice don't lie, you're just jealous I'm winning."
"I'll buy Pall Mall off you."
"Not happening, I want the red and yellows."
"It's pink."
"Shut up."
"Ew, you just sprayed chow mein all over the board."
"That's because chow mein... Is my main chow."
"Okay, I passed go, that's two hundred for me!"
"...I don't think the bank has enough. Have a prawn cracker instead."
"We are not using food as Monopoly money."
"I don't see any alternative. Two prawn crackers then, and they're worth a hundred each."
"You'll end up eating all your money."
"Fine by me."
The game had begun to come to a close when Wally found himself in jail for the third time (he was sure someone would burst in and demand what they were laughing about) and Artemis had landed on a Chance. She picked up a dog eared card and frowned.
"What's up? Did you win something or what?" Wally asked. "C'mon, show me the stupid card."
Artemis stalled for another second then turned it so the writing faced him. It read:
"GET OUT OF JAIL FREE. This card may be kept until needed or sold."
She held it out. "You can have it."
Wally jutted his chin up. "No way am I accepting your charity."
"You're going to lose."
"Yeah. On my terms."
Artemis sighed dramatically and threw the card in the air.
"You are so goddam-"
"Charming?" He interrupted.
"Infuriating!"
"Wanna quit, then?" Wally asked.
"Yeah, sure. Whatever."
"Okay then, I win."
"No way, I have more money, and..." Artemis gestured at the pile of crumpled notes and Chinese food on her side of the board. "Stuff."
"Yeah, but you just admitted defeat to the Wall-man, so you are-"
'I did not admit defeat, I- wait, what did you just call yourself?"
"Uh... that's beside the point!"
Eventually, they settled on a draw, and Wally helped Artemis pack away the game.
"Hey." He said, picking up the arrowhead she had used as a counter. "You don't just sharpen these, right? Do you know how to-"
"Use a bow? Duh." Artemis answered, rolling her eyes.
Wally persisted. "Who taught you?"
"My dad." She shuffled the fake money into a pile and put it in the box. Wally handed her back the arrowhead.
"And are you any good?" He asked.
Her eyes cut straight to him, a tiny smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.
"I'll show you."
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Aaaaand this is where I'm going to leave this chapter, I've got the next part written up but for once, I wanted to end a chapter on a more positive note. I'd like to thank everyone who leaves reviews, you are all glorious land mermaids and it feels so wonderful to know that other people are reading my writing and enjoying it, so thanks!