Hack Ch. 9

A/N: Hey. So, it's been a while. How've you been? So... I'm not sure if anyone's even reading this anymore, but... This is next chapter. Originally, in this chapter it was meant to be some Spitfire fluff over Artemis being sick and hanging out at the Cave, but every time I tried to write to that mental prompt, I'd get like a mental block and only be able to write a couple sentences before quitting and moving on to write some more 'Fix-it' fics. I was hoping to get this chapter done before the season finale, but the season finale kind of shook me up, and I've been avoiding Spitfire fics and this fandom in general for awhile... Sorry for the neglect. Updates are still probably going to be coming slow, and I apologize to anyone who's actually reading the Author Note, or actually reading this story in general. Anyways. Sorry for the long A/N. Enjoy?

2:15 AM The Cave, Happy Harbor, Rhode Island

*buzz* *buzz* ….. *buzz* *buzz*

*click*

"…Hello?"

"…Artemis? It's Jade. I need your help."

"Jade? It's two in the morning! Can't this wait?"

"I think I've found a way out."

9:49 AM The Cave, Happy Harbor, Rhode Island

Wally wakes up feeling refreshed and warm, and he flings the covers off his bed, and then steps out of his room, stretching as he yawns. He pads along down to the kitchen, still in his pajamas, and grabs some milk and cereal out of the cupboard.

Megan enters the kitchen sometime later, her lips pursed.

"What's wrong, Megalicious?" Wally asks, crunching his Cheerios loudly.

Megan frowns deepens, "Artemis is gone."

"Gone?" Wally asks, setting down his cereal and a frown slowly overtaking his face, "Like kidnapped gone? Or just gone, gone?"

"She left this note on my desk," Megan says, handing it over.

Megan,

Jade called. I have to go. I'll be back soon. Don't worry about me.

Artemis

"Does the rest of the Team know?" Wally says, "We should get Bruce and put out an alert or something."

Megan shakes her head, "We tried that already, and I called Bruce. He says that she might get killed if we get the police involved. Apparently, she spoke to him before she left."

"And? Where did Bruce say that she went?" Wally said, he began fumbling about in the kitchen drawers, and then emerged with a shotgun he had hidden in one of the drawers.

"He didn't say," she said slowly, "He only told me that she needs to do this alone and that us helping would put her in more trouble."

2:12 PM, Cobra Venom Storehouse E, A Remote Area in Singapore

Artemis calculated the aim of the grappling gun in her hand, and squinted her eyes in an attempt of seeing it better. She let out a slow, steady breath, and simultaneously pulled the trigger.

THWACK

It splintered the wooden bark of the structure she was aiming for, and she sighed slowly as she pulled out a handkerchief to make a sort of handle and she zip-lined over to the balcony. She landed gracefully, and she ducked out of the way as Jade came whizzing behind her.

"Jade, what's the plan?" Artemis asked angrily, "You've told me next to nothing about this so-called hit we need to carry out, and I don't get why we have drag him with us."

Another whoosh and a muscular man with red hair and a sarcastic, wry smile glared down at her, "Why's the knock-off here?"

Artemis sneered at him, "Well, Roy," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "I'm actually looking forward to working with your slimy little as-"

"Stop it," Jade says harshly, "This is just going to be a quick in, quick out job."

"Who are we getting again?" Artemis asks, angrily loading her pistol and stuffing a handgun into her holster. She swung a machine gun onto her back, and then clipped ammo and a belt of grenades and smoke bombs around her waist.

Roy just sneers at her as he puts a sleek-looking arm-guard onto his left forearm, and then placing a pair of headphones around his neck.

"What are you doing?" Artemis asks, "Aren't you going to suit up?"

"You're the team's new techie, shouldn't you know hacking equipment when you see it?" Roy bites back sarcastically.

Jade quickly pushes them both into an open window. All three of them pulled masks onto their heads.

"Let's go," Jade says, and they move silently down the hallway, "Where are we going, Roy?"

"Take the first left and then the first door on the right," Roy says, looking at his arm guard, tapping his head phones carefully.

Artemis covers their tail, and she sighs, bored, as she holds her gun higher and pointed it toward nothing in particular, and when she feels safe enough, she turns and mimes shooting Roy's head. Giggling when Roy turns around and glares at her with a paranoid look on his face.

She spots a suspicious looking movement going toward him, and she catches sight of a malicious looking thug coming toward him, a knife held aloft.

BANG

Both Jade and Roy, startled, turns to the noise, and see a burly-looking man fall down, a bullet hole in his forehead. Artemis lowers her gun, satisfied.

Realization flits across Roy's face, and he frowns but grunts a thanks. Jade pushes them both forward, "They're going to be on us in seconds."

7:21 AM, The Cave, Happy Harbor, Rhode Island

"Wally! Wally wake up!"

Wally wakes with a start, and a blurry image of Dick shaking his shoulders slowly comes into focus.

"What are you doing?" Wally asks, pulling on a shirt and some shoes. He grabs a sweatshirt and pulls it on.

"Artemis just turned up in the hospital."

10:32 AM, Happy Harbor Medical Center, Happy Harbor, Rhode Island

"What happened," Wally demands, glaring over at Bruce.

"Artemis apparently came into the hospital with another woman and a man, and while the both of them didn't have as many injuries, Artemis sustained a gun shot wound to the thigh. We don't know what else, the doctor's wouldn't let in more than two visitors in at a time, and currently the people who came in with her are in there with her," Bruce explains, his eyes flashing.

Wally slumps into a blue waiting chair, twiddling his thumbs. He glances over to her room periodically, before Dick, seemingly getting annoyed by his constant glances, slaps ten dollars into his hand, telling him to go buy some food from the cafeteria and then come back.

He does so, and when he gets back, Bruce is conversing with a tall, slender woman a little older than Artemis. She looks familiar, and her black hair is brought back into a messy bun at the base of her head. Next to her is a sullen-looking red head that…

Roy?

"Roy?" Wally manages to breath out.

Roy locks eyes with Wally, "Wally? Hey."

"Why are you here?" Wally asks.

"I was with Artemis when she got shot," Roy says, shrugging nervously.

Wally glances over to Bruce questioningly, "What happened."

The woman sighs, and Roy glances worriedly over at her for a second before facing Wally, and then he glances over to the inquiring faces of Kaldur, who is seated next to a still Connor who has his arm protectively around Megan. Roy lets out a long sigh as well.

"Sportsmaster shot him as he died," Roy said bitterly, "His last dying wish."

8:14 PM, The Cave, Happy Harbor, Rhode Island … 3 Days Later…

"…ell.. well, well, little girl. I'm proud of you. Looks like you've got some spine after all. And you, Jade. Falling for somebody on the other side of the line. Are you in love, sweetheart? Are you? I thought I beat that out of you. Love is for the weak. The people of which will wither and be crushed by me."

"Stop it, you didn't do anything helpful, dad."

"Don't push me, girl. Figure out where your allegiances lie."

"Why not? Are you beat that out of me too? Shoot me, I don't care, you've taken everything else from me, and I hate you. There's nothing else you can take from me. You took everything dad. I'm nothing because of you."

"Really? I took everything. I don't know, I mean, I could shoot your little boyfriend here. Or…"

BANG!

"Artemis? Artemis! Artemis!"

…

There's a weight across her hand, like someone is holding it. Her eyes flutter open slowly, and she opens them and blinks hard.

Jade is snoozing in the chair, holding her hand tightly. Artemis smiles, because this is as close to sisterly love she's probably going to get from her sister, but it's close enough.

"Jade? Jade," Artemis says urgently. She can tell she's in a hospital, but she's not sure how she got there. But then again, everything after the conversation with her dad in Singapore and getting the gunshot wound is a little blurry.

Jade wakes up slowly, and withdraws her hand, "You okay, sis'?"

Artemis grins, "I'm tough, Jade. I can take it."

Jade laughs, but sobers immediately, "The thing is…"

"What?"

"We're all happy you're awake but, the bullet hit some nerves and…" Jade says, tiptoeing around something.

"What is it? Spit it out," Artemis says fearing the worst.

"…You might not be able to walk."