Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.
Artemis walked down the streets with care, bow and arrows in hand. The team had a recent encounter with the League of Shadows and their henchmen; namely, Cheshire. They split up into groups of two, except for her; she volunteered to go alone. More for her benefit than theirs.
She walked briskly down the sidewalk, pausing when she passed by a large wall enclosing an office near the outskirts of the city. Her bow was ready and she aimed towards a dark patch of the wall. She stayed like that for two minutes before a mocking laugh filled the air.
Cheshire materialized out of the dark, the exact spot Artemis had been aiming for. She followed the villain with her arrow, which looked on to the teenager with amusement.
"I see you haven't forgotten everything." Cheshire purred, walking closer to her. Artemis's only response was to tighten her grip on the bow, poised to shoot.
She waved the girl off, sitting gracefully on the wall and crossing her legs. "Don't bother; both you and I know you can't shoot me."
The archer hesitated, examined the woman. After a moment she lowered her weapon but kept it in her grasp, body tense.
"What do you want?"
Cheshire looked at her in surprise for a second, followed by a smirk. "You know what I want."
Artemis frowned. "And you know my answer."
The woman sighed, glancing at her nails in boredom. "You really should reconsider."
"Oh really?" Artemis answered with mock wonder, "And why is that?"
Looking down, Cheshire sneered at the archer, nostrils flaring.
"It's lucky your little boyfriend was there to help you."
She huffed indignantly, cheeks stained red. "He's not my boyfriend."
Cheshire scoffed, ignoring her response. "Regardless, the Shadows are not pleased. It's time you made a decision as to where you want to be. And if it's against…" her voice trailed, a vindictive smile on her face. "You and your friends will be disposed of."
Artemis stiffened, eyes narrowed. "Don't bring them into this."
Cheshire barked out a laugh before glaring at her. "You have no say in this." She leapt off the wall she had been sitting on, passing by Artemis and stopping once they were shoulder to shoulder.
"If I were you," she threatened voice low and dangerous, "I would quit this little hero game you've been playing and return to reality. You are who you are and nothing can change that."
Giving Artemis's shoulder a hard shove, Cheshire walked away, disappearing into the black of the night. Artemis wobbled slightly before balancing her body and turning around, staring at the direction Cheshire had left.
Then she glanced in the opposite direction, towards the city and Mount Justice. A series of faces and flashbacks flew through her mind, painfully sweet feelings rising in her chest and choking her. She swallowed harshly, fighting back the nauseous feeling.
Red hair and green eyes dominated her thoughts and memories. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to press the images out of her mind. Instead, the only grew stronger and more persistent. She opened her eyes and stared up at the night sky, littered by a few stars that were still visible until the smog of pollution that layered the area.
Artemis couldn't deny it; she felt something for him. He constantly plagued her thoughts, no matter how hard she tried to force him out of them. He was the only thing that held her to the team.
Her eyes widened with this realization, grip tightening on the bow in her hands.
Wally was the reason she was still with the team, why she continued to deny the demands to return to the Shadows. Why in a span of 9 months she had gone from skilled archer to love stricken fool.
He was her only weakness.
Artemis took a deep breath and gave the city a long glance. Turning slowly to the right, she plunged into the darkness.
A/N: Let me know what you think. Sorry for super late update, but I had exams and then lack of motivation. I know this chapter seems a bit random but don't worry, I'll explain what happened between this and the previous chapter after she and Wally escaped.