Hey guys!
Hope you all like this chapter! :D
Artemis woke up with a throbbing headache.
She tried to sit up, stifling a moan, but her wrist was pulled back. She was handcuffed to the bed.
It all came rushing back to her; Dick's house, Miss Martian's ambush, the electric shock, Kid Flash's smirk.
Oh, I am SO going to kill that kid.
Within seconds, the handcuff had fallen free and Artemis was observing her surroundings. She was in a plain white room, nothing but a bed, two chairs and a small bathroom in it. Thankfully, the bathroom was closed off from the security cameras in the corners of the room. One wall was completely bare, and Artemis suspected it was made of one-way glass.
Which meant the Team was most likely of the other side.
Artemis sent a glare straight at the wall, a glare that was beyond murderous. She gave the bird to the security cameras and entered the bathroom.
The girl staring back at her had tired grey eyes and a dishevelled blonde ponytail. Her neck was slightly bruised from the inhibitor collar. Her body ached from her impact with the wall at Grayson's.
Grayson, she sneered, that little swine left me!
And where had Robin been? Surely he wouldn't miss out of her capture after their long-running grudge.
With a sigh, Artemis splashed her face with water and went back to her 'room'.
No surprise, someone was waiting. Aqualad sat in one of the chairs.
"Artemis," He straightened and gestured at the other chair. "Can I talk to you?"
Just to spite him, she stayed standing. She leaned against the outer bathroom wall, crossed her arms over her chest and gestured for the Atlantian to talk.
Aqualad shook his head sadly, as if disappointed. "You know why you're here?"
Artemis nodded. "Don't waste your breath. If you're here to ask me to join your team again, you may as well get out."
He frowned at her. "Why are you so reluctant to let people help you?"
He seemed genuinely concerned for her, but Artemis kept her mask of independence.
"I don't need people to help me."
Aqualad sat there for a moment, before he stood and approached the right wall, opposite the bathroom. A hidden door slid open, obviously mechanical, and Aqualad stepped through without a backwards glance.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
The Team gathered on the other side of the glass. They knew Artemis knew they were there.
In the cell, Artemis was still leaning on the wall, but now she stared at her feet.
"We need a different approach," Robin said. "She's obviously not willing to join."
Kaldur nodded. "Sheer force will not convince her to join the team."
"Of course not," Wally interjected. "A team needs trust, and I definitely don't trust Artemis."
"But she needs to trust us to." M'Gann reasoned.
Superboy crossed his arms. "So what, we chat it up and become friends."
The Team stared back at the Shadow. She had moved from the wall, and curled up on one of the chairs, her head resting on her knees.
"She might be a better person than we realise," Robin said, unable to tear his gaze away. Artemis looked so unhappy, almost... sad. "We don't know her entire story."
"Don't expect us to share our identities, even if she does join the Team."
"Of course not."
Artemis heard the automatic door slid open, but she didn't look up, deciding the hero didn't deserve her attention.
So she stared into space as Robin walked into the room and sat down opposite her.
"Hi Artemis," He said expectantly. Artemis saw him staring in her peripheral vision, but she still didn't look.
Robin sighed, much like Aqualad had done. "I'm not here to ask you to join the Team, okay. I just want to talk to you."
Silence.
"It won't hurt you to open up."
Artemis cracked. She turned her head to the kid and met his eyes. "I don't understand why you bother."
"Unlike the Shadows, we have compassion. We care about others."
"I had compassion once, and it almost got someone I loved killed." She cursed herself so fiercely she felt like smacking herself upside the head.
Robin's eyes widened. Artemis turned away, staring at her toes and completely ignoring the hero. After a while of useless encouragement, Robin gave up and left.
Thinking of her mother made tears prick the back of Artemis' eyes. She hadn't cried, hadn't even allowed herself to tear up, since her mom was paralysed when Artemis was seven.
She very discreetly wiped at her eyes and stood, storming into the bathroom.
Out of the cameras' sight, Artemis slid to the floor and pulled her knees to her chest, finally allowing herself to cry.
Dick stood outside Artemis' cell in shock.
He hadn't expected her to say anything to him, much less mention a family member.
The Team stared at him as he walked back into the surveillance room. Artemis wasn't in her room any more.
"What was that?" Wally asked, an eyebrow raised.
"I think the Shadows blackmailed her or something."
M'Gann followed his gaze to the room on the other side of the glass. It was another two minutes before Artemis came back into sight. Her eyes red, she flopped onto the bed and buried her face in the pillow.
"She won't suffocate, will she?" Connor asked.
Wally waved the comment away. "Nah."
"Guys," Dick frowned. "I think she was crying."
"Don't be ridiculous, Dick, she's a heartless assassin. They're, like, trained not to cry. She's probably trying to make us feel sorry for her."
Aqualad shook his head. "She's not heartless Wally, what she said to Robin proved it."
"Whatever."
Uh, sorry?
I don't know what that was. And I took ages as well. I'm just too tired to live right now, please don't kill.
Next chapter will hopefully be a lot better, and maybe we'll get some Spitfire.
Yes, I know Artemis opened up (kinda) too soon.