Chapter Sixteen
There was a tense shroud of silence over the entire Shadows for the next week. Deathstroke's threats had been made known to everyone, and sometimes he even publicly carried out threats. Every once in a while, his menacing voice would play over the loud speaker, challenging any who dared to fight him. Many cowered in fear, but none stepped up. No one knew yet what Nightwing was planning. Not even Artemis. He was waiting for the opportune moment to accept the challenge.
He was running out of time. He was not afraid to fight, only afraid that he wouldn't get the chance to spend what little time he had left with the ones he cared about. He kept pushing back the fatal meeting with the thought that he had not yet wrapped up the things he needed to.
He didn't want to count this battle as his last, but it was hard not to when he thought of all he could lose if he failed. It was discouraging to think that when he had finally dared to have something, it could be taken from him before he had even gotten the chance to enjoy the experience; the experience of having someone to care for and be cared for by them.
Nightwing walked solemnly down the hall, out in to the lobby and straight to the coffee shop.
"Hey, Stranger," a voice addressed him from behind.
"Zee," he forced a smile. He really did want to be cheery. To leave a good impression on people before he...
But it was hard. With so much weighing on his heart, the only joy he could show was false.
"What are you thinking about?" Zatanna asked, slipping her arm through his as they waited in line. He could tell that she sensed his discouragement.
"Ah, nothing much. It's so tense around here. It's hard not to get lost in thought in all this quiet." He then gave the cashier his order.
"Salted Carmel Latte," Zatanna added her order on. "It's that mercenary who is causing all the mistrust. Everyone's suspicious of everyone. I've heard a lot of rumors..."
She stopped to see Nightwing with a far off look in his face, not even paying attention.
"Hey," she touched his cheek and brought him back to the present. "What's the matter? I mean, really?"
He sighed. "It's complicated. Ever have something that you would give anything for, because you know that it would be best? But it's just so hard to let go..."
When his voice trailed off and he was lost in thought again, Zatanna thought she knew what he was talking about.
"You really are a hero, Nightwing," she kissed his cheek as her name was called, then picked up her coffee and left.
Nightwing sipped his own coffee in the peace of his apartment. His own thoughts consumed him, and it wasn't long before he had downed the coffee and been sitting for two hours, thinking over nearly every aspect of his life. Artemis was still on lockdown, and though he longed to go see her, he knew it wouldn't be safe. It tortured him. All he wanted to do was see her one last time. All he wanted to do was to let her know how much he cared for her.
He jumped in surprise as the silence was broken by the buzz of his radio.
"Yes?" he answered, but it came out as a croak from lack of voice activity.
"Wally here. Have you seen what's on the live video feed right now?"
"On it." Nightwing used his holographic wrist computer to pull up the feed. His eyes narrowed as he saw Deathstroke's face on the screen.
"...is running out," he was saying. "If one of you does not step forward soon, I'll attack. Who's side do you want to be on when I do? Which reminds me, if no one comes forth in the next two hours, I'll destroy Neo-Eden. And believe me, I won't stop there."
His face disappeared and Nightwing pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. There was no way he could be ready for a face off of that level in so short a time.
"Hey, you still there?"
"Oh, yeah, Wally. Any other details?"
"Citizens are being evacuated from the park already. It's hard to say how safe officials can make a perimeter though. Any plans yet?"
"Still working on it." Nightwing replied through gritted teeth. "But I'm not really in the mood to share. Thanks for your help."
"No problem. The Wall-Man's always there for his best friend."
"Yeah. Nightwing out."
Ug, if only he could freeze time so that he could go see Artemis. He was beginning not to care what her father did to him. He was going to go see her as soon as he got the chance.
The best thing he could think to do was head down town to help evacuate and search the grounds to prevent the explosion. He thought of calling Batman in, but remembered he was away on League business. Besides, he could handle it himself. Well, at least he hoped.
oOo
"We should be out there helping!" Artemis was pacing around her living room in a manner not unlike that of a caged tiger.
"Feel free to walk out the door," Jade lay on the couch, looking bored. "But don't blame me if Dad chops your head off."
"This is driving me crazy!" She threw her hands in the air helplessly. "The city's going to explode, and neither of us can do a thing about it!"
"The city's not going to explode," Jade stated logically. "It's just a little threat. Besides, the best Shadows are down there right now working on it."
Artemis tried to sit down and relax, but her nervousness got the better of her. After a minute of agitated twitching, she got back up on her feet and roamed about the kitchen. Popcorn was the perfect food to eat while stressed.
How could Jade be so calm? So careless? She knew Red Arrow was out there; did she just not care?
Then it occurred to her that perhaps Jade was acting. Maybe she cared but didn't want to show her vulnerability.
She sat nervously eating her popcorn, watching Jade closely for any signs of stress.
"Relax," she suddenly spoke without opening her eyes. "You have nothing to worry about."
Artemis took a deep breath. She laid back and closed her eyes, trying her best to release the anxiety she had been holding on to. She was surprised at how tired she really was, but then again, it made sense. She hadn't been getting very much sleep, and being watched like a hawk had not helped. Now as she released several deep breaths, she felt waves of relaxation sweep over her.
Boom!
A violent explosion shook the entire building and Artemis nearly fell out of her chair. The continuous sound of the ground and windows shaking reverberated through her ears. She tried to stand but her legs wouldn't hold her. She cried out but it was muffled in the sound of the explosion. It slowly faded, but Artemis thought she could smell burning sulfur in the air.
She finally looked over at Jade, who was also on the floor, her face ashen. As soon as she gathered her wits, the older Crock sister stood up, limbs shaking, and began hastily grabbing a jacket, hat and duffel bag.
"I'm going out there," she stated flatly, shoving items into the bag left and right.
It took a few tries for Artemis to find her voice. "I want to come too."
"No."
"But Jade," the younger started to sob. "Jade! All those people! Nightwing! He's- he's-"
"No, Artemis," Jade held her face between both her hands and looked straight in her eyes. "Listen to me, Artemis. You need to stay here. It is much too dangerous out there. Can you promise me that? Please?"
She only nodded in reply, not able to speak. "Artemis," she added. "You have to be brave. Stay here. Be strong." She wrapped her in her arms and gave her a firm hug. "I'll be back soon."
The apartment was deathly silent after Jade left. Artemis felt so overwhelmed with emotion, she could only stand in the apartment and whimper. Finally, though, she took a deep breath and wiped her tears away. Jade was right. She had to be strong. She was strong.
She turned on the news to find out what was happening. Her face hardened as she saw the videos of firefighters and battered heroes from the Shadows helping citizens off the street and EMTs carry stretchers. There was only one person her eyes were searching for as she stared at the mass of people on the TV screen.
She didn't see him.
She had to be strong. She had to be brave. This was what being a hero was about. If she ever wanted to be a hero, she had to get her shit together. But it wasn't natural for her to feel like this. She wasn't used to being independent.
She silently wondered why she had been made so weak. Maybe if she had been raised in a family torn apart, where she was let to fend for herself, everything would be different. She would have been hardened by the years of being alone, and withstanding the pressure of bravery would be no big deal. But that's not how it was. It was a big deal.
Of course her father wasn't there. He was probably trying to manage crowd control. This would make his job so much worse, make him seem so much less dependable. This was the beginning of the end. The Shadows were falling apart.
Artemis cleared her living room so there was a big space. She began practicing maneuvers and gymnastics to distract herself and let the nervous energy out. It had been two weeks since her last training session.
The sun was beginning to set, but she didn't turn on any lights. The gradual darkening of the room seemed appropriate as she felt, without even setting foot out of the apartment, that a darkness was consuming the Shadows.
Back handspring step out, drop kick, lunge. She wished she had a real criminal to release her anger on. The glass windows on the western side of the room began to gleam as the fading sun hit them just right. All was silent.
The door to her apartment suddenly banged opened. Artemis cried out in surprise and dismay as Nightwing stumbled in, his uniform torn and dirty. He nearly stumbled into her arms and she helped him over to the couch.
"Is your dad here?" he asked in a hoarse voice, and Artemis realized he needed water.
"No, no. He's out." She placed a comforting hand in his and then went to retrieve a glass of water. She held it to his lips and he closed his eyes as the glass was drained.
"I'm sorry," he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I didn't know where else to go. I just needed to see you."
"You need help too," Artemis examined the torn uniform and saw several gashes that had been made in his skin. He removed his mask and she prepared a wet washcloth. She wiped it over his cheeks and neck, washing the dirt away. "Let me clean your wounds," she pleaded when he waved her hand away.
"Artemis, I'm fine."
"You are not fine. Please, you've taken care of me so many times. Let me try to repay you in some small way."
He held her imploring gaze, and then slowly pulled his uniform down to his waist. He didn't make a move as she wiped the wet cloth and antiseptic over his cuts and bruises. She thought that it must be painful, yet he made no sound; never even flinched. He only watched her steadily.
She was startled when he suddenly cleared his throat, preparing to speak. She looked at him and was astonished to see tears filling his eyes. "What is it?" she dropped the cloth and held his face between her hands so that he would look at her.
"The explosion," he swallowed. "Faith and Firestorm were both killed."
Artemis gasped quietly.
"If we had found the bombs sooner- If only I-"
"Shh," Artemis murmured, pressing his head to her shoulder and embracing him. "You can't put this on yourself. Deathstroke is the only one to blame."
She felt him trembling against her body. She heard his quiet weeping. It was breaking her heart. She wished there was something she could do. But there wasn't. So she only held him and whispered reassurances she wasn't even sure made sense.
"Artemis," he spoke hoarsely after several silent minutes. "I can't wait any longer. Tomorrow I'm facing him. This can't go any farther."
It took a moment for her to comprehend his words. "What... No. No, Nightwing you can't! Two deaths is already enough! The Shadows can't afford to lose you-"
"No. I have to stand up to him. If I fail, at least I can show Gotham that we should not cower before this tormenter."
"But," Artemis was on the verge of tears now. "But what about all you've worked for? And me? Nightwing... I can't live with out you."
He kissed her forehead gently. "If I didn't fight to protect you, our relationship would mean nothing. I told you that you were more precious to me than anything in the world. Anything. I meant it."
"This could be our last time together," she looked into his eyes, stating what he had been thinking of for the entire week. Her face reflected soft orange and red from the fading sun. He kissed her lips slowly, tenderly. His fingers traveled lightly down each arm, leaving a trail of fire behind them. They were brought up again and traced the veins on her neck. His lips moved to her jaw bone, then to her ear, where he whispered, "You'll always have my heart, Artemis Crock. No matter what happens to my body in the future."
She buried her face into her shoulder and sobbed quietly. He held her, knowing that he had to be strong for her, but while she was clinging to him, she could not see his face, and he wept silently with her.
oOo
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Random Justice League Fact: There is an Injustice League villain named Shaggy Man. Not even kidding. Shaggy. Man. He almost killed Geo-Force. Then Speedy blew him up. YAY SPEEDY! ^^