AN: Oh my gosh guys! Thanks so much for all the positive reviews and favorites! I'm so glad you like this story! Please enjoy chapter four.

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice, its characters, or anything affiliated with it.

By the time Artemis was finally able to crawl beneath the sheets of her bed the glowing green numbers on the digital clock sitting on her nightstand told her it was two in the morning. She stifled a groan when she realized that classes started promptly at eight; leaving her with only five hours of sleep if she wanted to get up at seven to get ready. Where had the night gone, she wondered.

She and Wally had made their way back to their substation quickly as they could and she had immediately set about treating his gunshot wound. Wally had protested, saying that he could already feel it healing, but Artemis would have none of that. She forced him to sit on one of the stools at their workbenches and promptly stripped the top part of his uniform away to get a better look at his injured shoulder. The bleeding had already slowed to a soft trickle and the wound itself had already begun to stitch itself closed but Artemis wasn't taking any chances. She poked and prodded as gently as she could to make sure the bullet hadn't broken any bones or gotten itself lodged anywhere in Wally's shoulder. As she had hoped, the bullet had torn cleanly through his shoulder and though it left an awful mess behind, it wasn't as bad as it could have been; especially with Wally's accelerated healing already taking care of most of the damage. Deciding the best thing to do would be to disinfect it and wrap it up, she set about cleaning his wound before covering it in long strips of clean white gauze.

"All right, now that you're done abusing my poor shoulder," Wally had said with a grin on his face. "I'm going to go get in my civies and then let's say we get back to school and get some sleep?"

Both of them had changed as quickly as they could and made their way back to where they had stashed their motorcycles. The drive back to Gotham Academy took about forty minutes and it took another twenty to find a good place to hide their bikes. They ended up hiding them in an empty shed on the outskirts of the campus, making sure to cover them with a dull green tarp they had found crumpled up in the corner of the shed. Then, after a quick goodnight, the pair dragged themselves back to their dorms to crash for what was left of the night.

When Wally's alarm blared out at seven that morning he let out a tired moan and slung an arm across his eyes. He contemplated hitting the snooze button and catching ten more minutes of sleep, maybe even skip breakfast that morning, but thought better of it when his stomach protested loudly to be fed. With a sigh he reached over and cut short the incessant beeping noise before swinging his legs over the side of his bed. He stood as he shot a nasty glare at the bright green numbers on his clock and grabbed a pair of clean boxers before marching off to the bathroom. As he entered the living room he was surprised to see Grayson already awake and dressed and typing away at his laptop.

"Morning," Richard greeted cheerfully. Too cheerfully for Wally's tastes; he had never been much of a morning person and these late nights only added to that problem.

"Uh, morning," Wally replied anyway. "How long you been awake?"

"Since five," Grayson replied.

Wally looked downright flabbergasted. "You woke up at five, in the morning, willingly?" he asked incredulously. "Are you even human?"

Grayson fixed him with a slightly amused stare. "Well, not all of us sleep the day away if we get the chance," he said. "Besides," he continued with a shrug. "I had some stuff to look over for the student council before the meeting this afternoon. I figured now was as good a time as any."

Wally shook his head. "You're crazy, Grayson. If people were meant to be up before the sun we'd be able to see much better in the dark."

"Dick," Grayson said suddenly, not looking up from his computer.

"Excuse me?" Wally asked, suddenly angry.

"My name," Dick qualified. "You don't need to call me by my last name; you can call me Dick if you want." He shrugged. "Everyone else does."

"Oh, uh sure," Wally responded. "Um, you can just call me Wally then. I don't usually go by my full first name either."

"Sure," Dick said, his eyes still on his computer screen. "Oh, before I forget, Conner and Kaldur are stopping by before breakfast. We figured we'd all walk down together. That cool with you?"

"Yeah, sure," Wally said, trying to think around the sleep still clinging to his brain. "Um, I'm gonna go grab a shower then, before they get here."

Dick just nodded and waved him in the direction of the bathroom, clearly dismissing him. Wally thought he might be more offended by the gesture if the whole morning hadn't been so weird already and if he could actually think straight at the moment. By the time he got to the bathroom and peeled away the t-shirt he wore to bed he saw that the bullet wound on his shoulder had mostly closed up during the night, leaving behind an angry red patch of skin that was still tender to the touch. He rolled his shoulder a bit and found that it still hurt if he moved it, but at least it wasn't too stiff. Deciding just to leave the bandages off, he quickly jumped in the shower and went about his usual morning routine. Twenty minutes later he was heading towards the student dining hall with Dick, Conner, and Kaldur.

When they got to the cafeteria, Conner made a beeline right for Megan, leaving the other three boys behind. Wally made a scan across the room, looking for a familiar blonde head, but couldn't see her anywhere.

"Dude, I swear he can't be away from her for like two minutes sometimes," Dick said with a snicker.

"Of course he can be away from her for two minutes," Kaldur replied. "I share a dorm with him. He just becomes silent and moody when he is not with her," he said with a smile. "Well, more so than usual anyway."

Dick laughed at that. "I didn't think it was possible for Mr. Dark and Brooding to get even more depressing. Apparently I stand corrected."

"So, Wallace, do you play any sports?" Kaldur asked Wally suddenly, breaking him out of his second scan of the cafeteria.

"Just Wally," he replied automatically before he shrugged. "And no, not really. I'm not exactly the athletic type." Dick and Kaldur seemed to share a look at that, but Wally was too focused on finding Artemis that he didn't really register it. "Hey, do either of you see Artemis at all?"

Both Kaldur and Dick scanned the room once before they shook their heads. "No, but maybe Megan knows where she is," Dick replied.

The three of them made their way over to the table Conner and Megan had saved for the group.

"Good morning everyone," Megan chirped as they took their seats. "I hope you all slept quite well."

Wally muttered something under his breath about being surrounded by peppy morning people while Dick and Kaldur responded to the greeting. "Hey, Megan," Wally began. "Do you know where Artemis is? I haven't seen her yet this morning."

Megan's face fell from bright and smiling to concerned with a speed that might have rivaled Wally himself. "She was still asleep when I left. Do you think perhaps that she is sick? Should I go check on her?"

Wally chuckled to himself as he stood from the table. "No, I'll go get her," he said. "See you guys later." He jogged out of the cafeteria and pulled out his cellphone to let Artemis know he was on his way.

Hey, Sleeping Beauty, time to get up! I'll be there in five and since I can't get in I expect you to be there to let me in.

Wally

1/08/11 7:45am

Artemis felt her phone buzz against her leg from its place in one of her skirt pockets. She quickly spit her toothpaste out and rinsed what was left in her mouth before fishing out the little piece of plastic and flipping it open. She rolled her eyes at the message from Wally, but picked up the pace as she finished getting ready for the day. She was dead tired and wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed, but she knew Wally would come hunt her down if she didn't meet him outside the dorms. She quickly grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder before she left the suite without a glance back.

Wally was waiting for her by the time she exited the dorm building. He had left his white button-up shirt untucked so it pocked out beneath the sweater-vest and hung over the top of his slacks, the top two buttons undone, and his tie was hanging loosely around his neck. His hair was still slightly mused from sleep, but it really just added to his air of detached aloofness. Despite her exhaustion, Artemis managed to smile at him as he waved at her.

"About time," he said teasingly before the smile dropped from his face and a frown took its place. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you look like hell."

If anyone else had said that to her she would have decked them, regardless of whether or not it was true. As it was, she knew Wally only said it out of concern, and she knew she looked terrible. She had left her shirt untucked, much the same way Wally had, though she had buttoned her shirt up and tied her tie correctly. In an effort to get more sleep, Artemis had decided to forego breakfast that morning, but she had slept longer than she had meant to. She had time to brush her teeth and apply her makeup, but her hair had only been combed quickly before she tugged it into a hasty ponytail. "I know," she grumbled in response. "I didn't get much sleep last night. Little Miss Sunshine gets up at the crack of dawn apparently and doesn't know how to get ready for the day quietly. I got maybe two and a half hours of sleep. I'm pretty much dead on my feet right now."

Wally's frown deepened before he grabbed her bag from her, dug around for a bit, and pulled out the brush she always kept handy. Without a word he passed her bag and his own back to her and moved behind her. He gently tugged her hair tie loose and ran the brush through her hair a few times before pulling it up into a much neater ponytail. "There," he said. "That looks much better."

Artemis took her brush back from Wally's outstretched hand and smirked at him. "You know, you might want to be careful, someone might think you're gay," she said with a wink. She laughed as Wally just rolled his eyes. She tried to hand his bag back to him but he shook his head and walked around her to stand in front of her. Curious and confused, she watched as he turned his back to her and crouched low.

"Well?" he asked with a look over his shoulder. "You going to get on or what?"

Smiling in realization she swung both of their bags over her shoulder and climbed on to Wally's back. He hooked his arms under her knees and stood as easily as if she was weightless. "Just so you know, this is a onetime thing," he told her. "I'm only doing this cause you're so tired."

"Uh-huh," Artemis mumbled sleepily. She had already dropped her head to his shoulder and closed her eyes for a few more minutes while Wally piggybacked her to class. "You and I both know that's a lie."

Wally chuckled. "Maybe," he conceded.

Artemis snorted lightly, but hugged him tighter for a moment. "Thanks," she mumbled.

One of Wally's hands squeezed one of her knees. "Anytime," he replied. "You know that."

They ended up getting to their first class just as the bell rang. A few of the students shot them curious looks as Wally walked in with Artemis still on his back. Ignoring the whispers and stares, he set her down, took his bag from her, and they both reported to the teacher. He was an older man, with thin graying hair, and thick-rimmed glasses hiding his eyes. He sat behind his desk, littered with papers, in a tweed sportscoat and fading brown slacks. He looked up at the pair with watery eyes as they approached. "So, you are my new students?" he asked in a bland and emotionless tone. He gestured to the front of the classroom. "Introduce yourselves before I start class then."

Wally and Artemis exchanged a look before he shrugged and slouched his way to the front of the classroom. He faced the class, hands in his pockets, and a lazy grin on his face that, as usual, didn't quite reach his eyes. "Wally West," he greeted the rest of the students with a slight nod in their direction.

I suppose he kind of does look a bit hot like that, Artemis found herself thinking. It's the just rolled out of bed and got dressed look. With a quick glance out at the students she rolled her eyes. Which is probably why half the girls are staring at him vacantly and the other half are watching me suspiciously, she added. "I'm Artemis Crock," she said aloud. "Nice to meet you."

The teacher stood from his desk with a nod of his head. "Yes, well, time to begin class. You two will find spare textbooks in the cabinet back there. I believe there are two empty seats in the back. Sit down and turn to page 250. We will be discussing the exploration of the American West this week."

Wally and Artemis made their way to the back of the class, located two desks next to each other, and grabbed their copies of the textbook. It didn't take long for them to decide to check out of class. Their teacher droned on and on in stereotypical fashion; he didn't even look at the class once in favor of writing on the board the entire time. Artemis ripped a blank page from her notebook and scribbled down a few lines before passing it on to Wally.

Remind you of Mrs. Gertrude at all? Seriously, is it a requirement that all history teachers be dry and boring?

Haha! Probably. At least we've already covered this stuff though. We can tune out for this week at least.

True. So, looks like you've got your pick at this school too?

Huh?

The girls were all staring at you when we walked in.

Oh. Meh, whatever. Let them stare. I really could care less.

Artemis rolled her eyes at the note as a smile spread across her face. Same old Wally, she thought.

They continued to pass notes back and forth the entire period before the bell rang signaling the end of the class. Wally quickly packed his notebook and textbook into his bag and turned to Artemis. "So, what's next on our schedule?" he asked.

"Hang on," she replied as she packed away her own materials before digging a single piece of paper from her bag. "Looks like we've got AP Algebra II and then," she paused and laughed. "Then we've got Chemistry," she managed after forcing herself to calm down.

"What?" Wally said as he grabbed the paper from her hand. "Just Chemistry? Not even AP Chem?" He quickly scanned the paper and let out a groan. "I'm going to be so bored," he complained.

Artemis snatched the schedule back from Wally and shoved it into her bag. "I'm sure you'll survive," she teased. "And if not, you wouldn't mind if I took apart your bike and rebuilt it, right?"

Wally shot her a look and rolled his eyes. "Some people's friends," he sighed. "Remind me again why I hang out with you?"

"Because I'm your best friend and about the only person on the planet that can put up with you, most days," she replied with a grin.

Wally just chuckled and shook his head. "Ah, right, that's why." He slung his bag up onto his injured shoulder and winced. "Ouch," he hissed.

Artemis turned to him, a worried frown tugging at her lips. "Your shoulder still?" she asked, concerned. "How bad?" She took a step towards him but he waved her off.

"Just a very angry looking bruise really," Wally answered. "The wound itself is closed, but it still stings if I put too much pressure on it."

Artemis nodded once, but continued to look him over. "Is that really it?"

Wally rolled his eyes, but smiled at her. "Come on Arty," he said lightly. "You know I wouldn't lie to you; I'd be a walking bruise if I did and you found out. Besides," he added with a careless shrug. "You always know when I'm lying anyway. Now, let's get on with our first day in a new hell, I mean school," he said with a grin.

Artemis smiled back and followed Wally from the classroom.

The rest of their day became a blur of boring classes and attempts to keep themselves amused. Wally decided to fully check out in Chemistry and listen to music on his mp3 player instead. He had cleverly threaded his earbuds up through one of his shirt sleeves so the earbud rested against his palm. He could now rest his head on his hand and listen to music at the same without the teacher being any wiser. Lunch came and went fairly quietly, with the exception of their roommates coming to join them halfway through the period.

"So," Megan began cheerfully. "Are you enjoying your first day here?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," Artemis replied around a bite of her sandwich. "It's, uh, great."

"I'm so glad," Megan said with a bright smile. "I know it can be difficult to transfer to a new school after the year has already started. It's great that you're adjusting smoothly."

"Yeah," Artemis said. "Sure. Though it's only the first day."

"Hey, is Wally okay?" Dick asked as he came to sit down at the table across from the red-head. "He's not moving."

Artemis glanced over at her best friend seated next to her and smiled fondly for a moment. Wally had pushed his tray, piled high with wrappers and dishes from his large lunch, towards the center of the table before resting his head on his crossed arms. "Yeah, he's fine," she replied. "He always grabs a quick nap after he eats lunch. It has something to do with his metabolism I guess. He gets sleepier right after he's eaten than most people."

Dick nodded his understanding before standing up to wave Conner and Kaldur over to the table. Artemis spent the rest of lunch half listening to the conversations going on around her and envying Wally's ability to fall asleep just about anywhere, no matter how loud it was.

Finally the weekend came and Wally and Artemis wasted no time in getting out of Gotham Academy. As soon as classes let out Friday afternoon they had dashed back to their dorms and packed their bags for the weekend. They met up at the abandoned shed, started up their bikes, and slipped off campus as fast as they could.

"Well, one week down; about two and a half years left to go," Artemis said over the comm-link in her helmet.

Wally laughed even as he sped around a slow car on the freeway, Artemis right behind him. "We survived though," he pointed out.

"Ugh, barely," Artemis replied. "I swear, if I have one more girl ask me if you're dating anyone or for your number I'm going to flip."

"Girls have been asking for my number?" Wally asked with a groan. "Seriously? Don't they get I'm not interested?"

"Oh, they get it," Artemis said. "They just think it's an act so they've been coming to me instead once they figured out we're best friends."

"What have you been telling them?" Wally asked.

"Same as always," Artemis replied with a shrug. "Your number is 438-2368." (AN: that spells out Get Bent)

Wally laughed. "What would I do without you Arty; you've always got my back."

"If you keep calling me Arty you'll find out," she said as she pulled up next to him. "Race you home," she added before she shot ahead of him.

"Hey!" Wally called as he gunned his engine after her. "Dude, come on! At least play fair!"

Artemis laughed over the comm-link. "Never fight fair!" she called back to him teasingly. "I'm thinking pizza and a movie this time. Or maybe I'll just have you do all my Chem homework for me."

Wally managed to catch up and pull up beside Artemis on the freeway. "I already so all your Chem homework for you," he reminded her. "Besides," he continued and Artemis could just hear the smirk in his voice. "Don't you think you're being just a little overconfident? You usually lose when we race. I'm the one with the mad biking skills." Without another word Wally shot forward, looking back once to give Artemis a mock salute as he sped back to Central Gotham.

The rest of their Friday passed uneventfully, except maybe their brief argument over who actually won the race home. As night began to fall they both found themselves getting antsy to be out on the streets again. As always they waited for their mothers to fall asleep before sneaking out of the apartment and to their substation.

"So what's on the radar tonight?" Wally asked. He and Artemis were staked out on a rooftop, surveying the streets below. "See anything?"

"I think I see two teenagers I told to get off the streets," a gravelly voice said.

Wally and Artemis sighed in unison and turned around to face Batman. "And we told you we weren't leaving as long as this city needs us," Artemis hissed back. "Besides, I really don't think you have the right to tell us what to do. Gotham is still a free city; at least as long as the mob is kept from power."

"I don't see your sidekick anywhere," Wally added. "What, the Boy Wonder get sick of you too?"

Batman eyed the teens in front of him. "He's busy with his team," he said at last. "If you two insist on doing this, there will be rules to follow."

"Rules?" Wally asked incredulously. "And how do you figure that? We don't work for the League. Hell, we don't even work with the League."

"And I doubt there's anything you can ever say that'll make us change our minds," Artemis added as she crossed her arms across her chest. "We want nothing to do with you or the League."

"We'll see about that," Batman said as he turned towards the shadows. "Things have a way of changing on you." Without another word he disappeared into the shadows.

"Things have a way of changing on you," Wally mocked with a scoff. "Yeah, whatever."

"I don't know, Wally," Artemis said. "Batman never threatens idly. Still," she added with a glare towards the shadows Batman had left in. "Who does he think he is?"

"We'll figure this out later," Wally sighed. "For now, let's just find a way to blow off some steam, huh?"

"Way ahead of you," Artemis replied, already scanning the streets. "We can sleep in tomorrow so I say we stay out till we're too tired to move."

Wally walked up next to her and slung an arm across her shoulders. "I like the way you think," he said grinning his manic grin.

An answering grin spread across Artemis' face as she pointed out a burglary of a local pawn shop taking place. "Petty theft," she said. "But it's a good start for the night." She ducked out beneath Impulse's arm and dropped over the side of the building onto the fire escape, Impulse right behind her.

AN 2: All right, chapter four. Don't forget to leave a review, please and thank you.